Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Genre: 2D Run-And-Gun Shoot-em-Up; basically Contra

If it weren’t for Konami who has a tight rein on its Contra brand, you can mistaken WayForward’s “new” 2D run-and-gun shooter game Spidersaurs as the next Contra entry. After all, the Shantae developer did make Contra 4 back in the Nintendo DS, grappling hook and all. Heck, Spidersaurs has its own version of that vertical-climbing tool in the form of a spider thread that comes out of your character’s back, among other additions that help keep the 2D run-and-gun genre fresh.

Metal Slugs? More Like Steel-Teethed DinoSpiders!

These additions include an air dash and a double jump. These, along with your arsenal of powerups like the spread gun, rapid-fire lasers, bouncing spread shots, and arcing cluster shots, will help both playable characters Victoria (a well-endowed rocker chick with a gun guitar) and Adrian (a police-in-training with a gun that shoots sports balls) get through the six stages of spider-dinosaur-hybrid hell. You can either go at it in single-player mode or team up in co-op, which is part and parcel of the Contra-tribute experience. The kicker? You only get the double jump and air dash after you complete subsequent stages; you don’t get them at the start, at least in the game’s Story Mode.

As such, the game gets a little tough for those who aren’t familiar with 2D run-and-gun games. If you don’t know your Metal Slugs to your Bill & Lances, you’ll die a lot from stray bullets, surprise running enemies popping out of nowhere, and tricky boss patterns. Yes, you have three hit points and three lives, but these benefits will run out quick your first time around in medium mode, and especially in hard mode.

That’s WayForward’s Contra nod in a nutshell, and honestly? It’s pretty fun. For all its short runtime, and I’m counting the replays from the many deaths I’ve experienced in the later stages, the action is fun and the controls are spot-on. Both Victoria and Adrian can fire in eight directions, have their own powerups that are different but viable in all situations (from Victoria’s spreadshot to Adrian’s hard-hitting flamethrower), and are pretty agile. The hurtboxes for the characters are generous, so you only have yourself to blame if you mistimed your jump and hit a stray bullet you should have paid attention to.

What I don’t like, however, are the stealth spidersaur enemies that one-hit kill you if you stand around one spot for too long. I understand that’s WayForward’s way of dealing with campers in 2D run-and-gun games, but at least save that for the harder difficulties, or at least for the game’s unlocked Arcade Mode and Time Trial/Speed Run when you beat the main game in less than two hours.

Eight-Legged Freakout

Fans who miss an actual Contra game can find Spidersaurs to be a great substitute, from its controls to its unforgiving-yet-kinda-fair gameplay. It also has Contra’s flaws: short playtime and a few options that extend replayability to only its hardcore audience. It won’t be for newbies despite the art style and saccharine flavour, but it will scratch that run-and-gun itch for those who wish for the days when games were simpler, co-op friendly, and arcade-like.

Pros

• Fun 2D challenge and shooting action.
• Cheery aesthetics.
• Spot-on controls.
• Much-loved powerups that add more movement and evade options.

Cons

• Pretty short.
• Some cheap obstacles.
• Valuable power-ups only at the tail end of the game.

Final Score: 70/100