Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first few fights should feel immediately familiar if you grew up with side-scrolling brawlers: move through a stage, meet a crowd, and work through combinations of punches, kicks, and jumps until the path opens again. There is comfort in that directness. You are not being asked to learn an elaborate combat language before you can enjoy knocking enemies down; Gunn is built for getting into trouble and hitting his way back out.

The experience system is the reason to stick with it beyond that initial familiarity. Gunn earns points for defeating enemies, but even landing damage contributes to his progress. That makes every exchange count and gives a tangible sense that he is becoming more capable rather than simply surviving one encounter after another.

Level-ups ask you to make actual choices. You can improve health, attack power, or speed, or invest in tech that unlocks moves including dashing, grabs, and faster recovery after being knocked down. If you like shaping a brawler character around how you play, this is the hook: build sturdiness for endurance, lean into offense, or pursue the techniques that make Gunn feel more mobile and versatile.

Graphics

The action uses a side-view brawler perspective, keeping Gunn and his opponents in clear fighting space as the confrontations play out. The game draws its characters and setup from Myung Jin Lee’s comic, with Gunn’s rebellious-schoolboy premise carrying into the action.

Story

Gunn’s story begins on the way to a new school, where he hopes to put a violent past behind him. That is a strong, efficient starting point for a brawler protagonist: he is already trying to change, which makes the immediate return of trouble feel less like random arcade business and more like bad luck finding the one person who wanted to avoid it.

The inciting incident is wonderfully abrupt. Gunn spots a beautiful girl, then discovers that his wallet has been stolen. Following the thief pulls him into conflict with a powerful criminal syndicate, turning a small personal irritation into the reason for a much larger string of fights.

Do not come here expecting the plot to replace the combat. Its job is to put Gunn in motion and give the violence a personal spark, and it does that cleanly. The comic-book foundation is a welcome fit for this kind of escalating street-level trouble.

Overall Experience

This is a beat-’em-up that understands how much a little progression can change the flavor of familiar action. Punching and kicking through enemies is the immediate draw, but choosing how Gunn develops gives the game more staying power than a brawler where every encounter leaves you exactly as you started.

The tradeoff is that its core remains traditional. If the basic rhythm of arcade-style crowd fighting does nothing for you, levels and upgrades will not transform it into another genre. But if you enjoy that rhythm and want a reason to care about each scuffle, the tech choices and stat growth make a meaningful difference.

Give it a chance if you want a comic-based DOS brawler with a scrappy lead and light role-playing progression layered over its punches. The payoff is not a reinvention of the form; it is the satisfying feeling of turning Gunn from a capable troublemaker into the version of himself that best suits your fighting style.

Retro Replay Score

7/10