When Contra first came out, it was clear to those old enough to realize that it was a sort of play on beloved action movies such as Predator and Rambo. You playfully named the “blue guy” and “red guy” after the famed heroes with little to no regard as to what their names actually were. After that, it was shoot, kill, blow up and repeat. But what if you could enjoy the side-scrolling carnage of the Contra’s and Metal Slug’s while paying slightly more accurate homage to the action icons of the 80’s and 90’s? Indie developer FreeLives is answering your call with Broforce.
At Pax South 2015, we had a look at the most recent beta-build of Broforce, the hardcore pixel-exploding campaign that allows gamers to play as comical spoofs of their favorite heroes of yester-year. Don’t laugh just yet as these short pixelated grunts take themselves quite seriously. They each use distinctive attacks and special abilities as they reign bullets on terrorists, aliens, dinosaurs or whatever crosses their paths.
Here’s just some of the continuously growing roster of Bros…
| Bro | Parody Source |
| Rambro | John Rambo from Rambo |
| Brommando | John Matrix from Commando |
| B. A. Broracus | B. A. Baracus from The A-Team |
| Brodell Walker | Cordell Walker from Walker, Texas Ranger |
| Bro Hard | John McClane from Die Hard |
| MacBrover | Angus MacGyver from MacGyver |
| Brade | Blade from Blade |
| Bro Dredd | Judge Dredd from the comic book “Judge Dredd” |
| Bro In Black | Agent J from Men In Black |
| Snake Broskin | Snake Plissken from Escape from New York/L.A. |
| Brominator | The Terminator from Terminator 2 |
| Brobocop | RoboCop from RoboCop |
| Indianna Brones | Indiana Jones from Indiana Jones |
| Ash Brolliams | Ash Williams from The Evil Dead series |
| Mr. Anderbro | Thomas A. Anderson (AKA Neo) from The Matrix |
| The Boondock Bros | Connor and Murphy MacManus from The Boondock Saints. |
| Brochete | Machete Cortez from Machete |
| Bronan the Brobarian | Conan from Conan The Barbarian |
| Ellen Ripbro | Ellen Ripley from Alien |
| Time Bro | Max Walker from Timecop |
| Broniversal Soldier | Luc Deveraux / GR44 from Universal Soldier |
| Colonel James Broddock | James Braddock from Missing in Action |
| Cherry Broling | Cherry Darling from Planet Terror |
| Bro Max | Max Rockatansky from Mad Max |
| The Brode | The Bride from Kill Bill |
| Double Bro Seven | James Bond from James Bond |
Play as Double Bro 7, the tech-savy spy that uses a Bro-Textron jetpack, a laser wristwatch, and under-cover skills to get the drop on enemies. Not enough explosions? Maybe Colonel James Broddock is more your style as he chucks wave after wave of grenades.
Gameplay is chaotic as it is tactical. Use the uniqueness of your Broforce bros as you trigger (and avoid) chain explosions or slip by stealthily. With plentiful and constant explosions come destructible terrain, vehicular action sequences, and Contra-esque boss fights. However, Broforce goes beyond just being a comical action-packed side-scroller. FreeLives continues to stuff more and more features into Broforce as its being built. Features added so far include:
- A collections of unique Unlockable Bros
- Play with friends in local “Bro-op” or online multiplayer “bro-op”
- Deathmatch mode
- Race mode
- A level editor and sharer, complete with scripting for customizing enemy behavior
- A Brofort designer for a defense-mode style of play or simply hanging out
Broforce has a thriving cult-following itching for the full release of the game. The game will be available via Steam (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and will also launch on the PS4 and Vita. You and your bros can jump into the beta now on Steam and Humble Bundle. Check out some more screenshots in the gallery below.
Or check it out the official Broforce page for yourself right here!
† Screenshots used are from FreeLives Broforce press page.
