Night Slashers: Remake is well… a remake… of Night Slashers, a game that first saw the light of day in the arcades back in 1993 and was developed and published by Data East, a former juggernaut in the world of coin operated machines. While this is the first major way this game is available for consoles, it was temporarily available on the Nintendo Switch from 2018 to 2023 via Johnny Turbo’s Arcade. Back in 2013, Night Slashers was ranked as the 20th best beat’em up of all time.

Night Slashers: Remake has a pretty simple, barebone and straightforward story: as one of four protagonists, players have to stop an antiviral epidemic, save the city and the world. There are a few cutscenes between missions in order to progress the story.

Night Slashers: Remake is a straight forward, typical beat’em up game where you travel through levels beating up everyone in your path as you make your way through the boss. Rinse and repeat for about 30 minutes. Each character has the same type of skillset. Each of them can jump, punch, jump attack and perform a special attack that will clear the screen, but also consume a chunk of your health.

As with other games of the same genre, you can pick up weapons to use against your foes and you can also pick up health refills and items for bonus points. Given that back in the day arcade games were all about reaching that that position in terms of points, it remains a feature here, albeit a useless one except for gaining additional lives.

This remake does have a bit of a cartoonish look where character movement look kinda off. They did a great job of going from pixelated visuals to a more modern look. Levels are more detailed and colorful. The soundtrack is a generic mix of rock and electro sounds. It does what’s it supposed to do in terms of complimentating the gameplay, but it’s quite forgettable. It also stops once it reaches the end of its loop only to start over.

In terms of issues, there are a few annoying quirks. First off, it’s too easy and extremely short. Some levels can literally be completed within 5 minutes. Bosses are a joke for the most part; they look threatening and imposing, but they are a cakewalk. Most of the them can just be cornered and bounced back and forth for an easy win.

Night Slashers: Remake is ok at best. It’s nothing special; it’s extremely generic and bland. Also very short and bosses, who should instill fear, are just big cronies. It could be some way to pass some time, solo or with friends, but other than that, it’s hard to recommend Night Slashers: Remake knowing there are much, much better beat’em up available. Try at your own risk.

Overall
  • 60%
    CX Score - 60%
60%

Summary

Pros

  • Gives an older game a second chance

Cons

  • Way too short
  • Special moves eat up way too much health
  • Bosses are a joke

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