As a kid growing up in the 70’s and 80’s I think I was exposed to some of the greatest movies and games that were ever released. The proof I have of that is that today Hollywood is remaking most of the films, and the game industry is paying homage to the games and the movies on a regular basis. The latest title to do this is Tango Fiesta by Spilt Milk Studio, a top down twin stick shooter that recalls the days of Smash TV and the co-op play of Gauntlet.
The game is set in a world where the events of almost every 80’s adventure movie actually happened to a man named John Strong, it is up to you to prevail against the forces of evil. Commando, Predator, Die Hard, Robo Cop, Running Man, and more are referenced. You even get to play as characters modeled after the heroes of those iconic flicks. There are 6 different characters to choose from as you start out your adventure.
There are 2 seperate game modes to pick from Arcade and Story Mode, each playable with up to 4 players local co-op. The modes are basically thee same, Story takes you through the 5 worlds in order while Arcade mixes things up a bit. Each world consists of 3 different levels and a boss. In each of the levels you must complete a specific objective – either destroy some buildings, helicopters or shut down communications towers. The other main difference is that in Story mode you are able to pick a primary, secondary and throwable weapon – arcade you are limited to primary and throwable ( your secondary is automatically chosen for you ).
The weapons locker in the game is a bit limited at the start of play, but as you play through the game you will unlock a more powerful arsenal. Using each hero, getting a specific number of kills, killing off bosses will all increase your fire power. But this increased popwer doesn’t come cheap. Each new weapon will have to be purchased with gold that is recovered from enemies that are killed in game. With several weapons costing over $100k, and only getting $200 for most kills, there is a bit of grinding involved on getting some of the best guns.
Game play is pretty straight forward. At the start of each level you are shown the objectives you need to clear before you are dropped into the level. It is then up to you if you want to just run to them, clear them out and move on, or spend time destroying lots of enemies that will keep re-spawning. For the most part you won’t have to worry about health or ammunition, as you will see certain enemies with little flags above them saying that they will drop the different resources. But unfortunately they don’t always drop what you need, or anything at all. This doesn’t usually present a problem until the later worlds when you start to become swamped with enemies.
Tango Fiesta can be played solo, but it is exponentially better the more friends you have playing with you. Not only does it make it easier to clear the higher worlds, but it is just a lot more fun slaying throngs of foes with your buddies. But bringing friends along for the ride will present a few problems as well. Friendly fire is on, so you have to make sure you knkow where you are shooting at all times. Not only that, but you all play on the same screen, so if someone falls behind, they will fall off the screen. This can be a bit disorienting for them, so you will have to make sure that everyone keeps up. And with some characters markedly slower than others, this can take a little extra team work. Unfortunately you will have to gather your friends in your game room to play because the title lacks online multiplayer support.
No matter if you are looking for a game to play with your friends for a while, or something to pick up to relive the glory days of 80’s action flicks, Tango Fiesta will scratch that itch. It is available now on XB1, PS4, and Steam. The title has a sticker price of $9.99.
