Publisher The Arcade Crew and developer Joymasher have announced that the upcoming pixel art action-platformer Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider will launch on the Nintendo Switch on January 12th, 2023.

It wasn't long ago that 2023 still felt like an age away, but the game's release is now only a little over a month away, and we're incredibly excited to get stuck in. Joymasher had previously worked on the Contra-inspired run 'n' gun title Blazing Chrome, which we scored an impressive 9/10 in our review.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is inspired by retro games like NInja Gaiden and Shinobi and features lightning-fast gameplay, gorgeous 16-bit visuals, and "crunchy" audio. Danilo Dias, co-founder of developer Joymasher, had the following to say:

“From using traditional audio recording techniques from the '90s to limited color palettes that’d feel right at home on a Sega Genesis, we wanted every aspect of Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider to faithfully pay homage to the formative era of games which ultimately inspired us to create our own.

"The classic simplicity of action platformers continues to influence game design to this day, and Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a tribute to where some of the best retro experiences originate from as well and our interpretation of how they can still evolve going forward.”

Are you looking forward to checking out Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider next month? Let us know with a comment down below!