Space Adventure Cobra… there’s a name I’ve not heard since the IP peaked in late ’90s. And, since we have to go that far back to the last time it was relevant, it’s best to give you a little rundown on what Space Adventure Cobra is (in addition to reviewing the videogame that you’re currently checking out).
Back in 1978, Buichi Terasawa created the manga known as Cobra, a pulpy, SF action-adventure series that placed you in the shoes of treasure hunter and lovable wise-cracking rogue, Cobra. Cobra, along with his partner in crime, Lady Armaroid, travelled the galaxy searching for adventure and putting a stop to evil doers. To escape his enemies, the Space Pirates Guild, Cobra faked his death, changed his face, and erased his memory. But you can’t hide forever, and the past always catches up. Cobra once again finds himself going up against the Space Pirates Guild across a galaxy of adventure.
In 1982, the manga was adapted into the classic Space Cobra anime, followed up by a movie, two OVA’s in the ’90s, a reboot attempt in 2010, and merchandising that included videogames. The original anime was a colourful extravaganza. Terasawa’s creation was inspired by a variety of media, most notably samurai movies, Spaghetti Westerns, and a healthy dose of James Bond. It’s a melting pot of ideas that shines through in its Saturday Morning Cartoon look. Make no mistake, as with many older anime and manga, darker themes were just as present in the source material and show, but they never diminished Cobra’s cavalier and playful pulp spirit.
And that spirit has made the transition into the videogame as well, along with its bright, shiny, cartoon-esque visuals and design. Now, despite taking its name from the movie, which I do think sounds better, Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening faithfully adapts the first twelve episodes of the original 1982 anime. Licensed IPs are notoriously difficult to get right and the amount of poor licensed videogames, including those still filling up landfills, is a testament to that. But Space Adventure Cobra bucks that trend with a game that is not only faithful to the source material, but a really fun adaptation of it.
As Cobra, you’ll be tearing through the anime’s story in a classic side-scrolling action-platformer. For a game based on an old IP, the developers have used old-school gameplay designs to bring Cobra’s antics to digital life. You’ll be running, jumping, air-dashing, and sliding your way across a variety of locales full of environmental hazards and enemies galore. More often than not, you’ll be expected to do all this while avoiding the oodles of blaster fire coming your way. It makes for a pretty challenging game right out of the gate.
But Cobra isn’t useless in the combat department, In fact, he’s downright formidable. Keeping in line with the source materials Bond-ian inspiration, Cobra has a variety of gadgets at his disposal to even the odds. From a grappling hook to exploding cigars, and a revolver that disables shields, you have all the tools you need to take down the endless goons of the Space Pirates Guild. But it’s Cobras signature weapon, the Psychogun, that is your greatest ally.
The Psychogun – basically a laser rifle that takes the place of Cobra’s left arm – is powered by the user’s mental strength and, along with Cobra’s life, one of the most coveted prizes in the Space Cobra universe. You have a high fire rate, a charged shot, and (the cream of the crop) thought controlled shots that let you guide the Psychoguns beam to its destination, usually through multiple opponents. Finally, you can build up a super meter that lets you unleash the Psychogun in one explosive, screen-clearing shot that decimates every visible enemy.
One of the aspects that I really enjoyed is how the Psychogun turn encounters into small little puzzles that challenge you to clear out a section of enemies efficiently with the controlled shot. You can run and gun you way through each encounter in the most basic manner, but I don’t recommend this. At least not on the default difficulty which puts up a pretty stiff fight, especially in the later stages where caution and exploiting all of your abilities is the key to survival.
Depth has been added to the game and it’s stages by making sure there are plenty of power-ups and unlockables scattered across the environment. These range from items that increase your health and damage output, to artwork that can be used to customise Cobra’s spaceship, The Turtle. Some areas can only be reached once you’ve gotten the requisite gadget and this adds replay value for those looking to 100% stages.
Credit goes to the developers who have managed to keep this formula feeling fresh throughout the games runtime by varying up the way in which levels are laid out, so you rarely feel like you’ve just done the same thing you did only fifteen minutes ago (even though you have). There are multiple bosses to fight in each level – some of which do get overused – and they rely on the tried-and-true method of pattern recognition plus fast player reflexes.
I really love the way in which the developers have integrated the anime into the game as well. Each of the levels is presented like a TV episode, with original clips providing all the story meat. But, instead of just having a clip at the beginning or end of a mission, multiple clips play throughout each level, with each gameplay sequence leading in and out of the clip, thus making each section feel like a natural extension of the anime. And there’s a lot of video here, so if you’re not familiar with the anime and its art style, consider your education taken care off.
Watching the anime clips, I’d also say that the original Space Cobra anime seems to have aged well. The animation is great, the voice acting is excellent, and it captures the golden age of anime and its spirit wonderfully. Enough so that I’m tempted to jump back into the show again.
The games 3D visuals and environment design follow on nicely from the anime’s look. Each new are feels pleasantly distinct and the animation does a lot of work helping Cobra’s personality shine through in his moves. I particularly love the animation for dodging an attack in mid-air – the one with Cobra doing the splits to avoid whatever was coming his way. For the most part performance is pretty good on the original Nintendo Switch, but there are some moments of slowdown when things get too hectic and in a few spots where some fancy camerawork has been employed to highlight the environments.
Cobra controls pretty well for the most part with snappy, responsive movement but I do have some issues with the control layout that I think could have been better thought out. For one, being unable to crouch just feels odd in a game where so much blaster fire is headed your way and crates or rocks litter the environment. Cobra is also a little on the twitchy side when jumping and I’d occasionally over-jump or miss a platform.
My biggest peeve, however, has to do with aiming. You have a 360-degree field for shooting around Cobra and can do so while moving, but aiming is also tied to the left thumbstick that moves him. This makes for some frustrating run and gun moments when you’re avoiding enemy fire while trying to hit enemies above, below or at an angle to you. You can hold down the L button for precision aiming, but this locks you into place while firing which is an issue with so many laser blasts heading your way at any given time. I feel like this needed to be thought out better – perhaps put control of your gun hand on the right thumbstick that lets you pan the camera slightly up or down. It becomes incredibly frustrating during boss fights when you have a small window to hit the boss, but you can’t stand still to do so because there are too many projectiles filling the air.
I’ll be among the first to admit that I wouldn’t have thought to make a game based on Space Adventure Cobra, but I’m certainly glad that Magic Pockets has done so. Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening has some control issues that need work, but the care, attention to detail, love, and inventive use of the source material is on display throughout the game’s fun and carefully constructed design. Not only have they created a rare videogame adaptation that does the source material proud, but they’ve also managed to rekindle my interest in an IP I haven’t thought about in ages.
Pros:
- Excellent use of the original anime to tie together gameplay sequences
- Fun but challenging game design
- Good story
- Great visuals and animation
- Amazing voice work
Cons:
- Some slowdown on the original Nintendo Switch
- Having aiming use the movement stick can get very frustrating
Score: 8/10
Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a code provided by the publisher. It is also available on PC, Xbox One/Series S|X, PS4/5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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