Platform games with high difficulty in the style of Megaman are rare these days. Especially after the failure of Mighty No.9, which did not meet fans’ expectations. Few know, but there is a 3DS franchise that was also released for the Nintendo Switch called Azure Striker Gunvolt that manages to deliver a game in the Megaman style while also having original and interesting mechanics.
The game is not so new and was released in 2014 and also has a PC version. I recently played the first and second game on the Switch by purchasing the physical media from Play-Asia. The game was developed by Inti Creates and manages to revitalize the Megaman formula in an original and great way, unlike Mighty No.9, which failed.
Like any Megaman game, the game is a platformer, with selectable areas and bosses in each area. The game innovates with a system of levels, abilities, equipment, challenges, and points that make the replay factor very strong. A major highlight goes to the story, level design, and the epic soundtrack.
In Azure Striker Gunvolt, you control the character Gunvolt who is on a mission for the PLUMA group (Pleiade of Universal, Martial, and Anarchic Freedom) to eliminate the muse Lumen, sponsored by the Sumeragi group, but upon encountering her, he has doubts and a new conflict begins. The story seems quite cliché at first, but over time it gains depth and unexpected things happen.
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Features of Azure Striker Gunvolt
One of the main features of Azure Striker Gunvolt is its main ability called corona, an energy circle that damages enemies regardless of the distance on the screen. The corona also allows you to float in the air for a time and repels some projectiles.
The damage will depend on the marks you make with your normal weapon. The more marks (maximum 3), the more damage and points you generate. There is a point multiplier called kudo, which we will address later in the article.
You also have offensive and defensive abilities that are acquired by completing stages and leveling up. You can have different weapons with varied shots that make different marks. Items can improve your jumping, running, and also weapon abilities, damage, and defenses. To synthesize items, you need materials that you obtain by completing stages.
The game has a good amount of stages and also secret and more difficult stages after completing the true ending of the game. In the second game, the stages manage to be richer, full of secrets and innovations; you are always surprised when playing Gunvolt. You also have a power called prediction that prevents you from taking damage in exchange for energy points, which keeps the corona active.
If your energy points run out, you overload for a while. It’s amazing how Gunvolt manages to be an easy and difficult game at the same time, allowing various ways to play for all ages and helping players specialize in this style of game.
The difficulty and replay of Azure Striker Gunvolt
What stands out most in Megaman games is their difficulty and exploration. Azure Striker Gunvolt does this correctly by offering various difficulty options; there are 3 game modes (easy, normal, and hard) in addition to 3 more point-scoring modes selected in the stage, making the game harder.
At first, the stages of the game are easy; you can run through them and complete them in a few minutes without worrying about taking damage. The game has a ranking and rewards system; to achieve these rankings (C, B, A, S, S+), you need to score higher, which increases the game’s difficulty and adds a very large and attractive replay factor.
There is a challenge screen (achievements) that gives prizes in items or money. If you are an achievement hunter, you will struggle to get an S+ on one of these stages, which requires you to multiply points by making combos, without taking any damage or hitting a checkpoint. The challenges also involve speedruns and other specific objectives.
There is a system called Kudo; when you enter the stage, you choose between coward, cautious, and intrepid. If you choose intrepid, when you take damage, your accumulated points (kudos) are lost; in cautious mode, you can take up to 3 hits, while in coward mode, your points are not lost when taking damage.
You can reset your accumulated points by hitting a checkpoint or using an offensive ability. Since kudo has a multiplier in addition to the accumulated points, we recommend not resetting the kudos until the end of the stage to multiply more points and earn an S ranking.
Upon reaching a total of 1000 kudos, a song by the Muse Lumen starts playing (a Japanese soundtrack); you can also hear a song from the muse when being revived by her after dying several times to a boss.
Final considerations about Azure Striker Gunvolt
The second game in the franchise manages to maintain all the essence of the first, improve the story, and innovate with a second character that has gameplay and abilities completely different from Gunvolt. More elaborate bosses and new enemies, along with more complete and longer stages. On the Switch, you can acquire both games for a good price.
The game is simply fantastic, addictive, with an impeccable soundtrack, good gameplay, and is on the same level of epicness as Megaman. If you are looking for a game for 3DS, Switch, or PC in the style of Megaman, this is highly recommended and a must-play! In certain aspects, it is even better than Megaman, which has stagnated!
Click here to access the game’s page on Play-Asia. I was lucky to buy it on Play-Asia for less than 100 reais; if you stay alert, you can get a deal like that too. Unfortunately, the game is not so cheap and costs about $40 for the digital version, but it is worth every penny.
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