Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Dark Moon delivers a classic side-scrolling arcade shooter experience, tasking players with piloting a nimble spacecraft through wave after wave of alien attackers. The core mechanics are straightforward: move left to right, dodge enemy fire, and blast foes with your ship’s onboard weapons. Early on, your firepower is modest, encouraging you to master positioning and precision shooting before acquiring more potent armaments.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

As you eliminate alien spacecraft, you’re rewarded with in-game currency, which fuels your progression. Between stages, you can visit the shop to purchase upgraded weapons, explosive bombs, and energy shields. This upgrade loop adds strategic depth, as you must decide whether to bolster your offensive capabilities or invest in defenses to survive the increasingly dense onslaught of enemies.

The game unfolds across three distinct environments—outer space, an enemy planet’s surface, and the alien base—each split into four discrete sections. This structure keeps the pacing tight: no single area overstays its welcome, and each new stage introduces fresh enemy patterns or environmental hazards. Early sections serve as a tutorial of sorts, while later segments ramp up the challenge with faster foes, more complex bullet spreads, and screen-filling boss encounters.

In true arcade fashion, Dark Moon emphasizes memorization and skill refinement. You’ll find yourself replaying stages to optimize upgrade paths, learn enemy spawn points, and perfect power-up usage. The result is an addictive loop that will appeal to players who appreciate old-school shooters and high-score chasing.

Graphics

Visually, Dark Moon strikes a balance between retro charm and modern polish. Enemy ships and player sprites boast crisp pixel art with carefully chosen color palettes that pop against the backdrop of deep space vistas. Background layers often employ subtle parallax scrolling, lending a sense of depth without distracting from the fast-paced action in the foreground.

The environmental variety is a highlight: the pitch-black void of space is dotted with distant stars and nebulas, the enemy planet’s crust features rocky outcrops and lava flows, and the base bristles with mechanical corridors and flickering consoles. Each locale feels unique yet cohesive, reinforcing the narrative of infiltrating an alien stronghold after surviving the open void and hostile planetary surface.

Full motion video (FMV) sequences bookend the campaign, serving as the intro and outro. While these clips won’t win awards for cinematic direction, they provide a welcome narrative framing and break up the action with stylized cutscenes. The FMVs feature voice-over narration and cockpit views that heighten the stakes, even if the production values are firmly rooted in classic arcade era sensibilities.

Particle effects for explosions and weapon fire strike a satisfying balance: flashy enough to feel impactful, but not so over-the-top that they obscure your ship or incoming threats. Lighting effects—glows around power-ups, shimmering energy shields—are subtle touches that enhance feedback without cluttering the screen.

Story

Story in Dark Moon functions primarily as an arcade-driven backdrop to the action, but it still provides a clear objective. You’re humanity’s last hope, piloting an experimental fighter craft designed to breach the alien armada’s defences. From the first seconds of the FMV intro, you’re briefed on the existential threat and tasked with delivering a knockout blow to the alien command.

Between levels, text prompts and occasional voiceovers fill in the narrative gaps, explaining why you must transition from the emptiness of space to the heart of enemy territory. Though minimal, these interludes give context to your progression and justify the escalating difficulty. You feel like more than just a shooting gallery participant—you’re on a mission to save Earth.

The climax unfolds in the final environment, the alien base, where the storyline converges on a showdown with the alien overlord’s flagship. Here, the visuals and gameplay combine to underscore the narrative stakes, making your victory (or defeat) feel earned. The outro FMV then provides closure, showcasing the aftermath of your actions and hinting at future encounters.

True to arcade tradition, the plot never overshadows the gameplay. Instead, it serves as a motivating thread that unites each stage. Fans of story-driven shooters might find the narrative light, but those who appreciate straightforward action will welcome the focus on pure gameplay thrills.

Overall Experience

Dark Moon succeeds as an homage to classic arcade shooters, offering tight controls, varied environments, and a rewarding upgrade system. The balance between risk and reward keeps the gameplay loop engaging—your decisions in the shop can make or break your run, and mastery of enemy patterns becomes deeply satisfying over time.

Visually and aurally, the game captures the spirit of ’90s coin-op cabinets while adding modern touches like polished particle effects and parallax backgrounds. The FMV segments may feel nostalgic to some and quaint to others, but they enhance the presentation by providing narrative stakes and a sense of progression beyond pure level-hopping.

While the story is serviceable rather than groundbreaking, it does enough to contextualize your mission and motivate continued play. The three environments and their multiple sections ensure variety without overwhelming new players, and the difficulty curve is tuned for both newcomers and genre veterans to find enjoyment.

In sum, Dark Moon offers an energetic, arcade-style space shooter that’s easy to pick up but hard to put down. With its blend of responsive controls, strategic upgrades, and retro-modern aesthetics, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking to relive the excitement of arcade side-scrollers while enjoying a fresh challenge.

Retro Replay Score

null/10