Andro Dunos 2 Review: Retro Shooter Earns 3.5 Stars on Switch

Last updated: October 12, 2026

TouchArcade published its latest release round-up, and two smaller titles caught our eye. Andro Dunos 2—a sequel arriving roughly thirty years after the original—landed with a 3.5 out of 5 score. Super Nanaru, an auto-runner with gorgeous pixel art, scored a 3 out of 5. Both games are worth understanding before you spend, especially if retro shooters or mobile-style platformers are your thing.

At a Glance

• Andro Dunos 2 costs $19.99, scored 3.5/5 on SwitchArcade
• Seven side-scrolling stages with weapon-switching mechanics
• No online features—local leaderboards only
• Super Nanaru costs $9.99, scored 3/5
• Pixel art impresses, but awkward sprite size hampers platforming
• WRC 10 ($49.99) also suffers severe Switch performance issues

Andro Dunos 2: Faithful to a Fault?

Let's talk shooters. Andro Dunos 2 drops you into seven stages of side-scrolling action that openly wears its 16-bit influences on its sleeve. The core loop is simple: blast enemies, collect capsules, switch weapons on the fly. Each weapon has its own shooting style, and knowing which to deploy—and when to unleash a mega attack—can mean the difference between clearing a stage and watching your credits tick away.

You earn experience from defeated enemies. Between stages, you spend that XP to level up your weapons, missiles, and shields. It's a satisfying progression loop that gives each run a sense of building power. Three difficulty levels and adjustable parameters mean you can tailor the challenge, and level selection lets you jump back to yourfurthest progress with your current inventory intact. Unlockable boss rush mode and two remake stages from the original game add longevity.

So what's the catch? This is a pretty loyal recreation of a bygone era. That means no scaling options, no scanlines, no borders you can toggle. Display customization is effectively nonexistent. More critically, there are no online features. You're stuck with local leaderboards, which gut the competitive replayability. Once you've unlocked everything—which will take some time—there's not much incentive to keep playing beyond personal satisfaction.

The SwitchArcade verdict landed at 3.5 out of 5. The game captures the look and feel of the original era beautifully. Boss battles are solid, enemy variety keeps things interesting, and the weapon mechanics have genuine depth. But the lack of modern amenities feels less like a design choice and more like oversight. If you want authentic retro shooter action with enough challenge to require memorization, this delivers. If you expect contemporary features, look elsewhere.

Super Nanaru: Pretty Pixels, Messy Gameplay

Super Nanaru at $9.99 leads with its visuals. Big, clean sprites and attractive pixel art immediately stand out. The gameplay? Run automatically, press to jump, press again to double-jump. That's it. The difficulty ramps hard and fast, throwing cheap tricks at you with minimal warning.

The large sprite size creates genuine platforming problems. Environmental obstacles—buses rolling across platforms, obscuring where you need to land—feel more frustrating than clever. The game doesn't communicate danger well, leading to deaths that feel unfair rather than earned. Checkpoints are generous, and endless lives mean you can eventually muscle through tough sections, but that doesn't make the experience enjoyable.

Unlockable costumes and collectibles provide minor incentive to push through, but they can't save the core gameplay. For mobile game veterans, this will feel shallow. The pixel art is genuinely nice, but it's not enough to justify the purchase if the gameplay loop frustrates you.

The 3 out of 5 score reflects a game with obvious charm that fails to deliver consistent fun. Auto-runner fans might find something here, but most players should wait for a sale.

Why This Matters for Shooter Fans

The retro shooter revival is in full swing, and Andro Dunos 2 sits squarely in that conversation. Games in this niche often trade modern polish for authenticity, and this one is no exception. The weapon-switching system is genuinely deep—more so than many contemporary shooters. Knowing when to swap loadouts, when to burn a mega attack, and when to just grind through with your current setup requires real thought.

Say you're a player who normally plows through shooters on the highest difficulty. Here, you'll need to memorize patterns AND manage your weapon progression across stages. That's a两层 challenge that rewards investment. It's the kind of design that made the genre legendary in arcades, and it's refreshing to see executed competently.

The online gap stings, though. Scoring attack culture thrives on leaderboard competition, and removing that infrastructure is a significant missed opportunity. This isn't just a nostalgia problem—it's a missed feature that actively diminishes the product.

What to Watch Next

Andro Dunos 2 is worth your attention if you crave authentic retro shooters with strategic depth. The 3.5/5 score reflects a competent, enjoyable experience hampered by dated limitations. At $19.99, it's a fair ask for genre fans. Super Nanaru is harder to recommend—beautiful visuals can't compensate for frustrating design decisions. If you're on the fence, wait for a discount or catch it on a sale rotation.

Key takeaways

• Andro Dunos 2 delivers genuine retro shooter depth with a 3.5/5 score—worth buying for genre enthusiasts
• Weapon-switching mechanics and stage progression provide satisfying long-term engagement
• Lack of online features is a real weakness for competitive replayability
• Super Nanaru's pixel art impresses, but gameplay frustrations make it a marginal purchase
• WRC 10 on Switch has documented technical issues—consider other platforms if you're interested