It’s arcade game structure at its very finest.Īssault Android Cactus looks like a cheesy morning cartoon, and that’s reinforced by the snippets that pass for a narrative. And yet, because levels are over in just a few short minutes, there’s such a temptation to give that new top score just one more crack. Every level has a leaderboard, encouraging you to chase the all-elusive S-rankings, and those top scores require that you take down enemies with such extreme efficiency that you don’t take a single hit. Finishing levels and getting a good score is quite another thing. On the plus side, there’s more than enough health restores dropped to compensate. Energy leaks at a consistent rate, and you’ll lose more if you actually get hit by an enemy. You pick your hero for the level (from a decent number, each with their own unique weapons), and simply need to preserve their “energy” – a battery-shaped health bar, from depleting, until you can get to the end.

Within the first couple of levels the screen becomes filled with a manic energy as enemy robots come from every which angle, and the levels themselves constantly shift to keep you on your toes, and keep the action dynamic.Īctually finishing levels is quite easy. More akin to Robotron than some of the more recent efforts to meld the dual stick shooter with more cerebral genres – such as Alienation’s blend of RPG and dual stick shooter – Assault Android Cactus wastes no time whatsoever in pumping the action right up to 11. I don’t really have an excuse for missing the game, but I’ve played it now, and I’m glad I have, because it doesn’t disappoint on any level. Secondly, it’s an Aussie-developed game, and I do like supporting my local game makers wherever possible. I hadn’t played Assault Android Cactus until its release on Nintendo Switch, which is a double whammy of “how did you miss this one?!?” Firstly, it’s a dual stick shooter, and every time it has been released on a new platform I had heard nothing but praise for it. I’m terrible at SHMUPS and the like, but give me a good dual stick shooter and I’m in my element.

From right back with Robotron 2084, right through to the likes of Geometry Wars, dual stick shooters have been my go-to for extreme twitch action. This will surprise a fair few people, but I’m actually quite a big fan of dual stick shooters.

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