Gunlord X coming to Switch
From dead consoles to hybrid consoles
Well, this is a bit exciting! Indie team NG:DEV:TEAM are bringing their 2012 Neo-Geo/Dreamcast cult hit Gunlord to the Nintendo Switch in all its old-school run n' gun glory.
The enhanced version is titled Gunlord X, and it’s the first time it will be available on a system that isn't, well, dead. Sad as it is to admit, SNK and SEGA's consoles weren't exactly thriving following... er... the nineties. It's a delight to finally be able to play Gunlord without having to dig out my poor old Dreamcast and suffer its control pad, not to mention my dust allergy.
The game itself takes the form of a committed homage to Factor 5's seminal Amiga platform shooter, Turrican. That is to say, it is literally Turrican. It looks and appears to play almost exactly the same. This is not a criticism, because Turrican is absolutely fit. There is nothing else quite like it out there and it is fantastic to think that I'll soon be able to play such a well-received take on the Commodore classic. Complex level design twinned with Contra-style shooting action is always a win in my book.
Additionally, Gunlord X will ship with a ton of new features to reflect the fact that it's being treated as a handheld game this time around. Widescreen graphics, autosaving, optional twin-stick controls; it's getting a great deal of love, rather than just slapping the original on Nintendo's handheld without much in the way of forethought (glares at Odallus: The Dark Call). On top of these quality of life fixes, there'll be expanded levels, an entirely new jetpack stage and four new bosses, amongst other things.
It's looking like an exemplary Switch port, bringing an obscure modern classic to a much wider audience. I for one can't wait to play it. Mostly because it's Turrican. Look at it! It is, quite simply, Turrican!!
