Developer: Kitoguru Games Publisher: Kitoguru Games Release: 07/25/25 Genre: Action
Metroidvania is undergoing a renaissance the likes of which I could never imagine more than a decade ago. When I look at indie game releases there are more than you can shake a stick at. You can never have too much of a good thing or so they say. But I will admit I wish some of that indie love would spread to other long forgotten genres. Run-and-gun action games are starting to pick up with the likes of Iron Meat, Blazing Chrome, and Huntdown. The future is looking bright I say and Gundroid is another in that short but growing line of quality. It wears its inspiration on its sleeve and is not ashamed of it. It is highly derivative but no less deserving of your time, especially at its cheap price point.
In the year 20XX, humanity mostly relies on robots as military and police force, minimizing human casualties in major conflicts. These mechanical helpers work independently, having fail proof algorithms that prevent them from harming biological life. On a fateful day, an unknown flying object suddenly appeared over new Port city. Without hesitation, the alien ship commenced their attack, using advanced technology to corrupt the robots, turning them against their creators. With humanities fate in the balance, mankind activates its last hope: G.U.N.N.R – a new type of fighting robot protected by quantum cryptographic algorithms that cannot be corrupted.
Almost immediately you can see the Contra III influence in Gundroid’s gameplay. Not only do the games look similar but they feature some of the same mechanics. You can carry two weapons simultaneously and switch them freely. Picking up the same weapon twice powers it up although you will have a tough time doing so as weapon drops are not common. However there are a few cool additions. You can lock in place to better hit your targets and also dash although I never found a use for it.
Right from the jump the similarities to Contra cannot be denied. Gundroid regularly makes many call backs to some of the best moments in Contra. Stage 1 is highly reminiscent of the opening of Super C, from its soldier barracks to its gun towers. The next level is an extended hover bike set piece with multiple boss encounters and a familiar ending. You will recognize the helicopter boss battle in the following stage as there was a similar encounter in Contra III. That being said while many of these moments are familiar Gundroid also puts their own spin on it. That is not easy to do considering Contra has a near forty year heritage at this point. Konami’s shadow looms large on this title and the recent Operation Galuga drives home that point.
Gundroid has plenty of cool set pieces of its own however. The assault on one of the enemy’s bases fails when a miniboss decides to blow up a dam and drop you in to a waterfall. From here the end level boss stalks you in the background before the eventful encounter. The final level tests everything you have learned to that point and turns the action up to 11. The game’s finale has an excellent buildup and payoff as well. In essence Gundroid nearly has it all, from good pacing to a banging soundtrack. The only criticism if you can call it that is that it might lean on its Contra inspiration a little too heavily. What is here is good but could stand to be a little more distinct. Steel Assault for example does it. But for what the solo developer was going for they nail it.
Unlike the series that inspired it Gundroid takes a measured approach to its difficulty. The game is insanely well-balanced in nearly all facets. You begin with seven lives and can find more by destroying the environment. Enemy placement is well thought out and I can safely that every time I died it was my fault. Bosses have a reasonable amount of hit points and have easily decipherable patterns. Checkpoints are frequent which is good as the levels are long. While I wish there were a few more weapon drops per level it is nothing egregious. Most will be able to roll credits with moderate difficulty. For those that want a bigger challenge the arcade mode mimics old school rules with limited lives and credits. Personally I lived that experience growing up and only dabbled with it here. But it is cool the option is available for those that want it.
In Closing
Gundroid is a nostalgic love letter to classic run‑and‑gun titles—lean and action‑packed. It does not reinvent the wheel but does a good job making sure it runs properly. They know the audience and aesthetic they were going for and nail it for the most part. For fans of retro-style shooters and pixel art aesthetics, it offers satisfying pacing, good weapon variety, and a balanced challenge. The local co‑op is old school as hell, though the lack of online play is a sore spot. For its low price you cannot lose with this one.
