Inti Creates
Gunvolt Chronicles - Luminous Avanger iX

Spin-off of Azure Striker Gunvolt, Luminous Avenger iX is a 2D side-scrolling platform shooter that, alongside Gunvolt, is rightfully the spiritual successor to Mega Man (not surprisingly, the developers are the same as Mega Man Zero).

Compared to the latter, however, the gameplay is more complex and to move forward it is necessary to learn to use at least 4 buttons simultaneously, which correspond to the 4 fundamental actions of the game: shooting, jumping, dashing, and using the secondary weapon. To these buttons, you occasionally need to add those for the special attack and for changing the secondary weapon, which brings the total number of buttons to be used during the game to 6... perhaps a bit too many, considering that some actions require the pressing of multiple buttons in quick succession, and that the type of action changes based on the direction chosen. However, the difficulty of the levels and enemies is not high, and you can continue infinitely after each defeat without needing to start over.

The level structure is the classic one already seen in all the Mega Man games released in the last thirty years: 8 main levels with their respective bosses (who, once defeated, leave their special weapons to the protagonist), to be faced again in sequence in the last part of the game before the final enemy showdown. All of this is enhanced by quite detailed anime-style graphics and a protagonist who is a bit more charismatic than Gunvolt. The story, however, is set in the same narrative universe, and Copen (Akira in the Japanese version) had already made his debut as a playable character in the second episode of Azure Striker Gunvolt. Therefore, references are not lacking, but the plot can be understood even by those who have never played the main series.

In conclusion, it is a good game: short, as tradition dictates, but satisfying once you get the hang of it. Given the complexity of the controls, I do not recommend it to casual gamers, but for 2D platform lovers, it is a must-buy.