Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening | PS5 Review

I never got into anime when it blew up in the late 90s/early 00s. By then I had outgrown Saturday morning cartoons, so I wasn’t the target demo for Toonami, the programming block often credited with creating a generation of American weebs. For years, the sum of my limited anime knowledge was mostly around Pokémon (back then it was unavoidable), therefore I associated the entire genre with “kids catching pocket monsters.” It wasn’t until much later that I discovered works by the likes of Hayao Miyazaki or Katsuhiro Otomo, which showed me that it can be more than just for kids.

Naturally, that also means that I had never heard of Space Adventure Cobra, an obscure anime series from the early 80s, adapted from a manga series published in the late 1970s. But then I came across Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening, a 2.5D run-and-gun shooter developed by Magic Pocket and published by Microids. I picked it up not out of nostalgia or fandom, but because it looked fun, and it was a chance to explore an obscure sci-fi world that was too intriguing to pass up. 

He’s a Pirate

The story of Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening closely follows the plot of the first 12 episodes of the 1982 TV series. You play as the titular Cobra, a cocky space pirate who faked his death, altered his appearance, and erased his own memory in order to escape from the pursuit of the Pirate’s Guild. Several years later, he’s suddenly pulled back into his old life of planetary adventures and treasure hunting. With his robotic companion Lady Armaroid, serving as the voice of reason and tactical support, it doesn’t take long for the Guild to pick up on his trail and settle old scores.

The Space Adventure Cobra series is a melting pot of influences of the time. Original manga creator Buichi Terasawa drew inspiration from Spaghetti Westerns, Samurai stories, along with Sean Connery-era James Bond films and even Disney movies, blending them into a space opera unlike anything up to that point. Of course, by the time the 1982 animated film and subsequent TV series came along, Star Wars had cemented itself as a cultural behemoth, and is definitely apparent in this game.

Fukkatsu Saikogan

At the heart of Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening is the Psychogun, Cobra’s signature arm cannon. It functions like a sleeker version of Mega Man’s buster but with a twist: its guided shots can arc through the air, chaining across multiple enemies for satisfying multikills, or also can be used to reach switches tucked away out of reach. But Cobra isn’t just limited to his arm cannon, either. His arsenal includes exploding cigars that work like grenades, and an old-school revolver which is useful for breaking through enemy shields that energy weapons can’t scratch. Holding down L1 (for PS5) locks you in place and allows you to aim freely in all directions.

Movement feels equally versatile as Cobra can run, jump, melee, and sprint slide under gaps, while gadgets expand his traversal options. Later in the game you get a grappling hook for clearing large gaps and antigravity boots for wall scaling. Together these tools give the levels a sense of verticality and variety beyond the simple left-to-right progression. Using these tools in conjunction often creates layered platforming challenges, forcing you to chain moves together with precision.

The stages themselves are mostly linear, but they borrow just enough Metroidvania DNA to encourage replayability. Some paths remain blocked until you’ve unlocked the right ability, making it worthwhile to revisit earlier levels. It’s labyrinthine, but it adds a welcome layer of depth beyond corridor blasting.

If there’s one drawback to this game, it’s the controls. Cobra can only be controlled with the thumbsticks. The D-Pad has no function at all. I don’t know about you, but I find the D-pad to be far more precise for this type of retro-style game, and its absence here feels like a missed opportunity, given how the rest feels faithful to the classics that inspired it.

Space Corsair

Graphically the game looks and runs great; super smooth. Playing a 2.5D retro-style platformer on a beefy console like a PlayStation 5, I didn’t notice a single dip in performance or any framerate slowdown, running at a smooth 60fps. There’s also great variety in the stages themselves, ranging from futuristic cityscapes, to eerie cosmic graveyards, and high security prisons.

Interestingly, while the gameplay looks modern and runs smoothly, the cutscenes that appear between stages are pulled directly from the 80s TV series and are left untouched. The footage, not digitally remastered by design, retains its original charm, creating a striking contrast between the gameplay and the series’ vintage narrative moments.

The soundtrack is pure late 70s, early 80s swagger. It blends J-Pop melodrama with disco-funk grooves, giving the game a sci-fi vibe that’s more roller rink than a cyberpunk synth nightclub. It’s not what you’d expect from a modern sci-fi shooter, but it’s exactly why it works, nailing the futuristic feel and keeping the spirit of the original series alive. The soundtrack itself is available to purchase, and it’s also an add-on for the digital deluxe bundle. And that’s on top of the digital artbook, an exclusive skin and even a bonus level.

Legendary Bandit

Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening is a wild revival of an IP that, let’s face it, only the weebiest of weebs probably ever heard of in the West. As a run ‘n gun it totally works on its own, with flashy weapons, smooth movement, and some clever stage design. The levels are built to match your current abilities. In other words: if you see a spot you can’t quite reach yet, it’s usually a secret area you’ll come back to later once you’ve unlocked the right gear. 

For any longtime fans out there, this is the best way to relive Cobra’s early adventures. For newcomers like me, it’s a surprisingly easy jumping-on point, even if your knowledge is limited to Pokemon and Spirited Away. Also, fun fact: this actually isn’t Cobra’s first trip to the West. There was a point-and-click adventure for the Sega CD back in the 90s. But this game feels like the first time the character’s really gotten his due. Honestly, my only real gripe with this game is not getting to use the D-Pad, which feels like a miss for a retro-inspired side-scroller. Beyond that, it’s stylish, faithful, and a lot more fun than I expected.

To hear me talk more about Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening, be sure to listen to the August 27th, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:09:11 time stamp.

This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening provided by Home Run PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.