Andro Dunos II review: Classic arcade shoot ‘em up action returns with a bang

Andro Dunos II brings back the classic, winning formula of shoot ‘em ups (or shmups) to the spotlight. Andro Dunos was initially launched in June 1992 by Visco and SNK Playmore for the Neo Geo MVS.

It brings gorgeous visuals, tremendous explosions, and bullet-hell gameplay, offering a reasonable challenge that ramps up over time.

While the original Andro Dunos did not stand out among the other shmups of the era, the sequel comes at a time where horizontal shoot ‘em ups are not as common. How does it hold up in 2022?

Andro Dunos II returns, bringing a 30-year old game back to life

Launched initially in arcades, Andro Dunos saw a few console ports, such as Dreamcast. Now, 30 years later, the sequel comes to the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

It will feel very familiar to fans of retro shmups, specifically R-Type. Fans of horizontal shooters like R-Type III, Gradius, and Darius Gaiden will love it. Instead of changing the style of the ship the player can use, there are a series of weapons to use, each with its own power, style of fire, and ultra-powerful special attack.

It's not big on the story, but that's not a big deal for a game like this. When it comes to the Andro Dunos II story, players control a starship in defense of the Earth. An unknown alien force has increased its military presence. It's up to the players to stop these alien forces once and for all.

Players expect tight controls, quality gameplay, and awesome, challenging bosses. Thankfully, Andro Dunos II delivers on all of these. It also has an amazing soundtrack courtesy of Britain's Allister Brimble.

The ups and downs of futuristic space combat

The game starts very easy, and that’s a great thing. Games like this shouldn’t begin with just battering players. It can be ruthless later on when players have adjusted to the game. It ramps up the difficulty over time, and it’s a brilliant idea.

Players get access to one cute orange spaceship, and it has quite a few different laser options. Players can use the L1 and R1 buttons on a controller throughout a stage to swap between them at will.

Each beam has a different range, width, and power. There’s even one that fires behind the player as well as in the front for the times when enemies attack from the rear.

These weapons can be powered up by picking up items with letters written on them, but there are also little blue orbs to pick up from defeated enemies.

Each stage has 30, and the more that are picked up, the more upgrades the player can pick up at the end of a stage. With all 30 picked up, a player can buy three upgrades.

When it comes to the stages in Andro Dunos II, they have a nice, leisurely pace but are constantly on the move. Occasionally they pick up speed, especially when gateways are opening and closing.

Enemies come in waves, opening fire before leaving the screen. This is interesting, offering the player the option to have a sort of “pacifist” playthrough, except when it comes to the bosses.

The bosses are colossal, with a large number of attacks and phases. Players will have to break down several parts of the gigantic ships and robots they are pitted against.

The designs for the bosses are incredible, and thankfully, the player gets access to several credits. The player can start with up to 9 credits (continues), so it’s not hard to progress in the game.

Thankfully, there’s also Stage Select. For each stage completed, the player can start at that one again and can choose “One playthrough” or “Continue”. This allows the player to play through one stage and practice it, or they can push forward into the game and progress through Stage Select.

The controls are tight and allow for precise maneuvers

A shoot ‘em up is only as good as its controls, though. Thankfully, Andro Dunos II did not disappoint here at all. Throughout my gameplay, it was easy to inch up and down between bullets, stick with lasers moving on the screen, and evade missiles, provided I was paying attention.

That’s the important thing. There’s so much to keep track of in the game. With practice, players will be able to learn patterns and groups of enemies and plow through stages with the greatest of ease.

Boss patterns are also easily predictable, and players can use their special beams to shoot most projectiles out of the sky.

Gameplay felt great on both an arcade stick and a controller, as well as the keyboard. No matter how a player is tackling Andro Dunos II, they should not be disappointed by how tight the controls are.

In Conclusion

While Andro Dunos II is an amazing game, a few things are missing in the game. It’s missing a more detailed options menu, such as a borderless windowed option. That would be a great addition to the game.

I'm also surprised it doesn't have two players. This would be a fantastic two-player shoot 'em up, and hopefully, that's something that could be added somewhere down the line.

Whether local or online, it could be a great deal of fun. Despite that, the game is a gorgeous, challenging shoot 'em up that will offer something for fans of retro shooters.

Gamers looking for something new in the side-scrolling shooter genre won't be disappointed with Andro Dunos II. It's easy to play and hard to master, and it satisfies this retro gaming fan, bringing the feel of R-Type, Metal Black, Gradius, and other classic shooters to life again.