This looks absolutely metal. Retroware and Zenovia Interactive have announced that Neon Inferno—a high-octane, neon-drenched run-and-gun shooter—is launching on almost every modern platform on November 20, 2025.
If you live for the era of Contra and Wild Guns, you’re going to want to pay attention, because this one is a love letter written in pure, explosive pixel art.
Wild Guns and Contra at the same damn time
The developers, Zenovia Interactive (who previously gave us Steel Assault), are mixing styles in a way that sounds absolutely fantastic. Neon Inferno is a dynamic blend of side-scroller and gallery-shooter, meaning the action is happening in both the foreground and background simultaneously. It’s like having two classic arcade challenges going off at the same time!
You play as syndicate assassins Angelo Morano or Mariana Vitti as you carve a bloody swath through a neon-drenched metropolis that clearly takes its cues from cyberpunk classics.
Here’s why this isn’t just another throwback:
- Return To Sender: This is the key mechanic. With a well-timed slash of your razor-sharp sword, you can deflect enemy bullets and send them ricocheting back at your attackers for brutal, stylish takedowns. It instantly creates a risk-vs-reward loop that keeps you in the thick of the action.
- Multi-Plane Mayhem: You are constantly mowing down waves of thugs and killer cops, unloading into the background to eradicate enemies in explosive gunfights.
- Glorious 32-bit Style: It’s all rendered in beautiful pixel art that evokes that mid-’90s arcade look, backed by an evocative soundtrack.
I’m downloading the demo to my Steam Deck right now to try my luck…
Neon Inferno: Co-op, customizations, and the arcade challenge
This game is built for replayability and partnership. You can try to blaze through New YSteam Deckork as a lethal lone wolf, or you can team up with a friend in the adrenaline-pumping co-op mode—because the family that slays together, stays together.
You can outfit your gun-for-hire with an arsenal of weapons and upgrades to dial the carnage up to 11, but be warned: every stage ends with fierce bosses that won’t be pulling any punches.
For the true die-hards, Neon Inferno is offering a 1-credit-clear arcade mode. That is the ultimate test of mettle and skill.
The game is launching on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam on November 20th, with a simultaneous physical release through Limited Run Games. If you have an itchy trigger finger, you can try out the Steam Demo today!
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
