History VideoGame / SteelAssault

''Steel Assault'' is a 2021 action-platformer game developed by Zenovia and Creator/TributeGames, following the side-scrolling template made popular by old-timey RunAndGun arcade classics.

All hopes lies in the player's hero - Taro Takahashi, an elite member of a LaResistance unit, who had a vendetta against Pierce because his parents were among the resistance members executed during Pierce's takeover. A highly-skilled soldier and pilot, and an expert with his electrified whip, dual-sided grappling hook launcher, Taro will kick all sorts of ass and take on Pierce's legion of lieutenants before confronting the villain in his hideout.

!!''Steel Assault'' contains examples of:

** "Mastodon Crusher" is a robotic mastodon (well, no doy). With a '''[[ChainsawGood chainsaw]]''' in place of it's trunk which it will swing at Taro constantly.

** Major Harris, who sic a giant gryphon and kirin mecha on Taro for his boss battle.
* AutoScrollingLevel: "Heart of Concrete", where Taro is on a [[CoolBoat heavily-armored, gadget-laden motorboat]] on autopilot at full speed crossing a sea filled with enemies. Said boat has a turret on it's top which Taro can use to shoot at mooks.

** Major Harris from the plant stage initially appears as a regular, unarmed scientist, which Taro confronts in a room containing a wide chasm at the end of the level. But Taro turns out to be confronting a {{hologram}} - the ''actual'' Major Harris is on the other end of the chasm, where he then unleash the plant's defenses on Taro, firstly dispensing turrets, and then sending two gigantic animal mechs, respectively a gryphon and a kirin, one at a time. Once the kirin is destroyed, an explosion then sends the real Harris halfway through the room, landing right next to Taro.
** The penultimate battle against General Pierce. After a cutscene, Pierce jumps into a nearby chasm... from which suddenly a giant robot under Pierce's control emerged.
* BattleCouple: Colonel Daigo and Ayane Nakamoto, who forms a DualBoss attacking Taro simultaneously.

** The first stage, City of Shattered Glass, have Taro fighting enemies in rain-drenched city streets.

* BigBad: General Magnus Pierce, who started a hostile takeover of the entire city and the country's supreme dictator.

* DoubleJump: Taro can jump in mid-air thanks to the bio-technics enhancements built in his suit. There's several levels where he needs to jump multiple times while in mid-air, either for climbing shafts or crossing platforms.

* GoodScarsEvilScars: The hero, Taro, have a long red scar on his forehead's left side, which is visible on his onscreen sprite. Said scar even shows up on the game's logo!
* GrapplingHookPistol: Taro have a two-way version of this weapon in his equipment, which fires a long wire with a hook on each end (either horizontally or vertically) to help him climb on structures. He seems to have an infinite amount of hooks as well, which he needs in levels requiring plenty of climbing or navigating his way over BottomlessPits.

* LocomotiveLevel: The first stage have Taro entering a subway train from the back carriage and making his way to the front, destroying every mook in his way. It ends with Taro facing the boss, Lt. Karla Schmidt, who pilots a mecha and rips off the train's roof to attack Taro.

** The forest level have Mecha Agni, a gigantic robot serving as a mid-level MiniBoss. Who starts off as two GiantHandsOfDoom coming out of the water to attack Taro from below, before revealing itself. The robot will alternate between submerging and using it's hands for attacking, or sticking itself out the surface to fire projectiles until it's destroyed.

* NeckLift: Taro interrogating Major Harris have him grabbing the latter by his jugular.

* RisingWaterRisingTension: The factory interior have a segment where Taro must climb upwards a series of platforms and conveyer belts, just as a chemical spill occur causing the entire structure to be flooded. Touching the chemicals will cost Taro a life, and besides jumping he'll also need to use his grappling hook to send himself upwards while dealing with flying robots and drones.
* RobotDog: Yellow robotic canines occasionally shows up guarding enemy bases, where they attack either by pouncing on Taro or firing missiles from their backs.
* SequentialBoss: General Magnus Pierce, who first unleash a gigantic robot on Taro before facing the hero in direct combat.

* ThisIsADrill: Balthazar Kline's SandWorm mech have a drill in place of it's head, which he will use alongside his turrets to attack Taro. Said drill can also open apart to reveal a powerful laser turret.
* UndersideRide: One stage near the end have Taro clinging to the underbelly of an ascending airborne cruiser, and fighting airborne enemies coming at him from left and right.

* WaveMotionGun: Most of the bosses have one of these installed (via BreathWeapon) allowing them to fire an energy beam taller than Taro, requiring Taro to jump (and occasionally cling on higher surfaces via grappling hook) to avoid getting damaged. Including the Mastodon Crusher, Balthazar's worm mech, the Theta Hydron, among others.
* WeakTurretGun: The mobile turret enemies, whom are smaller and shorter than Taro and can be blown up with a soft touch from Taro's trusty electric whip. Although they tend to be placed in tricky, hard-to-reach areas for taking potshots at Taro.

--> '''Sonia''': Pierce still has clusters of followers vying for power around the country.\\
'''Hiro''': Well, now that we have this battleship... why not we pay them a visit?

* DavidVersusGoliath: It's actually easier to list the bosses that ''averts'' this trope. All of them (except Ayane and the second stage of the FinalBoss Pierce) pilots gigantic machines taking up most of the screen, compared to Taro who battles them ''on foot''. With Taro's electric whip against missiles, cannons, turrets and all kinds of heavy weaponry. And winning.

* {{Kirin}}: The second AnimalMecha MiniBoss sent by Major Harris to battle Taro is a ''robot'' Kirin. Who spends the whole battle pouncing all over the place beside dispensing additional mooks through a hatch, and even has a RollingAttack it constantly uses to charge at Taro.

--> '''Taro''': Start talking! [''fingers on Harris' neck]''\\

* OneManArmy: Taro, who wipes out entire platoons of enemies with his trusty whip each stage.