If you’re a fan of old-school contras, the Spidersaurs are right up your alley. This run-and-gun title takes the Contra formula and adds some flair to create a unique experience.If you’re looking for a challenge, Spidersaurs is definitely for you.
The game opens with a fun intro set to an upbeat rock song in the style of 90’s Saturday morning cartoons. The story is also as quirky as an early morning cartoon. In the not-too-distant future, solar flares and overpopulation are running out of food supplies. A billionaire scientist has decided to develop a dinosaur-spider hybrid that will provide enough meat to feed the world. What could go wrong? Well, more often than not, that’s where the protagonist comes in, preventing the Spidersaurs from escaping and killing humanity (and preserving the company’s image in the process).
Choose from two characters. Adrian, a police officer in training, and Victoria, a punk rocker wielding a guitar. Both characters are brilliantly voice-acted, and each has very distinctive traits. Adrian feels like a slightly lovable, slightly jock-type character who revolves around a sports theme with weapons, while Victoria gives off a sleazy vibe by using her guitar to shoot projectiles. But it’s not just her main character that has excellent design and voice acting. The game is fully voice-acted and wonderfully animated, making you feel like you’re playing a cartoon.
Gameplay is simple. You can run, crouch, and aim your weapon straight ahead, up, down, or at a 45-degree angle, reminiscent of a contra. Weapon upgrades are also similar to Contras. As you play levels, containers fly by and you can shoot them down to gain a variety of attacks, from diffusion guns to electroshock projectiles. You can carry two types of weapons, which you can switch between with a button on the top of your shoulder. And (as long as you don’t die) collecting weapons of the same type can improve your attack power.
One notable difference between the Contra and the Spidersaurus is their post-boss special ability. After defeating the boss, it drops a large chunk of meat that can be consumed to gain additional power. Examples include double jumping, clinging to walls, and launching webs from your back that you can attach to walls or platforms above yourself. Levels are designed so that you must use your newly discovered abilities as you traverse the next course.
Each level is a different setting and offers an interesting gameplay. One of my favorite levels is Jungle World. Start by riding a raptor and work your way out of the area. It’s fast and offers a fun experience unlike the rest of the game. Most of the time you’re jumping on platforms, dodging bullets from enemies, and defeating various bosses.
Speaking of bosses, each level has two bosses. A mini-boss found in the middle of the level and a final boss. The final enemy in each area is larger than life, and you’ll need to learn their patterns to defeat them. Defeating a mini-boss acts like a checkpoint, letting you continue from where you lost all your lives.
And you will die The game is quite difficult. There are 3 health containers, and when hit by an enemy or their projectiles, she loses 1 of those health. Also, you have to pay attention to a lot of things that happen in the game. One of the things I dislike the most is that enemy bullets can penetrate walls. However, projectiles cannot. As a result, some people died thinking they were safe from where they were standing when in fact they were not.
It’s a side-scrolling game, and like Contra, you can’t go back. If you are going up, the bottom of the screen may scroll up and you may not be able to return. A few times, standing on an invisible platform, I didn’t know where to go next. These moments were infrequent, but I found them frustrating and challenging.
For more on Spidersaurs, check out WayForward’s interview in the latest issue of Pure Nintendo Magazine.
