Spidersaurs

Spidersaurs is a beautiful homage to a bygone era of over-the-top ‘90s cartoons and challenging platformers. The game does enough to make it feel distinct from similar games, adding in special abilities and beautiful art and voice acting. The game is a challenging yet short experience. If you are a fan of Contra, you won’t be disappointed.

Overall Spidersaurs is a very good example of a modern take on the run and gun, whilst it doesn’t quite have the depth that some people may be looking for it certainly fills a gap in the quick play genre and is good for a travel journey or a quick game during lunch break. If you like the vibe of games like Contra, Metal Slug and TMNT then I would suggest giving this game a try.

Wayforward tries the classic Run’n Gun formula after Contra 4. A solid game for those who value classic gaming with very little concession to recent developments of the genre. A game made to entertain for some hours, no more and no less.

For the Contra diehards among you, Spidersaurs is a great game. The difficulty can be brutal at times, but I’m sure I’ll power through the higher tiers eventually.

Those issues aside, I very much enjoyed my time playing Spidersaurs. Fellow fans of Contra will find something to love here, while fans of WayForward’s brand of uplifting and chaotic fun should also have a good time. This is the best unofficial spiritual successor to the Contra franchise I’ve played in quite a while, and a great example of a classic genre done justice in the modern era. If you’re itching to blast some hideous hybrids to a pulp, this is your game.

Spidersaurs is a fun ride while it lasts, as well as a strong love letter to Contra, all delivered with WayForward's signature style. While it is very short and suffers from some minor issues following its transfer from Apple Arcade to consoles, it’s still a good time and a strong purchase for anyone itching for some classic run-and-gun action.

Spidersaurs is pretty hard to recommend, at least on a gameplay level, to anyone but the most hardcore run-and-gun enthusiasts. [Issue #61 – September/October 2022, p. 21]