Tanuki Justice

Tanuki Justice is typically ‘retro’ in terms of its overall presentation. The colourful, pixel-heavy visuals pay homage to NES titles (although the art design often screams Sonic), and the soundtrack features some catchy, albeit rather repetitive tunes. There are a couple of annoying quirks typical of some 8-bit games, like the inability to jump down through a platform, and items disappearing after just a few short seconds. Otherwise, if you’re after a fun little run ‘n’ gun platformer reminiscent of early Mega Man titles, this might just be the one for you.

A colorful throwback to '80s action-arcade titles that looks and feels like the real deal. Challenging and enjoyable, it's worth a look for anyone who wants a new old game to rip through.

This is still significantly easier than many run and gun classics like Ghosts ‘n Goblins or Metal Slug. If the tension, pace, and feel of Cuphead appeal to you and you’re curious about something more streamlined and frantic, consider Tanuki Justice.

Tanuki Justice has excellent features, such as charming retro graphics, precise gameplay, interesting challenges and a lot of charisma. However, it becomes limited by certain restrictive mechanics, such as the inability to descend from platforms and a short journey. In the end, the game is a brief and cool title in general.

Tanuki Justice is a super fun and difficult game reminiscent of challenging games like Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man. Not much for a story here but has a lot of ninja throwing star action, what more do you really need.

Tanuki Justice is a throwback to the run and gun games of the 80s and 90s, for better or for worse. While it does sport some challenging difficulty and a distinct pixel art style, some of it goes into unfair territory and ends up being an exercise in frustration.

Fantastic for 8bit enthusiasts, those without the love might want to avoid

Not many indies completely nail retro arcade games as well as Tanuki Justice does so if you love 2D action then this is a must-have game.

Overall, Tanuki Justice has been one of the most fun sidescrolling run & guns I’ve endured. Paired with a colorful pixel background and rhythmic synth music, on top of exciting gameplay, the false nostalgia brings me back to when I first started playing video games.

Tanuki Justice is an enjoyable and welcome retro release, one that recaptures the magic of ninja action games like Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden while adding some bullet hell shenanigans to provide a different type of challenge. There are some mechanical imperfections and omissions which do hamper the intended fast-paced ninja action. Still, the experience as a whole tends to shine through thanks to its vibrant presentation and strong level design.