Since the golden age of the arcades, and certainly the glory days of the NES, when people think of run-n-gun shooting action they think of Contra. While there have been many titles over the years that have shown hints of greatness in the same sort of vein, including many sequels in the same series, I can’t say that any of them has clearly surpassed the bar that was set so many years ago. While not everyone may agree, I’ll submit that Iron Meat may finally be such a game.

While initially loading it up the impression of greatness may not be completely apparent, the game does give you a decent warm-up before turning on the charm. The overall look, feel, and even the early layout of the first stage all scream classic Contra at you, risking the game being simply accused of being a retread of the familiar. Don’t worry though, before long Iron Meat sets its own pretty bloody path and starts to show off some tricks of its own, that range from simpler tweaks to making visual changes to continue to help bring new angles to the on-screen action.

Starting with the simple, your ability to switch between two guns is actually quite handy and vital with the way the action in the game plays out. While, for the most part, in games like this there can be weapons you simply prefer because they’re obviously far better than others… depending on the circumstances you may need to change things up. In particular, while more basic guns may lack in punch they’re very useful for wiping out lines of enemies that will sometimes come at you, something that more powerful guns can leave you quite vulnerable against. In terms of the visuals, what you’ll notice either between stages, or sometimes when you’re getting into a big boss fight, is that the action will zoom out a bit, opening the door to greater variety in the feel of gameplay as well as some pretty crazy creatures you’ll need to deal with.

Put the whole package together with the ability to play locally with a friend, unlockable skins that can get quite wild, and plenty of varied stages and truly insane boss fights, and it’s hard not to love it. Does it look new, slick, and shiny? Not in the least. This is a retro throwback that respects its roots but has then made everything far more gnarly, nightmarish, and surprisingly varied for a genre that normally feels more run-of-the-mill on average. If you’re an old-school run-n-gun fan, this is the game you’ve been waiting for to help you renew your love affair.