Astro Duel Deluxe released on the Nintendo Switch on May 30th, 2017, becoming one of the first Switch games I owned around launch. The original version, named just Astro Duel, was released on Steam on February 22nd, 2016, that game also having a prior version on mobile platforms. It was published by Wild Rooster, being a very under-the-radar release even now. Coincidentally, the developers responsible for the Switch port is Panic Button, who have done the most famed ports on Nintendo Switch. If they saw this worth porting, then it was definitely worth something. However, since that release, it hasn’t exploded as much as I thought it would. High-paced battles with friends in an adorable pixel design that screams charm—and carnage. It can play up to 6 players on a single screen, uses an intriguing control scheme, and has stages and items that vary up the gameplay. It has that eager energy of a lot of the other competitive, pixel-party games on the Nintendo Switch. Astro Duel deserves more recognition, especially after the release of Astro Duel 2 on March 7th, 2024, that improves on the formula.
The First Entry
The Astro Duel series felt like it belonged on the Switch at launch, allowing multiple new users to get play together while exercising the system’s unique features. Not only did it support up to 6 players but was also very playable in the Switch’s tablet form laid on the table. Since the characters controlled through limited tank controls and took place in the vacuums of space, everybody could easily play from all sides of the table. It is a cute feature, but a welcomed one, nonetheless. It was truly a game that leveraged the convenient element of the system for quick and addicting gaming sessions.
The immediate appeal of Astro Duel Deluxe isn’t only the visuals. The game is designed to be very simple in nature to enhance the energetic movement. At first, players are sluggish and out-of-control but having fun through close encounters with small boosts, reloading pellets, and chasing the first special weapon they see. After that chaos, as players improve, it becomes even more competitive and intriguing as people master stages, movement and using the special weapons. The game is equally mindless in its fun, but deep enough to have meat on the bone to become a very replayable party game. And it’s unique even among its kind. The animations and effects give it a ton of flare, similar to other indies of great quality. There are mild blood splatters, pieces of the ship and environment explode into pixel bits when destroyed, and the most satisfying sounds play to unique actions. It feels good to play, tightly wound and responsive to player inputs as they identify with the damage they commit.
An Explosive Sequel
Then there’s Astro Duel 2. It retains that gameplay but adds more content and a new style of play. It introduces a platform-fighting mechanic in the game, where gravity-zone parts of the move dissolve your ship. When you enter these zones you play as your pilot, who can now swing a sword and pick up items. Originally, when your ship is destroyed in outer space, you do play as your pilot, but as an aimlessly swinging target. Your pilot in these zones can grab items like a shotgun, a pistol and a rocket launcher. This style of play isn’t exclusive to one mode either, as many of the maps contain a mix of these zones. You can choose to shoot each other in the airless space or retreat to hands-on, grounded combat.
In addition to the new twist on gameplay are other quality improvements. There are now unique ships with varying attributes. Environments are destructible, adding to the visual and reactive clash on screen. Modes like Cash Grab and Bounty Mode let you play a different kind of match entirely. Tinier changes make their way too, with more custom options for matches if the default isn’t enough for you. There’s also a modern control scheme, a fix to the “jankiness” of the controls in the first game.
Recognition
As much content as there is in this second title, it continues to not waste time, making sure everything is still quick and responsive as the first game. Maps are tight and well-thought out, perhaps better than previous designs. In a way, battles have more pressure, instigating close combat whether in space or on ground. This is an impatient person’s game, and a sure-fire way to get any party of players riled up.
Considering the winning formula of the series, it is hard to believe it hasn’t blown up to the likes of Duck Game and TowerFall Ascension, both being pixel-party games. One of the barriers to this may be that it does not support online multiplayer, significantly limiting its reach. But if you have access to either remote play or multiple controllers, this is a great game to try. Even if this game excites players for just 30 minutes a session—that is exactly what it aims to do. The Astro Duel series is one to be appreciated, even for just a moment.
