

You’ll need to stay on the move constantly, dodge, swap weapons and always try to keep yourself out of harm’s way. You’re constantly picking up health drops from defeated enemies and as you fight and get stronger, you deal more damage and beat more enemies.īoss fights are especially ridiculous and were the only time I saw a game over screen. It’s hard to avoid being hit, but that’s kind of the point. The screen is usually swarming with enemies and laser fire. “Lasers”Īs is to be expected from a twin-stick SHMUP, Assault Android Cactus is hectic. If you pick up a different power-up, it replaces the currently active one. However, if you pick up an additional power-up of the same type, you’ll extend the time. These power-ups are on a timer and once it runs down, the power-up goes away. These include a speed boost, bonus firepower, an EMP that disables all robots for a short time and more. While playing, you can also pick up power-ups. However, you can get back up by mashing the A button.ĭoing so drains some battery, so you’ll need to make sure you keep your batteries charged throughout. If it is fully depleted, your android will collapse. When you take damage from enemies, your health bar drains. In addition to your battery, you have a health bar. If your battery depletes, it’s game over. This is done by collecting battery icons dropped by enemies. On Switch, Assault Android Cactus has been revamped and the 25 levels have new and different enemy waves, tougher boss fights, aim assist so you can play with single Joy-Cons and it all runs at 60fps.Īs an android, Cactus - and her friends - needs to keep her batteries charged. You gradually unlock costumes for each of the androids as you play through the game’s 25 stages. In addition to Cactus, there are eight other androids, each with their own combinations of main and offhand weapons. Inside she discovers hordes and hordes of killer robots that she needs to defeat in order to take the freighter back and rescue those trapped aboard. A junior constable, Cactus is sent to a space freighter and crash lands.

Starting out, players step into the intergalactic police boots of Cactus. Which is where it should have been all along.Ī twin stick SHMUP, Assault Android Cactus belongs on Switch and played in handheld mode is a joyfully good arcade action experience. Originally released for PC in 2015, PS4 in 2016 and Xbox One in 2017, Assault Android Cactus has finally been released on Switch. It’s a perfect pairing and it’s crazy that nobody has done it before. Assault Android Cactus coming to Switch is like mixing Peanut Butter and Chocolate.
