Cannon Dancer - Osman Switch Review

Cannon Dancer - Osman

Developed By: Mitchell Corporation

Ported/Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: April 13, 2023 

Price: $29.99

Cannon Dancer - Osman is a thrilling platformer/shooter game that has been recently released on Nintendo Switch, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by it. The game is a remastered version of the classic arcade game, and it has been adapted perfectly for the Switch. Made by former Capcom developers, it's an absolutely smashing spiritual successor to the Strider series that improves on those games in every way. Players take control of Kirin, a badass hero armed with powerful martial arts, and they have to navigate through various levels filled with enemies and obstacles that will stop at nothing to take him down.

The first thing that caught my attention when I started playing was how well the game's retro aesthetic has been preserved through emulation. The pixelated graphics and the chiptune soundtrack immediately took me back to the 90s arcade era which this title hails from. The visuals are crisp and vibrant, and they complement the game's high-octane action and fast-paced gameplay perfectly.

Speaking of gameplay, Cannon Dancer - Osman is an absolute blast to play. The game's controls are simple and intuitive, but there is enough depth to the gameplay to keep things interesting. That said the levels themselves are pretty decent, if a bit linear, with a decent boss at the end of each one. In my opinion the game is a wee bit pricy for what you get, but this really is the first time it's been available for the home market so it's worth checking out if you can stomach the asking fee.