Azure Striker Gunvolt is a smart, updated take on 16-bit action games (review)

He’s blue, he stars in a side-scrolling platforming shooter, and he has to take on some master bosses one at a time. He’s not Mega Man, but he’s close.

Developer Inti Creates, which has a long history of making Mega Man Zero action platformers for Game Boy Advance, is back with something original but familiar in Azure Striker Gunvolt. It is a spiritual successor to those classic games, and it’s available tomorrow on the 3DS for $15. Like the classics it takes inspiration from, Gunvolt is all about side-scrolling shooting action and platforming, but it also introduces elements that give this debut franchise a fresh and interesting feel that is all its own.