Super Hydorah
Super Hydorah is a nonlinear horizontal shoot’ em up designed to offer a challenging experience, sublimating the richness of traditional shmup classics. Face the menace of the Meroptians aboard the Delta Force, alone or with your friends in this game with direct action and nostalgic art.
SCREENSHOTS
HISTORY
Super Hydorah is a 2017 independent side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game developed by Locomalito and published by Abylight Studios. It features a 16-32 bit era look and feel as well as a CRT Monitor effect. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita on September 20, 2017, and later, in 2018, ported to iOS on May 17 and Nintendo Switch on November 15, respectively. The game is an expanded and enhanced version of the developer's previous freeware game Hydorah.
The game follows the Delta Lance, a lone space fighter, as its pilot fights to defeat the evil Meroptian alien race and save humanity. Super Hydorah received positive reviews, praising its graphics, design and music, while criticizing its game balance and unforgiving difficulty.
Gameplay and synopsis
The old-school gameplay has been compared to Gradius and other classic side-scrolling shooters. The player controls the ship on a side-scrolling plane and can choose between several weapon classes that are divided into main, secondary and special weapon. Each level has a mid-boss and final boss. The game also has 3 game modes, including single-player, co-op multiplayer, and a robot control spin-off.
In Super Hydorah, the player will face hordes of Meroptians, the bio-mechanical creatures set in a ruthless war of conquest over the Omnios star. As the lone space pilot Delta Lance, the player will fight to defeat the evil of Hydorah that threatens the universe.
Super Hydorah features a non-linear level layout and requires the player to master the game to progress and choose their own path through the planets, hence offering alternative routes and multiple endings for better replayability.
There are 21 stages in Super Hydorah (up from 16 in Hydorah), divided into 35 sublevels and with 35 bosses and more than 100 enemies. The stages are connected with a map and can diverge at points with a second "true" ending available if the player completes all levels. While the original game limited the number of saves per playthrough to 5, the remaster allows infinite saves and continues.
Development and release
Both the developer and composer of the game reside in Andalusia, Spain. The development of the original game Hydorah took two and a half years, and was released for Microsoft Windows on June 3, 2010. The game's original soundtrack was composed by Gryzor87 and resembles that of 16-bit titles, and influenced by Konami classic games, the TV series Ulysses 31, and rock bands such as Camel, Judas Priest, and Symphony X.
Locomalito and Abylight Studios announced the development of Super Hydorah, a new edition of the original Hydorah game. This is part of the agreement between the said developer and publisher to bring gaming titles, including Hydorah, to consoles.
Super Hydorah was released on September 20, 2017, for Steam and Xbox One. A new update for the Steam version was released in November 2018, including support for 9 languages, a new skill mode for inexperienced pilots, aesthetic changes, a new boss life bar, and more refinements.
On December 13, 2017, Super Hydorah was released for PlayStation 4 (3 game modes) and PlayStation Vita (single-player mode only), which both include trophies and a cross-buy option.
Abylight Studios teamed up with Limited Run Games to release a physical Collector's Edition and Standard Edition of Super Hydorah for PlayStation 4 on March 9, 2018, and for PS Vita on June 8, 2018. A physical edition for PlayStation 4 in Spain was also released through the agreement between Abylight Studios and GAME Stores.
In February 2018, Abylight Studios announced a full version of Super Hydorah for the arcade platform exA-Arcadia and was officially showcased in JAEPO 2018. This arcade version features non-stop action, rebalancing of difficulty for experienced players, and instant 2-player mode.
Super Hydorah was ported to iOS and released on May 17, 2018. In order to achieve adequate levels of control, Abylight has developed a polished tactile system and tweaks such as adapting controls to touch screens and new difficulty levels to maintain the original essence of the game. This version also includes support for 9 languages, haptic vibration, MFI Joystick support, and Game Center integration.
Yoyo Games, the developers of GameMaker Studio used by video game creators such as Locomalito, announced the option to export directly to Nintendo Switch in the summer of 2018. Abylgiht Studios released Super Hydorah for the Nintendo Switch through the Nintendo eShop on November 15, 2018. The Nintendo Switch version includes new features such as running at 60fps, selection skill mode, new boss life bar, new aesthetic changes and more refinements, and support for 9 languages.
In January 2020, Super Hydorah became available on Apple TV with access for players who previously purchased the game on iOS. This version includes control compatibility with MFi, Xbox, and PS4 controllers and cloud support to save across Apple devices, among other features.
Reception
Super Hydorah received positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 82/100 on Metacritic.
Tim W. of Indiegames.com called the original Hydorah a "gem of a game" that would "more than delight" SHMUP fans, but criticized the lack of a difficulty setting.
Jose A. Rodriguez of IGN Spain rated Super Hydorah 7/10 and said that it was fun, addictive and intense, but called it too difficult and repetitive. IGN Italy gave it a score of 8.2 out of 10.
Hobby Consolas gave it an 85.
The Games Machine gave it a 9 out of 10.
Maniac Games gave it a score of 74.
Nintendo Life reviewed the Switch version of the game giving it a score of 8/10.
Eurogamer recommended the game.
1CC RUNS
One-credit clears we point to as the benchmark for this game.
TRAILERS
STORES best right now: PlayStation Store −80%
Prices are cached from each storefront and may be out of date. Last checked 24 Sept 2026.
PRICE HISTORY
Every price change we know of, per shop. Flat means the price held; PC shops reach back through IsThereAnyDeal's archive, console shops start when this site started watching.
Epic Games Store low: $1.99 (23 May 2026) , Fanatical low: $19.99 (19 May 2026) , PlayStation Store low: $3.99 (24 Sep 2026) , Steam low: $1.99 (7 May 2026) , Xbox low: $19.99 (26 Aug 2026)
REVIEWS
Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.
“Super Hydorah has all the ingredients to become an instant classic, taking the best of the best in the genre, and masterfully combining it. It could be better with a more balanced difficulty, but we are not going to complain about a result that the geniuses of Locomalito and Gryzor87 have brilliantly solved. If you like shoot'em up, Super Hydorah cannot be missing from your collection.”
“Super Hydorah is a contemporary 'shmup' perfect for the lovers of the 16-bit genre. A good title and a love letter to the fans of horizontal scrolling stellar battles, which will find in it a great variety of scenarios, enemies and bosses, who will not make it easy to achieve the objectives.”
“Overall I really can’t find any significant fault of note in the game, it plays well, borrows some classic concepts while still doing things its own way, and even offers hidden bonuses in each level that more obsessed fans should enjoy trying to find. The branching paths don’t simply make you choose to move ahead, you can circle back and hit everything if you’re determined to give yourself as many options as possible. Make no mistake, this has old school arcade sensibilities so while it won’t be stealing your quarters the first time you try to get through some stages you’re going to get taken ”
“A classic fun shoot´em up, which brings back memories from R-Type, darius and Gradius, and offers great multiplayer and replayability. On the downside, it´s not too long and difficulty is not always well balanced.”
“Super Hydorah follows the footsteps of old-school 2D shooters of the 16-bit era and inevitably, the result is a game with a very demanding difficulty level (which ventures into frustration at some moments), along with some very eye-filling visuals. Super Hydorah is an experience that lives up to the 2D shooters of other days and a very worthy effort within the Nintendo Switch catalogue.”
“Super Hydorah does a lot of things right, and is a great homage to the classic shoot 'em ups. There is a constant push to be better, whether that is to get a new high score, speedrun the campaign, or perhaps to finish without using continues, and the replayability comes from the arcade experience. While the challenge might not be for everyone, friend decreases it, and the nostalgia and modern polish make it worth the struggle.”
“This is an old-school 2D shooter that serves as an effective tribute to the classics while successfully managing to inject some fresh ideas of its own. Super Hydorah doesn't reinvent the side-scrolling shmup, but it does kit it out with some cool new gadgets. At $19.99 / £17.49 it's perhaps a little on the pricey side, but fans of the genre will see this as money well spent.”
“A great -but short- homage to the old shoot'em up classic that is as hard as satisfying.”
“Super Hydorah is a solid tribute to old-school shoot ‘em up that also does its own thing to give us a great PS4 release you need to play. Older players who actually went to the arcade back in the 1980s are going to love this one, and those new to the genre are going to find a great 2D pixel shooter to keep them busy for many hours.”
“The bite-sized nature of each level you take on, and the weapon progress will keep you coming back for more until you've managed to complete a full run through one of the potential routes before diving right back into it for another go. I highly recommend that you give Super Hydorah a go on PlayStation – I'm sure you're going to love it!”
“Super Hydorah is a game for those who appreciate the space shooters of yore. It isn't forgiving in the slightest, but it also doesn't overwhelm you with bullet hell sensibilities. It looks and feels so much like those old games that you could mistake it for a long-lost classic. Even if it didn't come with a co-op mode or a nice bonus game, Super Hydorah is so fun that it would still be a recommended purchase for genre fans.”
“On the whole, it's a game that embraces the teachings of the genre behemoths while offering its own thoughtful tweaks.”
“Super Hydorah is great shmup, perfect for the fans of old school games like R-Type, Gradius and Darius. It offers a well balanced difficulty and has a high replay value.”
“A solid if unspectacular entry into the shoot ‘em up stable, Super Hydorah at least provides a decent amount of bang for your buck.”
“Super Hydorah is a game that reaches across the gaming sphere to hardcore gamers and newbies alike. With game play that's easy to pickup and has a lot to build on, the game is both friendly and challenging. Super Hydorah has the feel of an old space shooter, with a few twists you can expect from the indie genre.”
“Super Hydorah is a great spaceship shooter with plenty to explore and see. Realistically, though, its difficulty can come across as a bit too much early on, and first time players of the shooter genre are unlikely to enjoy the game as much. The smaller screen of the Vita also makes the game slightly more difficult to play, so if you can, be sure to try it on a bigger screen. It can all be a bit overwhelming, but fans of the genre are very likely to view this as one of the better modern takes on the classic shooter.”
“Super Hydorah is sold on the premise that it is a challenging opponent. I have no issues with that – but you need to be sure this is a game for you before you drop that all-important cash!”
“Fun & fast, Super Hydora goes straight into the player's retro feelings, offering a very solid and hard experience based on classics like Nemesis and Andro dunos. Great game.”
“I will admit that I was simply unable to beat Super Hydorah for this review. Some may think I gave up too quickly, but I easily put in 8-10 hours and countless continues in my attempt to beat a 2 hour game and probably got through 80-90% of it. While reasonably priced at $19.99, I can’t recommend this to any besides truly hardcore fans of the SHMUP genre. I appreciate what Locomalito and Gryzor87 were attempting here. There’s a lot of good in this game and it is a fond nod to the genre, but sadly the good is hidden behind hardcore game design and frustrating decisions. Ultimately, I was more o”
“Overall, Super Hydorah takes the classic shmup mold and bolts on its own unique elements to produce something new and bold. Definitely give it some consideration the next time you’re strolling through the eShop.”
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