Ah, the run-and-gun. An unholy marriage of the scrolling shooter and the platformer, this sub-genre wasn't as well represented as the games that inspired it but was nonetheless memorable for classics like Contra III: The Alien Wars and Metal Slug. The heavy metal heart of the run-and-gun still beats today with Blazing Chrome, coming soon to Steam, PS4 and Switch.
I love the backstory behind this game. A Brazilian couple decided to start an indie studio called JoyMasher and create a tribute to their favorite retro classics. The proof of their dedication is obvious in this new gameplay video. Sure, dozens of indie studios lazily call their games retro to basically get out of doing the hard work; a 16-bit, pixel art style is easy enough to phone in, but to get it right takes real craft, dedication and attention to detail. Blazing Chrome, at the very least, has that loving craftmanship. The muted color palette, the animations, the sprites and backgrounds all look like something out of a triple-A 90s shooter and the compressed voice samples and Sega Genesis tunes complete the aesthetic. JoyMasher can clearly walk the walk, I'm looking forward to this one's "early 2019" release date.
Good morning and welcome to 2019!
We're excited to kick things off this morning with some fresh af gameplay from the upcoming Contra-Metal-Slug homage, Blazing Chrome, coming to PS4, Switch and PC soon.
The couple-turned-development-duo JoyMasher out of Brazil are hard at work polishing the final tidbits of gameplay and we can't wait to share this one with you. This is absolutely retro done right. You can check it out in this 2 minute video showcasing the set up screen that allows you to select characters, missions, difficulty and then dives quickly into an all-new level full of giant enemy AI ships, set against a gorgeously handcrafted electrical storm background. LOOK AT THAT 16 bit color – the shading, the palette. LOOK AT IT. Dig it. DIG. IT. DIIIIIG IIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!! *dies of excitement*
