Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Sqoon delivers a tense and engaging side-scrolling shooter experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You pilot Narikeen’s pink submarine through flooded landscapes, balancing offense, rescue missions, and resource management in real time. The dual-weapon system—forward-firing missiles and downward-firing ice bombs—provides variety in combat, challenging you to switch tactics depending on whether you’re facing Neptunian fighters or underwater factories.

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The rescue mechanic adds a layer of urgency to the shoot-’em-up formula. After destroying a factory with your ice bomb, you must quickly gather survivors before they drift off-screen. This constant back-and-forth—blasting enemies, collecting people, and racing to refuel—creates a rhythmic tension. With only about 60 seconds of fuel per tank, you’re forced to weigh the risk of venturing deeper against the necessity of topping up at the nearest floating island.

Each of the game’s eight levels represents a different submerged country, offering variations in enemy placement, environmental hazards, and factory configurations. While the core loop remains consistent, small tweaks in level design—like narrow underwater canyons or clusters of aggressive Neptunian warships—keep the action fresh. Mastering the timing of your bomb drops and missile volleys is key to progressing, making Sqoon a rewarding challenge for shooter enthusiasts.

Graphics

Although developed during an era of limited hardware capabilities, Sqoon’s visuals are surprisingly charming and clear. The crisp sprites of the pink submarine contrast nicely against the dark, watery backdrops, ensuring that you can always see incoming threats and rescue opportunities. Each enemy type—from sleek torpedo-launching escorts to bulky factory installations—has distinctive designs that make them immediately recognizable.

The variety of sunken cityscapes is another graphical highlight. From the overgrown ruins of Europe to the neon-lit remains of urban Asia, each level features a unique palette and background motif. Subtle animations—like drifting seaweed or distant schools of fish—add atmosphere without overwhelming the action in the foreground. The scrolling backgrounds maintain a steady pace, reinforcing the sense of descent into the planet’s submerged underworld.

While there’s no full-motion video or advanced lighting effects, Sqoon’s color choices and sprite work suit its arcade-style aesthetic perfectly. Explosions and ice-bomb detonations feature bright flashes that cut through the murky blue-green environment, providing satisfying visual feedback for each destruction. Overall, the graphics succeed in immersing you in a post-flood Earth under alien siege.

Story

Sqoon’s narrative is delightfully offbeat, blending sci-fi absurdity with pulp-action flair. The premise—that Neptunian rulers melt Earth’s polar ice caps to create “man-ham” plantations—sets the stage for a bizarrely memorable conflict. This over-the-top setup injects humor and high stakes from the outset, giving you a clear motivation: stop the monster fish-cookers before humanity becomes dinner.

Adding to the charm is the unlikely hero, Narikeen, a notorious pirate turned reluctant savior. Unlike typical clean-cut protagonists, Narikeen’s morally ambiguous past makes his alliance with the world’s last defense force feel earned rather than contrived. The narrative doesn’t linger on cutscenes or exposition; instead, it unfolds through brief text introductions and level transitions, keeping the action front and center.

While the storyline isn’t the deepest in gaming, its campy tone and fun premise drive the experience forward. You’ll find yourself invested in each rescue wave not just for points, but to thwart the grotesque Neptunian appetite. By the final level, the stakes feel genuinely global—if a pixelated pirate sub fails, Earth’s surface nations remain at the mercy of underwater food processors.

Overall Experience

Sqoon offers a balanced blend of frantic action, resource strategy, and quirky humor. Its tight gameplay loop—shoot, rescue, refuel—makes for addictive runs as you strive to clear all eight stages without running out of fuel or letting too many humans perish. The challenge ramps up steadily, rewarding skillful play and memorization of enemy patterns.

Despite its age, Sqoon holds up as a solid shooter with unique mechanics that distinguish it from run-of-the-mill arcade titles. The combination of rescue objectives, limited fuel, and distinct level themes ensures there’s more to the game than simply racking up a high score. For retro aficionados or newcomers curious about NES-era gems, Sqoon remains an entertaining dive into creative game design.

While modern players may find the graphics and sound modest by today’s standards, the core gameplay shines through. Whether you’re replaying to perfect a speedrun or simply want to enjoy its campy sci-fi plot, Sqoon provides a compact but memorable adventure beneath the waves. It’s a testament to how inventive mechanics and a quirky premise can create a lasting impression, even decades after release.

Retro Replay Score

null/10