Onion Assault

Onion Assault comes from Hörberg Productions, the developer that brought us Mechstermination Force and Gunman Clive. The game plays like Super Mario Bros. 2, but is it a worthy successor?Read More

Ion Assault is an engaging addition to the dual-stick shooter genre, but first-time players might want to look elsewhere.

Onion Assault is a worthy purchase if you're looking for a short, breezy platformer that pays homage to an off-the-wall Nintendo classic. While there are some annoyances sprinkled throughout — some imprecise platforming, finicky physics, and repeated visual assets — there's enough here to provide a couple of hours' worth of enjoyment, at least; maybe a bit more if you're looking to grab all of the collectible coins. Onion Assault may not prove as memorable as the developer's previous games, but it's worth playing nonetheless.

Setting aside the fact I came down with a severe case of “stupid hands” while playing this, I did get a lot of enjoyment out of Onion Assault. It speaks to a very niche part of my nostalgic mind, and while I would have liked to have seen more creativity and new ideas, what’s here is good enough that I won’t be deleting it from my (rapidly filling) microSD card anytime soon.

Because the ions are now spread across the stage, pooling in corners or around clusters of enemies, the player is forced to stay on the move to collect them again. There's no turtling in a corner. With only a limited, albeit generous, number of ions on each stage, it makes sense to try and corral them to facilitate faster charging. Being devoid of ion charge also means that you'll lose the protection of their glowing torus, leaving your ship even more vulnerable.