Neon Inferno: A Cool Cyberpunk, Contra-Inspired Tribute Coming In Guns Blazing
The word “cyberpunk” has done a lot of heavy lifting in the gaming industry for years. We’ve seen it slapped on everything from massive RPGs, but then comes along Neon Inferno. Retroware and Zenovia Interactive haven’t just made a game; they’ve built a time machine, painted it with pixel art, and armed it with a spread gun.
The Rough Streets of Neon Inferno
Released officially on November 19, 2025, Neon Inferno is a run-and-gun hybrid that doesn’t care about your modern sensibilities or your desire for a tutorial that holds your hand for an hour. For context, it’s the product of what happens when you take the side-scrolling chaos of Contra and smash it together with the gallery-shooting mechanics of Wild Guns.
The game is set in a dystopian version of New York City in the year 2055. Now, NYC is already chaotic, but imagine corrupt cops, rival syndicates, and mechanized monstrosities were overrunning it. The MCs can either be Angelo Morano or Mariana Vitti, two assassins working for “The Family.” Your job isn’t to save the world—it’s to help your crime family dominate the streets. A refreshing change of pace because sometimes, it’s just fun to be the bad guy (or at least, the anti-hero).
The Style and Mechanics
The standout feature of Neon Inferno is its handling of dimension. For this side-scroller, you aren’t just blasting enemies running at you from the sides, but you’re also gonna be dealing with threats in the background. You have to juggle moving your character through the level while aiming a reticle to pick off snipers and mechs lurking in the distance.
The game captures that frantic, sweaty-palm energy of the ’90s arcade cabinet where you were frantically trying to make your last quarter last more than three minutes. One vital ability for the MCs is called “Bullet Time,” which allows you to deflect projectiles back at your enemies. It adds a layer of strategy to the spray-and-pray gameplay that keeps things feeling fresh rather than repetitive.
Neon Inferno embraces the glory days of couch co-op and isn’t going to skimp out on it. Grab a friend (or a frenemy), find your divet on the sofa, and tackle the campaign together. The game features upgrades you can equip between missions, which helps, but don’t expect a walk in the park. There are various difficulty settings, but for the true masochists among us, there is a “1-credit-clear Arcade Mode.” Good luck with that. You’re going to need it.
A Labor of Love
Reading the words of the developers adds a layer of genuine emotion to this launch. Zenovia Interactive co-founder Sri Kankanahalli described the development process as “building a beautiful ship by hand, piece after piece.” That quote can strike the nostalgia nerve, because Neon Inferno was handcrafted for four years. Four years, folks! That’s 48 months of pixel placement, soundtrack composing, bug squashing, and multiplatform coding! Mad respect to the devs’ passion for this vibrant project!
Where Can You Play Neon Inferno?
The game is out right now, and thankfully, it’s available pretty much everywhere. The price point is sitting at a reasonable $19.99, though if you’re reading this around launch, you might catch the intro sale for closer to $16.00. It’s a steal for the amount of replayability and nostalgia packed into the download. You can pick it up on:
- PC (Steam)
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X/S
- Nintendo Switch
Final Thoughts: Arcade Is Back In Style
Neon Inferno is the palate cleanser from the day-to-day shooters. It’s fast, it’s difficult, and it looks absolutely gorgeous in motion. Retroware and Zenovia Interactive developers gave it their all when making this masterpiece of arcade nostalgia. Now available for you to enjoy at home, Neon Inferno is a wonderful representation of retro gaming style stepping into the modern spotlight. Give this game a chance, but don’t blame me if you rage-quit level 3.
