Developed by Pumpkin Games
Released for XBLIG (12/2008)
Also on Linux/Macintosh/PC/PS3/PS4/Vita/WiiU/Xbox One
Ultratron came out back in 2008 when XBLIG was young and still full of hope. The game is a straight up homage to the classic arcade Robotron 2084. The presentation in this game is top-notch, with a sleek menu with selections for settings, mode, awards and options. I appreciate the option to put scanlines on the screen to complete the retro experience. The neon-style graphics in game look pretty sweet too, but it annoyed me that the characters always face left and right. In a game with multi-directional movement, 2D or not, you need at least animations of your character walking in four different directions. Still, this isn't something that's going to mess with the core gameplay. It's similar to Robotron, but not identical. The overall play area is quite a bit smaller, and you don't have the innocent bystanders to rescue either (at least not in the trial, perhaps they do appear later on in the full game). Many enemies just kind of wander about aimlessly while others will fire weapons at you. Compared to the arcade classic it was inspired by, Ultratron is a pretty easy game, but that's understandable as Robotron was a relentless beast. Things are a bit more manageable in this title but the challenge does escalate once you get a ways in (the full game features 40 rounds!). Ultimately, Ultratron is not as good as its inspiration but it's still a competent twin-stick shooter. Ultratron would see ports to a nice variety of systems, so if you're interested chances are you have something you can play it on!
Final Verdict: If Robotron 2084 is Dr. Pepper, then Ultratron is Mr. Pibb. It's still good but it's just not the original classic. Still, it's a buck and it's a good time!
Related Links:
Ultratron - GameFAQs
Ultratron for Xbox One - Microsoft Store
Ultratron for PC - Steam
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