Annie are you OK?
Remakes and remasters are nothing new in this generation, but rarely do we see one from a game that came out before the era of PlayStation. In comes Wild Guns Reloaded, a remake of a Super Nintendo game that feels right at home in a 90s arcade. Now, before anyone asks what an arcade is, let me put on my reading glasses and attempt to remember a time when I had to leave the house to play the best version of a given video game.
Wild Guns Reloaded is simple in design and execution. Players pick one of four characters (two are completely new to this version) as they move side-to-side shooting down enemies and collecting power-ups. That is pretty much it.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: PS4
Price I’d Pay: $9.99
This is old school game design, as the two original characters Clint and Annie cannot move while firing, and the game becomes all about knowing when to take shots, and when to dodge. The bosses are also lavish and memorable, the game feels designed to eat quarters even to this day, which is weird because as I mentioned, it was a console game to begin with.
Visually the game is what one would expect from a pixelated title from that era. The look has remained the same, but of course the resolution has been updated and it retains that classic style. The animations look great, and it translates well, especially with the current trend of retro-style games.
There are also two new characters thrown into the mix, and they fit well. First up is Bullet, a dog who uses a robotic device to fly around the level. His style is different, as controlling him is separate from the aiming reticule. It is a neat addition. Doris is the second character and she uses grenades to take down foes. Similar to a lock-on system she lays out where the grenades will go before throwing them. Both characters are fun to play, and fit well into the game itself.
My biggest issues with Wild Guns Reloaded are its lack of online co-op and price tag. This is a game the screams co-op play, and having it be local-only is understandable, but also highly disappointing. While these kinds of games are certainly best played with friends in the room, times have also evolved where that is not always the most convenient. Couple that with the $30 price tag and I wonder why this feature wasn’t added. This doesn’t feel like a $30 game, instead it feels more at home in the $10-$15 range, especially without online.
Wild Guns Reloaded is a great trip down nostalgia lane with some bad decisions regarding price and lack of online. I had a lot of fun with it, but felt it was a bit too pricey for what it offers. Fans of the original will undoubtedly find plenty to love, but the steep price and lack of online make this hard to recommend for anyone who doesn’t have the fondest of memories for the original game.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
