Ultra Vortex (2026)

Ultracore was a jewel lost in time that luckly was rescued and returned to players. For those who grew up in the golden age of 16 bits, this title is mandatory as it will definitely evoke those nostalgic memories. With fluid and pleasant gameplay, good visuals and a soundtrack that fits the bill perfectly, Ultracore ended up having the deserved end.

There is still room for improvement, which includes a quicksave system in case you have to take off and go. It also leaves room for the want to see more of it such as a Time Attack mode or other little additions to it. If that’s not your cup of tea and you want a truly retro experience, well, here you go.

Enjoyable, fun and a reminder of days past. Ultracore is quite simple and sometimes difficult but a refreshing break from overly-bloated games of the modern era.

Ultracore is a blast from the past game that really nails what many side-scrolling shooters were like in the 90s; and coupled with modern controls, it's a game worth playing. Though there are a few oversights like getting hit and not knowing it, unlabeled special items, and low difficulty, it's worth a try.

While impressive from a technical standpoint, Ultracore carries way too many flaws from the past to be a solid recommendation, whether you are a retro fan or not. Repetitive, unpolished, somewhat unfair, and very trial-and-error-y, it's pretty evident that the game's current owner didn't really do much before porting this interesting piece of old-school history to modern systems.