Dodge and shoot enemies towards victory!
When we were young (cue The Killers) waking up playing Space Invaders was that sauce. The beautiful bright colours, the sounds not ever heard at home were a reality thanks to Atari. 2021, and while post-pandemic is bit much… here we are on what seems like the other side. Super Destonaut DX 2, the long-awaited sequel has arrived to remind us of a simpler time. Does it succeed or is it another for the retro rubbish bin?
Visually, SDDX2 is retro from the word go!
The chunky pixel bits do their best to make sure you understand this is retro. This is not a bad thing either. The neon, 80’s tinged backdrops are lively if not uninspired but fit the aesthetic perfectly. Your main ship is at best a 4 block sprite that is unmemorable but functions as intended perfectly. The enemies fall under the same line, as nothing will jump out. Various mutant space creatures give way to hearts and UFOs. Thankfully the effects on screen pick up the slack. Screen shake (optional in settings) adds so much distress that it was disabled in order to review properly. Pixel explosions fill the screen with pristine distractions that ultimately cost you ships.
Control-wise, this one is quite simple to understand but hard to master. Depending on your scenario you may need to save your munitions or go all out. On that end, the gameplay is sublime. Rapid-fire by default is slowed to a halt with the ‘B’ button serving as a bullet-time that allows you to get out of sticky situations. Outside of that, well you have space invaders… after a week-long crystal meth binge. The bright colours match perfectly with the backing sounds.
Audio-wise, DX2 is perfect
Let me digress. No, it will not stand alone as the greatest soundtrack ever (Super Castlevania IV/FIFA 10) but what is on offer not only fits but accentuates the game as a whole. The devs certainly understood that this would need to be an all-encompassing title. They succeeded.
Gameplay-wise, DX2 crushes the competition. Everything presented responds well and reacts as you would expect. Twitch-based games need responsive controls and DX2 delivers. By the end, this felt like a warm title before tackling 1CC challenges in the well-known SHMUP field.
Final Words
While Super Destronaut DX-2 will not win any awards, it deserves your attention. SHMUP fans will be happy to find utility in the hardcore mode, while newbies will find challenge in bullet mode. The variety of modes mixed with scalable challenge makes this an easy recommendation.
Review code provided
Platform: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo
Release Date: 02/07/2021
No. of Players: 1
Category: Shooter, Action, Arcade
Developer: Petite Games, Ratalaika Games
Publisher: Ratalaika Games
Website: www.ratalaikagames.com
Twitter: @RatalaikaGames
Download link: US eShop / UK eShop
TWO BEARD GAMING 
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