Latest news with #shmup
Forbes
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘R-Type Delta: HD Boosted' Really Needed The M2 Treatment
The classic shmup 'R-Type Delta' is getting an HD update. R-Type Delta is one of the undisputed shmup classics on the original PlayStation, so this HD release really has a lot to live up to. Of all the great shmups on the PlayStation, two really stood out: G-Darius and R-Type Delta. Don't get me wrong, Einhänder was pretty cool, but not in the same league as these two. A few years back, we were treated with G-Darius HD on basically every platform out there. Developed by retro porting masters M2, the HD aspect of the game was handled masterfully. Now, along comes R-Type Delta, and it too is now getting the HD treatment, but it's not exactly hitting its mark. This is not to say that City Connection does bad work, far from it. The recent Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute was excellently done. However, that game never saw a Western release back when it was on the Sega Saturn, and its art style was old-school 2D pixel art. Put simply, releasing the game as it was with an English localization was pretty much the expected remit, and City Connection certainly delivered on that. R-Type Delta is an entirely different beast, though. Yes, it is functionally a 2D side-scrolling shmup, but the bulk of the artwork is in 3D. It also had some amazing art for its period, even more so than the epic G-Darius. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder So, to not leverage that in a new HD release to the same degree as G-Darius HD, if not more so, feels like a lost opportunity. Now, as far as we know, the latest trailer (shown below) doesn't list M2's involvement, so I'm taking that to mean they are not involved. If it turns out that M2 is involved, it's clear that they've either been held back or not involved as much as they needed to be relative to their other games. Put simply, comparing this trailer to the work M2 did on G-Darius HD just makes my heart sink. Of all the R-Type games that really needed some proper HD love, it's definitely Delta. Somewhat related, there are also some amazing toys made by Ques-Q for R-Type Delta, namely the R-9A2 Delta and R-13 Cerberus. Both of which come highly recommended if you can still find them in the wild. R-Type Delta: HD Boosted will be released later this year for Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Retro Shmup ‘Earthion' Will Be Finally Released Later This Year
'Earthion' was developed natively on the Sega Genesis. Ancient Corporation Earthion is one of the best-looking shmups of recent years, and it is finally coming out this year; it's even getting a Genesis cartridge release. Developed natively on a Sega Genesis (or MegaDrive for the more cultured of you), Earthion looks and sounds astonishing. The latter part should come as no surprise, as the game's music is being composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro. If you remember, I interviewed Koshiro back when Actraiser Renaissance was released. The remastered music for that was also entirely excellent. Ever since, I've been following Koshiro on Twitter/X to see what he's been up to, and Earthion caught my attention a good while back. 'Earthion' looks to be a thoroughly classic shmup. Ancient Corporation Looking like the ultimate classic retro shmup, the fact that it was natively developed on the Genesis is rather bonkers but actually makes a lot of sense. Instead of trying to ape a classic 16-bit console on modern hardware, why not develop the game properly on the original console? The final game (shown below) looks astonishing and even gives the likes of Ex-Ranza a run for its money. Released later this year, you can already wishlist the game on Steam, but it will also be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The really nice touch is that Earthion will also be released on Genesis via cartridge, which I wholeheartedly approve of. So if you're into classic shmups, Earthion looks like it will definitely scratch that gaming itch once it's released later this year. Follow me on X , Facebook and YouTube . I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
