Black Bird

Black Bird's irreverent take on shoot-'em-up is fun while it lasts, but there's not enough content to sustain repeat playthroughs.

There's really nothing left I can write to get across just how much I enjoy Black Bird. In fact, looking at the word count for what is a relatively short game, I've probably written too much. A more succinct version of this review would simply state “Onion Games has done it again.” For fans of the developer, that's pretty much all I'd have to say to convince them it's worth it. For anybody who hasn't had the good fortune of experiencing the studio's previous offerings, well, there are over 1,000 words above to tell you whether or not Black Bird is worth a shot.

Black Bird is a unique little shooter that only gets better as you play it more and uncover its secrets. Its vintage-style art direction is charmingly melancholy, and its strange soundtrack only adds an extra layer of quirkiness to proceedings. It's very much a score challenge game, though, meaning players expecting a wealth of things to see and do may be left feeling underwhelmed by its meagre four stages - especially when you consider the rather high price tag. This is very much a case of quality over quantity, and as long as you're up for repeat playthroughs, you're in for a wonderfully bizarre treat.

Black Bird is a wonderful, sad, strange, funny, cute and bizarre shooter that can't quite make its gameplay match the quality of everything else.

Black Bird is an enjoyable 2D shoot 'em up that shines on Nintendo Switch.

Black Bird is an excellent shoot ’em up and a landmark release for Onion Games. As this is their first release on proper gaming platforms, it makes sense they went all out and produced an exceptional game within a shiny package. It really is a fun time, and can get legit challenging.

I really liked the 8-bit sepia-toned pixelated art style mixed in with some bright colors here and there. The game's visuals are top-notch with a lot of attention to detail. Same goes for the game's music which is a weird, quirky and eccentric soundtrack that perfectly complements the experience.

Aside from its distinct graphics and hilarious music, Black Bird is basically a copy of Sega's classic shooter Fantasy Zone.

Black Bird has a distinctly creepy fairytale feel about it, with a dark story and the kind of retro explosions that will appeal to any lifelong gamer.

Black Bird is one of those rare games that come along and just completely surprises you in every way. It's fun, completely bonkers in a good way, has a quirky musical score, great design, and is only let down in my view by the slightly high price being asked for. If you can stomach that then give some support to Onion games because this is worthy of being in any Shoot 'em up fans collection.