To begin our Cyber Citizen Shockman Switch review, I’d like to note that a great deal of the appeal of Cyber Citizen Shockman is that it sounds, looks, and plays like it’s teetering on the cusp of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming.
Therefore, it should come as no shock, man, to learn that it was originally released in 1989 on the PC Engine, a console that itself, straggled the 8-bit and 16-bit eras and which even today has an air of the exotic around it for UK-based gamers of a certain age, due to the format never receiving an official release over here.
Adding to the game’s mystique, as we previously reported, it has never previously been released outside of Japan, where it’s known as “Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman”.
That’s the history lesson done. So, was Cyber Citizen Shockman worth the 34-year wait? That’s a resounding yes!
Cyber Citizen Shockman is possibly the most “1989” game ever, but for the avoidance of doubt, that is a massive compliment. Cyber Citizen Shockman is a side-scrolling platform hack’n’ slash ‘em up, and it’s a lot of fun to play. My only very very minor complaint is that the map/shop screen slows down the tempo of play somewhat. It does add a little texture to the game, but the basic hacking and slashing platforming is so much fun to play that one could argue that no additional texture is required. But, as I said, this is the tiniest of irritations. Cyber Citizen Shockman comes highly recommended to anyone who has nostalgia for late 80s gaming, as it’s a perfect example of the games of the era, and it’s still great fun to play today.
Cyber Citizen Shockman can be purchased from the eshop now, and I strongly recommend that you do! The game has also been released on PlayStation and Xbox.
