Rival Megagun successfully blends the tried-and-true shmup formula with a competitive fighter. The single-player is fun though a little short, but the multiplayer mode offers plenty of options for all-out shooter battles with your friends.
Rival Megagun
Spacewave Software · Nov 29, 2018
About
Rival Megagun is a competitive split-screen vertical shmup (or shoot 'em up, shooting game, STG) where you transform into a gigantic boss ship - your "Mega Gunship" - to invade your opponent's screen.
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Critic reviews
- 7.3Overall, I did enjoy Rival Megagun, even if I did find the occasional fault. One other notable thing is that even considering the genre and the $14.99 price tag it does seem a little shallow. Not a huge drawback if you are score chasing, but it does seem like there could be a bit more somewhere. The Player vs Player aspect is going to be the real selling point, as there isn’t much out there like it.
- The competitive aspect of Rival Megagun works really well, and shooter fans who are interested in the local competitive experience might find a lot to like about this game. The online leaderboards and collectable cards add some long-term play, too. However, the lack of players online, the random unlocks, and the pedestrian shoot-‘em-up stages leave a lot to be desired. Some may find good value here, but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend Rival Megagun to a general Switch audience.
- 8.5Beyond just fantastic gameplay is amazing pixel artwork and a soundtrack that screams Super Nintendo era shooters and dare I say Mega Man X. There’s a neat animated intro as well. The dialog is well written and there are unlockable cards that expand on the lore of the game as well. There is no lack of detail in this game.
- There’s not much to this particular game that can be explored, but then it also doesn’t try to overextend itself and do too much. It’s pure, basic arcade fun and a worthy addition to any shmup lover’s library. Rival Megagun's added wrinkle of competitive gameplay to frantic, well-designed overhead shmup action is an interesting twist, but the limited game modes might not be enough for the amount of money being asked for.
- 8.0Rival Megagun may fall short of the standards set by genre masterworks like Cave's Ketsui, Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden Fighters Jet or Raizing's Battle Garegga. But those are some of the finest pieces of game design of all time, and failing to meet their lofty standards doesn't stop Spacewave's creation being a tremendously fun and rather distinct shmup that really does offer something fresh, and serves as a great demonstration of the Switch's multiplayer prowess in the process.
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