Blazing Chrome is an action video game created by JoyMasher and released by The Arcade Crew. It was made available on July 11, 2019, for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game takes place in the year 21XX, a future after a major war that almost wiped out the human race. A robot army controls the world and tries to destroy what is left of humans. The story follows a group of rebels who fight against the robots. Players can choose to control two characters: Mavra, a human rebel soldier, and Doyle, a robot who has been reprogrammed to help the rebels.

Blazing Chrome received mostly positive reviews from critics and is often compared to the Contra games. In 2021, an improved version called Blazing Chrome AC was released in arcades on exA-Arcadia.

Gameplay

Blazing Chrome is a side-scrolling action game with gameplay similar to Contra and Metal Slug. Players control resistance fighters named Mavra and Doyle, who fight robotic enemies across six levels. The game can be played alone or with a friend in a two-player local cooperative mode. Four of the six levels are unlocked at the start, and the other two must be unlocked later. Players can run, jump, and dodge enemies. The game includes four weapons: a machine gun, a grenade launcher, an energy whip, and a particle cannon. At the beginning of each level, players start with a machine gun and can collect other weapons as they progress. If a player tries to shoot an enemy at close range, they perform a melee attack instead.

Players lose a life if they are hit by an enemy or touch one. The number of lives available depends on the difficulty chosen at the start of the game. Three types of assist robots can be collected in each level, but only one can be used at a time. Attack bots fire bullets when the player shoots, increasing damage. Defense bots protect the player, letting them take two extra hits before breaking. Speed bots make the player move faster and shoot more quickly. They also allow the player to jump twice, helping reach hard-to-reach areas. If a player dies, any equipped bots or weapons (except the machine gun) are lost.

The arcade version includes a new playable character named Zaku from another game called Oniken. Zaku is more of a close-range fighter but can throw long-range grenades. Motoaki Furukawa, who created the music for Konami’s Super Contra, composed a new soundtrack for this version.

Development

Blazing Chrome was created by a game studio in Brazil called JoyMasher. In March 2018, the first trailer for the game was released. Later, in April 2018, a demo of Blazing Chrome was shown at PAX East, an event where players could see how the game works. On June 28, The Arcade Crew shared a gameplay preview that showed two players riding hoverbikes and fighting enemies on a moving train. The game was officially released on July 11, 2019, for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It later became available on Amazon Luna on November 19, 2020.

JoyMasher was inspired by games such as Metal Slug and Contra. The game’s creator, Danilo Dias, wanted to mix the large, mechanical enemies from Metal Slug with the fast-paced style of Contra. The game’s background designs were influenced by Irem games like GunForce II. These backgrounds were made to look damaged and very detailed.

Reception

Blazing Chrome received "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic, a website that collects and summarizes game reviews.

Alex Santa Maria of GameRevolution praised the game's challenge and presentation but said the difficulty was very hard and the controls felt outdated. Ollie Reynolds from Nintendo Life agreed the game was very difficult but appreciated the gameplay, visuals, and exciting boss battles.

Jamie O'Neill from Push Square gave the game 8 out of 10 stars, praising the art, unlockable characters, and set pieces. However, he noted that the game's difficulty might be too much for some players. Asher Madan from Windows Central called Blazing Chrome "one of the best" in its genre, praising the visuals, controls, and variety of levels. Madan also mentioned the game's difficulty was steep and the campaign was too short.

Jeffrey L. Wilson from PCMag recommended the game for its cooperative gameplay, visuals, and variety of power-ups and weapons. However, he was disappointed that the game did not include online co-op and had issues with platforming.

Will Borger from GamingBolt rated the game 9 out of 10, praising the art, design, and soundtrack. He compared Blazing Chrome to the game Contra, saying it "captures the feel" of the classic game, but also said it could be frustrating. Borger called Blazing Chrome a "loving tribute" to Contra and Metal Slug games.

Chris Carter from Destructoid praised the game's bosses and called the sound design "superb." He wrote that the game "pays extreme homage to the Contra series."

Chris Shive from Hardcore Gamer noted the influence of Contra on Blazing Chrome and said the game was fun to play. However, he believed the game did not add anything new to the genre.

Neal Ronaghan from Nintendo World Report gave Blazing Chrome an 8 out of 10, comparing it positively to Contra and praising the game's style and feel. Ronaghan said the game was sometimes slow and felt that using high scores was not useful.