Spidersaurs (PC) Review

Run-and-Gun by the Book

The run-and-gun genre is well-defined with classics like Contra and Gunstar Heroes still being heralded as some of gaming’s greatest hits. Way Forward has always been able to take cues from games of the past to make something new with a modern flair. Spidersaurs is absolutely a game for fans of Contra but with a Saturday morning cartoon style that is gorgeous. I was able to play through the Steam version and it looks and plays fantastically. That said, this one is definitely geared more toward hardcore fans of this genre. 

Where Spidersaurs shines brightest is its co-op mode, hearkening back to blasting baddies while huddled around an NES. I accidentally started the game on the hardest difficulty due to the modes being labeled as Well-done, Medium, and Rare. With me being pretty into cooking, I thought this ranked based on tastiness so I picked Rare but eventually went into well-done or easy mode. Unfortunately, even in easy, there is a lives system that’s traditional so those hoping to just run through and see the cool visuals may struggle here and there but I only had to restart a level a few times. I think that everyone should see these monsters though and the bosses in particular are some of the most visually creative I’ve seen in a while with one standing out significantly. 

The entire premise is hilarious. A corporation genetically blended spiders and dinosaurs as a food source after a global shortage. Of course, like most science fiction media surrounding ancient species, things did not go as planned so our heroes are called in to keep the herd under control while battling a powerful queen and a skeevy roach. Anyone familiar with Contra will feel right at home in Spidersaurs but what makes it such a better experience is the cutscenes and character design, sporting that Way Forward charm I’ve come to love. 

The voice acting is fun and the music blasts with sweet guitar rifts like something out of Mega Man X. The story doesn’t do much outside of what’s expected but it is consistently funny.

I did find the art of the game hard to focus on because there’s just so much going on. Some enemies constantly respawn and players can lose lives from falling just below a scrolling screen, typical fare for retro fans but it still kept me from really adoring Spidersaurs. The game is also much shorter than expected, though the latest port does offer two other modes to challenge one’s skills. There is a bit of mechanical depth at work too for skilled players. Tapping the swap button increases the firing rate by a lot; it can be awkward to tap the swap button while doing all of the maneuvers but it does a ton of extra damage. That’s where the real replayability steps in; those who enjoy a challenge or want to perfect a speedrun might discover a new favorite in Spidersaurs. 

Granted, the original game was first released on the Apple Arcade service, meaning it is much smaller in scope compared to something like Shantae or River City Girls. I really hope Way Forward gets to make a sequel that’s a little more beginner friendly. There’s something special here that hits in the same ways that made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so special in the early 90s. 

All in all, Spidersaurs is a by the book run-and-gun game that’s sure to please fans who may feel that there haven’t been enough releases from their favorite franchises. 

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 6/10

VISUALS - 9/10

SOUND - 8/10

CONTROLS - 7/10

REPLAY VALUE - 7/10

OVERALL - 7.4/10

A digital copy of Spidersaurs was provided for this review. Screenshots were captured via Steam’s native features. Learn more on the official website. Spidersaurs is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and Apple Arcade.