Super Cyborg

About

Super Cyborg is a single player and multiplayer arcade platformer game with violence and science fiction themes. It was developed by Artur Games and was released on July 8, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

Super Cyborg is an old school non-stop hardcore run'n'gun action game! You are an elite battle cyborg who is sent in to investigate a series of anomalies on a mysterious island. The merciless alien known as the 'Xirxul life form' has been awakened by unwitting scientists and now: all humanity is in danger!

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 398 reviews

music58 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Faithful and highly authentic Contra clone that captures the classic 8-bit run-and-gun gameplay and soundtrack, appealing strongly to fans of the original series.
Excellent level and enemy design featuring grotesque, creative bosses and varied stages, including a mix of side-scrolling and overhead segments.
Supports both local and online co-op multiplayer, enhancing replayability and enjoyment with a friend.
Tight responsive controls and added modern conveniences like weapon charge shots, lock aim feature, and infinite continues.
Visually and aurally appealing with detailed pixel art, colorful retro graphics, and a catchy chiptune soundtrack by Darkman007.

Extremely difficult gameplay with punishing one-hit deaths and limited lives, often leading to frustration and requiring memorization and repeated attempts.
Issues with controller support requiring manual configuration or workarounds, hindering pick-up-and-play experience.
Some enemy spawn patterns and bullet visibility are poorly balanced, causing unfair deaths or confusion during intense action.
Lack of checkpoints within levels causes lengthy restarts that contribute to tediousness, especially in later or longer stages.
Certain gameplay mechanics such as losing weapons on death and floaty jump physics can feel outdated or impede fair play.
Visual clutter or color palette choices sometimes make it hard to distinguish enemy attacks from background, increasing challenge unnecessarily.

music
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
33%
3%
The music in Super Cyborg is widely praised for its high-energy, chiptune-inspired soundtrack that strongly evokes classic Contra and retro 8/16-bit aesthetics. Composed by darkman007, the soundtrack is considered catchy, fitting, and nostalgic, enhancing the intense gameplay atmosphere. While some players find certain tracks less fitting or the volume too loud, overall the music is regarded as a standout feature that complements the game's challenging, old-school run-and-gun experience.
- “The audio design supports this with a soundtrack by darkman007 that combines heavy chiptune-inspired melodies with driving rhythms, creating the kind of high-energy atmosphere that perfectly matches the on-screen intensity.”
- “Music is extremely catchy and high-adrenaline and importantly, very fitting for the corresponding levels.”
- “The soundtrack is as perfect as that in Super C.”
- “The lowest level for music is obscenely loud if I still want to hear Discord.”
- “Music is not atmospheric, it is too electronic-esque.”
- “Sounds and music are quite headache inducing.”
gameplay
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The gameplay is a faithful and challenging homage to classic Contra titles, featuring fast-paced, unforgiving run-and-gun action with tight controls and nostalgic mechanics like one-hit deaths and weapon swapping. While praised for its solid design, authentic difficulty, and addictive nature, some critiques highlight occasional visual clarity issues, punishing difficulty spikes, and a few level design inconsistencies. Overall, it appeals strongly to hardcore fans seeking a retro, demanding experience but may be daunting for newcomers.
- “Gameplay is fast, unforgiving, and built around tight controls.”
- “The lock-position mechanic is a helpful addition, allowing players to fire in place without moving, which becomes essential when the screen fills with enemies and bullets.”
- “Early levels strike a good balance between challenge and fairness, giving players time to adapt to the mechanics and learn how to survive the onslaught.”
- “The visual design occasionally works against the gameplay as well—background details and enemy projectiles sometimes blend together, making it hard to parse threats in the heat of battle.”
- “Now it's time we talk about the dislikes, the gameplay can be quite a pain; the game captures the feel of classic Contra games too well, including punishing difficulty and unfair aspects, especially in the last two levels like that one top-down segment.”
- “Gameplay: pretty much more Contra with some neat bonus stuff; base gun is kinda really bad and useless for bosses, enemy variety is very good, bosses are usually pretty good albeit some pattern memorization here and there; stages 1-5 are good as far as content goes, stage six is lame because it's an overhead stage, stage 7 doesn't know when to end, final boss is super backloaded as far as difficulty goes and is unfun to fight.”
graphics
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
5%
The graphics are deliberately retro, emulating 8-bit and 16-bit Contra-era visuals with well-crafted pixel art, vibrant colors, and creative enemy/boss designs that blend nostalgia with a modern polish. While some note outdated or simplistic animation and occasional visibility issues, the overall aesthetic is widely praised for capturing the classic Contra spirit with impressive artwork and effective use of a limited palette. This graphical style, paired with detailed backgrounds and smooth animations, strongly appeals to fans of old-school side-scrollers.
- “There was so much creativity to the visuals, and especially the backgrounds in a few levels.”
- “The graphic art style is very good; it definitely does a good job in capturing the feel, look, and spirit of a Contra game with plenty of nice locations to look at.”
- “The graphics are crisp and well defined, the color palette is Megadrive-ish (on purpose I guess?), but the scenery is well defined and you won't have problems telling what's going on.”
- “Graphics are very outdated, obviously.”
- “Ugly pixel graphics, fixed (and nonsensical controls) and fixed resolution round out the flaws in this dumpster fire.”
- “It goes from what appears to be low fps, that's hard on the eyes, to sometimes a bit choppy, all sorts of really bad stuff done, in a game with low end graphics.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The story in Super Cyborg is minimal and largely absent from the gameplay, primarily conveyed through external descriptions rather than integrated into the game itself. Many users felt it was underdeveloped, with some recommending playing on easy mode just to catch any story elements. Overall, the narrative is considered weak and not a significant focus of the game.
- “Play the game on ultra easy to enjoy the story.”
- “Super Cyborg, truth be told, is a bit of a mixed bag of an action side-scroller game; now it's time to talk about the story.”
- “They're a bit like Super C mixed with Metroid: Zero Mission.”
- “I would have liked the story to be included within the game itself. Instead, it is only explained in the game description, which feels like a missed opportunity to integrate it properly.”
- “The story can be summed up in a single sentence; it is not worth reviewing, indicating a lack of depth or engagement.”
- “No story provided in the game, which diminishes the overall experience and leaves players without narrative context.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is often seen as tedious and frustrating, requiring repetitive tasks before progressing, especially against bosses. However, some players find it manageable given the game's low price.
- “When you do the same thing for modern games, it just creates an incredibly frustrating and tedious experience.”
- “It's kinda tedious, the only way I can recommend it is because it's 4 bucks.”
- “But the bosses take a fair bit of grinding before you figure out the right tactics.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Replayability is generally strong, offering engaging and enjoyable moments that keep players coming back, though some feel the game could benefit from faster player actions. Levels are brief, making it well-suited for quick, repeated play sessions, with an overall replay value rated around 7/10.
- “To make it short: replayability is top notch, you won't get bored with this game.”
- “The game's levels are pretty brief though, so if you like it there's good replayability to be had as the occasional action moment in your day.”
- “Replay value: 7/10.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a high-energy, intense vibe supported by a heavy chiptune-inspired soundtrack. However, some users feel the electronic-style music detracts from the overall atmospheric immersion.
- “The audio design supports this with a soundtrack by darkman007 that combines heavy chiptune-inspired melodies with driving rhythms, creating the kind of high-energy atmosphere that perfectly matches the on-screen intensity.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on modest hardware with solid overall performance. While the 4:3 aspect ratio may feel limiting for modern widescreen users, the precise controls contribute to a responsive and enjoyable experience.
- “Technically, the game runs smoothly on even modest hardware thanks to its lightweight requirements, though the 4:3 aspect ratio can feel restrictive for modern players used to widescreen.”
- “Still, the overall performance is solid, and the precision of the controls ensures that failure rarely feels like the result of unresponsiveness.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally seen as ineffective and fails to elicit laughter, with some users finding it unfunny.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users found the emotional experience immersive and nostalgic, with elements like gunplay and soundtrack effectively evoking the feeling of playing a spinoff of the original game.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly and is stable, delivering a polished 8-bit experience that feels well-executed and reliable.
- “The game itself plays and looks 8-bit, runs great, and just feels right.”