Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Onyx delivers a classic side-scrolling shoot ’em up experience that immediately feels familiar to fans of the genre while still offering its own distinct challenges. As soon as you take control of the sleek spaceship, you’ll notice the tight responsiveness of the ship’s movement and firing mechanics, a testament to the 68000 machine code under the hood. The controls are intuitive: thrust, fire, and a limited boost function that can help you dodge tight formations or reach that elusive fuel pickup.

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The pacing of Onyx is relentless yet rewarding. Enemies appear in well-choreographed groups that increase in speed and complexity as you progress. Each wave requires you to balance aggressive shooting with strategic positioning—taking out groups quickly spawns a fuel bonus in the exact spot of the last enemy, but you must race to collect it before gravity drags it out of reach. This fuel management system adds an extra layer of tension, forcing you to weigh risk versus reward on every screen.

Replayability is high thanks to the straightforward but addicting loop: clear enemies, grab fuel, push farther. There are no health bars—fuel is life, and once it runs out, the run is over. This makes every second count and turns even minor mistakes into dramatic comebacks or sudden endings. The game’s difficulty curve is well-tuned, ensuring that newcomers can learn the ropes while veteran players chase ever-higher distances and tighter survival margins.

Graphics

Visually, Onyx embraces a retro aesthetic that pays homage to the golden age of arcade shooters. The color palette is limited but effective, with bold neons and deep space blacks creating high contrast against which enemy sprites and projectiles stand out crisply. Each enemy design is distinct enough to be instantly recognizable, allowing you to prioritize targets on the fly without confusion.

The smooth scroll from right to left is maintained at a stable frame rate, making dodging and weaving through enemy fire feel precise and satisfying. Despite the hardware constraints implied by the 68000 code base, there are no noticeable slowdowns, even when the screen is crowded with complex bullet patterns. Animations are economical yet charming—explosions flash in a handful of frames, and the ship’s engine glow pulses convincingly.

Level backgrounds are minimalist but atmospheric, depicting starfields, nebulae, and the occasional distant planet silhouette. While Onyx doesn’t incorporate parallax scrolling or 3D effects, its clean presentation ensures that nothing distracts from the core action. Overall, the game’s graphics strike a perfect balance between nostalgia and functional clarity.

Story

Onyx might not be a narrative blockbuster, but it weaves a simple and effective premise around each run. You are a lone pilot tasked with pushing deeper into hostile territory to mine and transport precious energy crystals. Fuel is your lifeline, and every victory in the sky brings you closer to your home base—or so you hope.

The lack of lengthy cutscenes or voiceovers works in the game’s favor, keeping the focus squarely on the action. However, small text interludes between levels hint at a larger conflict—a looming cosmic threat that drives your mission forward. This light storytelling gives context to the ever-increasing enemy aggression and provides motivation to keep chasing that next fuel bonus.

While Onyx doesn’t offer branching narratives or multiple endings, its emergent stories arise from your personal performance. Each run unfolds uniquely based on your skill, aggression, and fuel management. In that sense, the game’s “story” lives within the highs and lows of your own arcade-style saga.

Overall Experience

Onyx stands out as a polished homage to classic shmups, blending straightforward mechanics with a clever fuel-based twist. Its learning curve feels fair, yet it remains challenging enough to discourage complacency. The combination of tight controls, escalating enemy waves, and fuel pickups rewards both reflexes and strategy, ensuring each run is as thrilling as the last.

Graphically, Onyx nails the retro look without sacrificing playability. The vibrant sprites and crisp animations keep you immersed, while the steady performance lets you focus on survival rather than frame drops. Though the narrative framework is minimal, it supplies just enough context to make your encounters feel purposeful rather than arbitrary.

Whether you’re a longtime shoot ’em up enthusiast or someone seeking a quick pick-up-and-play challenge, Onyx delivers. Its simple premise—survive as long as you can before running out of fuel—belies a surprisingly deep and addictive gameplay loop. For players hungry for fast-paced action and high-score glory, Onyx is a stellar journey through the stars.

Retro Replay Score

null/10