Metaloid: Origin from eastasiasoft and Retro Revolution is a 2D action platformer that pays homage to the beloved Mega Man classic franchises. Learn more in our Metaloid: Origin review!

 

Metaloid: Origin from eastasiasoft and Retro Revolution is a 2D action platformer that pays homage to the beloved Mega Man classic franchises. It’s a sequel to Metagal, which I got a chance to review on Nintendo Switch a couple of years ago, and it follows the story of Erika, Zeta, and Neva, three Predators who must defend the Utopia planet from the invasion of the alien group known as the Lucian Corporation. All of this is wrapped in a retrotastic package that pays homage to the Mega Man and Mega Man X series.

Each of the three characters plays a bit differently since they each have a set of abilities that are unique to them. For example, Erika can flood the entire screen with bullets, Zeta will use the power of atomic thunder to strike at a fast and powerful pace, and Neva can use a jetpack to fly around each screen to rain a world of hurt on your opponents. You’ll have to select one of them for your adventure, but worry not because if you want the Platinum trophy, you’ll have to beat the game will all three of them – more on the trophies in a bit.

 

You will move your selected character with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, jumping with the X button and attacking with the Square button. The Triangle button can be used to unleash your special ability, which is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. You can also dash with the R2 button and switch between available weapons with the L1 and R1 buttons. You start with a regular weapon that can do some solid damage but can unlock more weapons and upgrades by pressing the Options button so that you can spend the Solarium you collect from the enemies you defeat or from the items you collect on each stage.

 

Take, for example, Erika. She starts with a standard Heat Pistol. If you save up enough Solarium, you can purchase a Fireball Launcher that will throw fireballs at an arch, which will also bounce around the floor. You could also get the Thermal Blaster, which shoots three scattered fireballs to attack enemies at a wider range. Or perhaps you’d like the Flame Thrower, which will release a constant stream of fire. There will also be perks and upgrades to unlock, which can be found by exploring each of the game’s 2D levels.

At the end of each stage, you’ll go up against a boss. Unlike the Mega Man series, in which you can select which stage to take on in the order you prefer, for Metaloid: Origin, you will take on stages in a set order, having to unlock subsequent stages by beating the previous one. This means that you’ll be battling the bosses in a specific order. Be sure to pay attention to their movement and attack patterns, and use any of the weapons you might have already bought – as well as the advantage of any perks and upgrades – to beat them. As long as you have some Solarium on you to be able to purchase a continue, you’ll get to learn from your mistakes and give each boss another go.

 

As for the trophies, this one has a list of eleven Bronze trophies, seven Silver trophies, and seven Gold trophies, which means it also has a Platinum waiting for you! The trophy requirements will ask that you defeat each of the bosses in the game, to complete the game with each of the three Predators, to beat the game in Hard, that you collect all big gems in the game – of which there are five in each stage -, and that you collect and improve all upgrades for Erika, Zeta, and Neva.

Metagal was a fun homage to the Mega Man and Mega Man X series, and Metaloid: Origin improves on this by offering more content, more characters to play as, a good variety of weapons, perks, and upgrades to unlock, and a Platinum trophy for you to add to your collection, all for a budget price of $6.99. Metaloid: Origin is out on PlayStation 4.

Disclaimer
This Metaloid: Origin review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by eastasiasoft.