Latest news with #shmup
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘TOAPLAN Arcade Collection Vol 1 & 2' Switch Review: Shmup Excellence
Back in the 80s and 90s, TOAPLAN was one of the top arcade shmup developers in Japan, and these two game collections certainly do justice to that. These two collections are split across 8 games apiece, with Volume 1 containing Flying Shark, Fire Shark, Tiger Heli, Twin Cobra, Out Zone, Fix Eight, Batsugun, and Dogyuun, and Volume 2 including Zero Wing, Hell Fire, Slap Fight, Grind Stormer, Truxton, Truxton 2, Vimana, and Twin Hawk. In addition to local co-op play on some of these games, you also get the different arcade variants released around the world, as well as the Japanese originals. The follow-on console ports of these arcade games are sadly not included, as this is meant as a purely arcade game collection. That aside, TOAPLAN's history was a bumpy one, but it birthed multiple game studios after its closure, most notably that of Cave. This is noteworthy, as much of the 'bullet hell' debauchery Cave became known for is seen in many of these earlier games, which makes this collection fascinating in a historical sense. The other two major additions here are Hellfire and Zero Wing. While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time. 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 Hellfire afforded various ways for your ship to fire its ordinance, something that later games like Radiant Silvergun utilized. However, for its time, it was quite a shocking evolution. Zero Wing also had some fascinating elements, namely the tractor beam you could use to grapple enemies to the front of your ship and use as a shield. Again, this was later adopted as a major feature in games like G-Darius. The other great thing about these classic TOAPLAN shmups was that they just looked gorgeous and paved the way for some of the prettiest 2D pixel art games ever created. So this collection has a lot to offer to people, not only those new to shmups, but also veterans who miss playing some of the classics of the genre. As for various quality of life features, you have a rewind option and save states as well as a lot of other customization options, and all the games run very smoothly on the Switch. Overall, TOAPLAN Arcade Collection Vol 1 & 2 covers the heyday of TOAPLAN's arcade shmup output. It's also a comprehensive collection, including the international variants for each of these classic arcade games. Although I suspect Zero Wing's appalling localization will still be a draw for some of the old school fans. TOAPLAN Arcade Collection Vol 1 & Vol 2 Platform: Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S Developer: Bitwave Games Publisher: Clear River Games Released: 14th August 2025 Price: $34.99 (Each) Score: 8/10 Disclosure: Clear River Games sent me copies of these games for the purposes of this review. 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
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘R-Type Delta HD Boosted' Comes Westward This November
Following the news that the classic shmup R-Type Delta was getting an HD remaster, we now know that the game will come Westward this November. Called R-Type Delta HD Boosted, it has all the modern features for classic retro shmups, and looks really rather lovely with it. When Delta was originally released on the PlayStation in 1998, it was a big departure for the series. Not only were the visuals in 3D, but you also had multiple ships to choose from. While the new trailer for the game (shown below) lists three playable ships: the R-9A2, RX-10, and R-13A, you can also pilot the Pow Armor once certain conditions are met. My only gripe with this release is that there will also be, hopefully optional, arranged musical tracks included. This does feel entirely unnecessary, as the music for Delta was already thoroughly excellent and was in no need of updating. All that aside, it's also worth saying that for many fans of R-Type, Delta is often regarded as being the best game in the series. It certainly has ingenious level design, which is a series hallmark, but it also blends 2D and 3D really cleverly. In any case, R-Type Delta is getting re-released on modern consoles and will be widely available again, and that makes me very happy indeed. R-Type Delta HD Boosted will be released on November 20 for Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. 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 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
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Irem Collection Vol. 3' Review: Totally Worth It For ‘Mr. Heli'
'Mr. Heli' is a classic shmup that has been unavailable to play for a long time. Having reviewed the first and second Irem Collection releases, the third is now here, and it finally includes the much-loved Mr. Heli. Following the previous releases, this new collection contains Mr. Heli, Mystic Riders, and the weirdly compelling Dragon Breed. Starting with Mystic Riders, this is a fairly straightforward side-scrolling shmup where you ride around on a broom, firing magic and using the broom for other attacks. It was a decent shmup for its time and a lot more colorful and even cheerful compared to other Irem releases from the period. As for Dragon Breed, it has a similar element to X Multiply's tentacles that can shield the player. In this instance, it's the dragon Bahamoot that can be used to coil around its rider, Kayus, to protect him from attacks. 'Mystic Riders' is a bright and colorful, magically themed shmup. 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 Dragon Breed also has a similar art style to X-Multiply and definitely stands out as one of the more fantastical-looking Irem shmups. Then there is the beloved Mr. Heli. It's been a long time since we've had a home version of this arcade classic. I think the last time we saw Mr. Heli in any kind of Irem-related collection was back in 2011 for the Irem Arcade Hits release from DotEmu. In any case, its premise is fascinating, as Mr. Heli has you somewhat explore levels and mine for jewels that then unlock upgrades for your weapons. The pacing and feel of the game is unlike most common shmups and feels more exploratory in nature. The game starts off suitably cheerful, but gets more involved and bleaker later on. The art style is still very vibrant, and the gameplay is really unlike anything else. While many, myself included, rate the 1987 release of the original R-Type as being a definitive and excellent shmup, I feel that Mr. Heli, also released in the same year, often gets overlooked despite its inherent excellence. 'Dragon Breed' shares elements with 'X Multiply', as the titular dragon can shield its rider. Mr. Heli is also a really big game. Stages are split into sections with mini bosses and tunnelling levels with some quite tricky enemies. Each stage is also wildly different from the last and do become insanely challenging later on. To be honest, this collection is worth getting purely for Mr. Heli alone. It's an amazing and unique shmup and one that hasn't been readily available for over a decade. The other bonus is that this collection also includes the PC Engine version of Mr. Heli, which is not only a more humane game in terms of difficulty but is also a very good port. Much like the original PC Engine version of R-Type, it seems that this era of Irem's games lent itself very well to the PC Engine system. As for the other goodies in this collection, each game has a handy rewind function, as well as cheats and all manner of screen filters. Overall, this is yet another great Irem Collection, and much like the first and second releases, this third instalment is excellent. However, its star attraction is the adorable Mr. Heli, which is still just as fun to play as when I played it in the arcades as a kid. Irem Collection Vol. 3 Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S Developer: ININ Games Publisher: ININ Games Released: 1st July 2025 Price: $24.99 Score: 8/10 Disclosure: ININ Games sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. 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
08-06-2025
- 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.
