It’s kind of funny how Data East’s legacy covers a multitude of games. And not just popular favorites like Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja and Heavy Barrel, but also cult classics. Like…Night Slashers. Never heard of it? It originally released in 1993 with very little arcade distribution. And yet, over the years, it had become a much appreciated brawler akin to Final Fight. But you know, with zombies. That leads us to Night Slashers Remake.
The latest work of Storm Trident and Forever Entertainment, Slashers takes the original brawler and beefs it up. There are new animations here, along with combat tweaks and a new character. You can also unlock the option to make enemies explode, if you’re feeling super destructive.
Not all is ideal with this remake. There are technical mishaps (particularly with the Xbox version), and some of the animation needs smoothing over. On top of that, being an arcade beat-em-up, it does end all too soon.
But for a mere $10, you get your hands on a long-lost classic, reborn to pretty good effect. Plus it’s still a gas to play with friends. It’s not the ultimate rebirth of the beat-em-up, but it’s a welcome one for those wanting something new.
Parade of the Dead
Zombies are running amuck in the world, and only a handful of warriors can stop them. But anyone can shoot them down or drop one of those cowardly nukes. Nah, with Night Slashers Remake, you get to beat them to a pulp. Literally.
The plot makes little sense, but it does pave the way for the action that lies ahead. It’s here that Slashers truly succeeds, with its non-stop beat-em-up brawling. The controls handle pretty well here, particularly with unleashing combos and devastating screen-clearing attacks. It’s also cool how each character has a distinctive style. You know, like the dude with the partial arm armor that’s not afraid to get a little dirty. Or those fine martial arts chicks, of course.
Though a bit on the short side, Slashers has its moments of fighting goodness. Plus it’s fun to play with up to four players – locally only, sadly. And there’s a new character that I won’t spoil here, but they fit into the party pretty nicely.
Night Slashers Remake does feature a new nifty unlocks. But outside of that, there’s not too much ground to cover here. That said, it is fun to return to. And the fact it’s a mere $10 ($5, depending when you buy it) won’t make it a huge burden on your wallet.
Crawling Back To Life
Considering the work Forever Entertainment put into its stunning Panzer Dragoon Remake, we expected great things with Slashers. Alas, we got…pretty good. Which beats nothing, but some touch-ups are needed.
The new character designs are great in hi-def, and some of the new backgrounds look dazzling. However, there are some missing animations. And the Xbox version, during our time with review, has some technical problems. At one point, characters disappeared entirely, and we had to reset. (Fortunately, a new patch has remedied this, but there’s still a little work to be done.) It doesn’t look bad, but it’s not completely polished either. At least it runs pretty good (particularly on Switch!).
As for the sound, it’s straight from the original arcade game. That means all the cheesy music and monster effects (and “splatting” noises, as they were) are intact. They’re not heavily remixed or anything, but I think the devs wanted them left alone. Which is totally fine, given the game’s cheesy vibe and all.
Some more clean-up would do Night Slashers Remake some good. But as it stands, it’s not bad. And it makes me wonder what other Data East games would benefit from such a revamp. Imagine a RoboCop HD arcade release. Yes, please.
Slashing Into the Night With Night Slashers Remake
If you’re looking for an in-depth experience or the mother of all remasters, Night Slashers Remake isn’t it. It has a few slight technical errors, and, at the end of the day, is still a revamped arcade game. However, for fans of brawlers and old-school entertainment, it’s a worthy purchase. It has enough blood and guts to satisfy gore fans. And its four-player local support make it a must-play couch experience. It also doesn’t hurt that the game has a very affordable price tag – cheaper if you grab it on sale.
Forever Entertainment definitely has its heart in the right place with Night Slashers Remake. And I’m sure fans will happily embrace it as they pulverize zombie skulls into mush. ‘Tis the Halloween season, after all.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Forever Entertainment for the review code! Check the game out now on Xbox, PlayStation,Nintendo Switch and PC!
Oh, you want more retro goodness from Gamerhub UK? We got you. Check out our coverage on Aero the Acro-Bat 2, Iron Meat and Castlevania Dominus Collection!
