A nonlinear shoot 'em up with real bite
Super Hydorah is a horizontal side-scrolling shooter in the classic arcade tradition, built around direct action and pixel art. An evil force has invaded the Omios star, and you fly the Delta Lance against the Meroptians, a race of bio-mechanical creatures waging a war of conquest. The campaign is split into 21 levels divided into 35 sublevels, and the layout is non-linear: you pick your own route and fight planet by planet. Each mission lets you choose your weapon and pick up power-ups along the way, and the levels throw different kinds of danger at you, not just bullets. Expect 35 bosses and more than 100 enemies, plus secrets, multiple endings, achievements, and a rank system. The soundtrack runs to over 60 tracks, and there is an optional CRT monitor effect for the full retro look.
Playing together with friends
The game supports co-op multiplayer, so you can take on the Meroptian hordes alongside your friends rather than alone. Remote Play Together is available, which lets people join in over a network connection as if they were sitting at the same screen. There is also a Robot Chase spin-off mode alongside the main campaign. The co-op campaign tag applies to the main run, so you and your group can work through the route selection and boss fights as a team.
Before you start
The game describes itself as easy to learn and hard to master, and it is tagged as difficult, so expect a steep challenge even on the early planets. It moves fast and leans on bullet-hell patterns, so a group that enjoys tight, reflex-heavy arcade action will get more out of it than one looking for a relaxed session. Route choice and weapon loadout matter, so it is worth agreeing on a plan before each mission rather than picking on the fly.