Azure Striker Gunvolt – A respectful Megaman style game!

Megaman-style high-difficulty platformers are rare these days. Even more so after the failure of Mighty No.9 that didn't live up to the fans' expectations. Few know, but there is a 3DS franchise that was also released for Nintendo Switch called Azure Striker Gunvolt that manages to deliver a Megaman-style game and at the same time have original and interesting mechanics.

The game is not that new and it was released in 2014 and it also has a PC version, I recently played the first and second game on Switch by purchasing the physical media through 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 that failed.

Like any megaman, the game is a platformer, with selectable areas and bosses in each area. The game manages to innovate with a system of levels, skills, equipment, challenges and points that make the replay factor very strong. A big highlight goes to the story, level designer and the epic soundtrack.

Azure striker gunvolt - a megaman style game of respect!

In Azure Striker Gunvolt you control the character Gunvolt who is on a mission by the PLUMA group (Pleiade of Universal, Martial and Anarchic Freedom) to eliminate the muse Lumen, sponsored by the Sumeragi group but finding her he has doubts and a new conflict begins. The story seems pretty cliché but with time it gains depth and unexpected things happen.

Characteristics of Azure Striker Gunvolt

One of the main features of Azure Striker Gunvolt is its main ability called corona, a circle of energy that deals damage to enemies no matter how far from the screen. The corona also allows you to float for a while in the air and repels some projectiles.

The damage will depend on the marks you make with your normal weapon. The more tags (maximum 3) the more damage and points you generate. There's a point multiplier called kudo, which we'll cover later in the article.

Azure striker gunvolt - a megaman style game of respect!

You also have offensive and defensive skills that are acquired by passing levels and leveling up. You can have different weapons with different shots that make different marks. Items can improve your jumping and running skills as well as weapons, damage and defenses. To synthesize items you need materials that you get by passing the levels.

The game has a good amount of stages and even more difficult and secret stages after making the real ending of the game. In the second game the stages can 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 some time. It's amazing how Gunvolt manages to be an easy and difficult game at the same time, allowing different forms of play for all ages and helping players to specialize in this style of play.

Azure striker gunvolt - a megaman style game of respect!

The difficulty and replay value of Azure Striker Gunvolt

What stands out most about Megaman games is their difficulty and exploration. Azure Striker Gunvolt does this correctly leaving several difficulty options, there are 3 game modes (easy, normal and hard) plus 3 more ways to score selected points in the stage, making the game more difficult.

At first, the game's stages are easy, you can run and pass them in a few minutes without worrying about taking damage. The game has a Rankings and rewards system, to acquire these rankings (C,B,A,S,S+) you need to make a higher score, which increases the game's difficulty and leaves a very large and attractive replay factor.

There is a screen of challenges (achievements) that give prizes in items or money. If you're a conquest freak, you'll struggle to try to get S+ in one of these phases, which requires you to multiply points by making combos, without taking any damage or getting a checkpoint. Challenges also involve speedrun and other specific objectives.

There is a system called Kudo, when entering the level you choose between cowardly, cautious and intrepid. If you choose intrepid, when taking damage your accumulated points (kudos) are lost, in cautious you can take up to 3 damage, while in coward your points are not lost when taking damage.

You can reset your accumulated points by picking up a checkpoint or using an offensive skill. Since kudo has a multiplier in addition to the accumulated points, we recommend not clearing the kudos until the end of the stage to multiply more points and earn an S Rank.

Upon reaching a total of 1000 kudos a song from Musa Lumem starts playing (a Japanese soundtrack), you can also hear a song by the muse when being revived by her after dying several times in a big boss.

Azure striker gunvolt - a megaman style game of respect!

Final Thoughts on Azure Striker Gunvolt

The second game in the franchise manages to keep all the essence of the first, improve the story and innovate with a second character that has totally different gameplay and abilities from Gunvolt. More elaborate bosses and new enemies and more complete and longer stages. On the switch you can get 2 games in one for a good price.

The game is simply fantastic, addictive, with an impeccable soundtrack, good gameplay and is on the same level of epicity as Megaman. If you are looking for a game for 3ds, Switch or PC in the style of magaman, this is highly recommended and a must! In some ways it's even better than Megaman who stopped in time!

Click here to access the Play page on Play-Asia. I was lucky enough to buy it at Play-Asia for less than 100 reais, if you're smart you can get a promotion like that too. Unfortunately the little game isn't that cheap and costs around 40$ for the digital version, but it's worth every penny.

Azure striker gunvolt - a megaman style game of respect!

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