Gyro Boss DX is a retro inspired bullet-hell arcade game that has you circling an invading alien and dodging the projectiles that come your way. The game also comes complete with a Party Mode that pits you against your friends and family in a last man standing deathmatch. Gyro Boss DX thrives in its simplicity, but how far does such simple mechanics go when hovering over the “Proceed to Purchase” button?

Gameplay

The gameplay of Gyro Boss DX is simple and basic, which is nothing but a good thing. The aim of the game is to move around a fixed 360-degree orbit whilst avoiding oncoming projectiles that comes from the alien in the centre, and it doesn’t get much more complicated than that.

Unlike most arcade games that bear a similar resemblance, Gyro Boss DX doesn’t feature levels; rather, the game contains 50 quick objectives for you to beat. This is an ingenious way to mix up the gameplay in a very organic manner, requiring you to adapt to the gameplay as it goes. The only frustrating aspect to this is that only three objectives show up at any given time and if you could complete an objective but if it’s not on the list at that time, you won’t complete it and you’ll need to do it again when it does come up.

The Party Mode is a whole lot of fun! The gameplay is mostly the same as it is in Classic Mode, but there are 2-4 players around the circle at once. What is great about this mode though is that the rules change each time, with examples being to last the longest, collect as much treasure as possible or shoot at each other and be the last one standing. For a small budget game, I can see it being one to come back to at each and every party.

It was quite disappointing when we realised that the game contains absolutely no HD Rumble (or any rumble at all). What with all the projectiles, explosions and deaths, the lack of HD Rumble is a glaring omission and felt odd whilst playing.

Story

There isn’t much of a story with Gyro Boss DX but if you’re familiar with our long-running opinion on the importance of a plot in short arcade games such as this, then you’ll know that even a minimalistic story plays an integral role in adding motivation for your efforts.

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For what is there storywise, it works seamlessly well with the gameplay. In a nutshell, the world is under attack by a single alien and whilst the battle may forever be destined to end in failure, this works perfectly with the idea of restarting the fight each and every time.

Graphics / Art Direction

The art direction is a pretty obvious choice, steering into that retro arcade feel that tends to accompany these types of games. This style, in addition to the expansive colour pallet, does a great job to compliment the gameplay, making it easy to distinguish oncoming projectiles from each other.

Music / Sound Design

The soundtrack for Gyro Boss DX is quick and upbeat, keeping your adrenaline pumping throughout every round. Just like the gameplay, Chequered Ink has done a great job at keeping the soundtrack from becoming repetitive by randomly generating a new track each time and certain waves mixing up the tempo.

The game’s music and sound effects also have a catchy chiptune quality to it that resembles the sounds of the Game Boy. This came as a surprise as these retro inspired arcade games have the tendency to imitate the 8 bit sounds of the NES/Master System generation of home consoles.

Final Score: 78%

Gyro Boss DX is a fantastic example of how a game can have such a lasting impact with such simple graphics and controls. Despite the game’s attempt at lengthening the gameplay with objectives that you have already completed prior, I always found myself wanting to come back for more. Many indie games get uninstalled as soon as the main single-player mode has been completed, but Gyro Boss DX’s Party Mode is so fantastic in its simplicity that the game will surely hold its own on many gamers’ Switch libraries for a long time to come.