Super Alloy Crush Preview

Super Alloy Crush is a brand new 2-D Co-op Side-Scroller Action Fighter from the studio Alloy Mushrooms. They've got one other published game available, Super Alloy Ranger, and if that seems similar, that's because Super Alloy Crush is actually a sequel to Super Alloy Ranger.

While it may be a sequel, that doesn't mean you need to have played the original, as this one comes with a fresh story along with a serious graphics upgrade. It's an interesting update to the classic style Mega Man games that attempts to build upon the genre and how far it's come since the original days.

Whether it does a good job or not, I can't say, as the demo is pretty short; depending on how skilled you are, it may only be an hour long, or just under a couple if you really take your time. What I can say is that for the most part, my time with Super Alloy Crush was entertaining and brought me back to those days long ago.

What Exactly is Super Alloy Crush?

It's pretty much what it says on the tin: a 2-D Co-op Action Fighter Side-Scroller that focuses heavily on the classic feel of games from generations ago. It aims to bring new life to a genre that couldn't seem to evolve without becoming something different.

You'll play as one of two characters, Muu, a fast and powerful melee combatant who focuses on attacks with energy claws, or Kelly, a gun specialist who uses technical expertise to control the battlefield. They both have their own strengths and weaknesses, so it's up to you how to use them.

The demo also comes with two different modes, Story and Battle Rush. There is a third mode called Ultimate Challenge, which promises to push your skills to the extreme in the hardest battles. For now, it's just the first Story mission and the first two bosses of Battle Rush that you can take on.

There are some changes to the formula overall, like directional attack changes and support allies, that they bring to the mix to add another layer, but overall, it's mostly what you expect. Now, let's really dig into what makes this game a bit different from the rest.

An Incredible Arsenal at Your Fingertips

In most Sidescroller games, you only have a few attacks that are linked to your directional input. These might get upgraded as you go, but for the most part, you typically have a pretty standard setup of Up/Down/Left/Right combined with a heavy and light attack button.

Super Alloy Crush effectively doubles this number of attacks by having your character do different attacks, whether they're on the ground, in the air, doing a long-held heavy, or a short-held heavy. It's a little intimidating at first to think about how much variety you have since the game never outright tells you.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll be bouncing all over the battlefield, stunning enemies in an instant before destroying them a moment later. Getting that understanding felt great and added some more fun to the gameplay that opened up feeling a little basic.

It took me by surprise when I watched Kelly and Muu perform their normal attacks in the air, followed by a different power attack to keep themselves in the air. After a little time with Muu, I barely ever needed to touch the ground, and the game became infinitely more engaging.

But the real kicker here is Overdrive Bursts, a sort of ultimate attack you can build up by comboing enemies. These attacks do tons of damage and will wipe out most enemies with a single blow. Both Muu and Kelly only have one, but they make for a great way to eliminate a large group of enemies quickly.

Building up to these was definitely the highlight, as you get treated to a fun little cutscene before you unleash your attack. More difficult bosses also seem to have these built in, which makes them feel a little less special, but does make the encounters much more interesting.

Everyone Needs Some Support Sometimes

The game offers up these little extra allies who will show up and throw items that can refuel your health or SP. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how many you can have; at least the game never mentions a limit. These adorable helpers make the game just a smidge more interesting and add another layer to how you play.

If you stumble upon the rabbit ally, they can drop carrots for you when you activate them, but you only get three charges, and those can heal you up to full health. It basically means you can get pretty reckless with how you play and push yourself to fight a bit harder.

The support allies are a great addition, but they don't seem to recharge between waves in the Battle Rush mode, and there's no way to recharge them during the story except at certain stations found between the stages. It feels a little punishing that you can't seem to use them too much before you reach the hardest bosses, or else they'll be totally out.

A Classic Game Genre Revamped

While many games struggle to capture the feel of their older predecessor, Super Alloy Crush manages to do so with both the visuals and music while bringing a fresh perspective to the genre. With their alternate mode, Battle Rush, the game becomes a wave-based roguelike where, every five waves, you face off against a boss.

It works surprisingly well and doesn't change the core features of the game, but it does add in a ton of new things to master. For instance, you can buy alternate attacks in between waves to better fit into whatever build you have going, and you can get normal things like health or damage boosts, but almost all of them come with a negative modifier to something else.

It makes your choices important, and just like in most roguelikes, when you find a build that sticks, it feels incredible to just knock out wave after wave of enemies. For example, as Muu, I ended up with a build that focused on building SP up quickly and then using special attacks to deal a ton of damage repeatedly before I needed to build it back up.

I almost didn't want the run to end. It was so much fun with what I managed to get, and I felt so powerful that I didn't think anything could challenge me. Though with that said, things aren't always sunshine and rainbows with Super Alloy Crush.

An Old Style with Old Problems

There are still a few bugs to iron out in the game for sure. One of these I was worried would end up costing me my run, but I got very lucky. Muu has an upward spiral special attack that deals continuous hits, and in the right circumstances, you can get permanently stuck in a corner smacking a dead robot.

If that were to happen at a much later stage, where enemies do significantly more damage, it would've been wildly frustrating to end up losing the run to something well beyond my control. Additionally, it appears that hitboxes occasionally have some issues. There is a dodge mechanic, but sometimes it doesn't dodge attacks, or they can knock you out of it and stun you.

Whether or not it's built in, I can't say, but it can be something that players are notified of during the tutorial, or it could be something that simply gets fixed in the future. Regardless, Super Alloy Crush has a great base to build on and has plenty on offer to try out in the demo alone, especially if you enjoy roguelikes.

If you're looking for something to remind you of days long past with an injection of new fun, then you'll have a good time with the demo. If you are just looking for something entertaining and mindless to play as you blow up robots and drop meteors, ice blocks, and lightning from the sky, then it's worth the time.