Tag: Shmup
News Twin-Stick Shoot 'Em Up 'Raiden NOVA' Launches On Switch This October
Update: Physical release confirmed
Update #2 [Wed 18th Sep, 2024 03:00 BST]: It's been confirmed a physical version of Raiden NOVA will be released for the Switch. It will be arriving at some point in November this year. Once again, the digital version of the game will arrive on the Switch eShop on 31st October 2024. Update [Sat 14th Sep, 2024...
News Four Critically Acclaimed Shmups To Get Physical Switch Release In Europe
Including Mushihimesama
Clear River Games has revealed that it's releasing four critically acclaimed Switch shmups in physical form in Europe. Three Cave classics — DoDonPachi Resurrection, Espgaluda II, Mushihimesama — and Treasure's celebrated Radiant Silvergun will all be getting a physical release across Europe soon. More details will be...
Easy, tiger
We're republishing this 2021 import review because, over two-and-a-half years after its Japanese release, M2 has finally brought Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli to the West, surprise-dropping this Toaplan collection on the US Switch eShop on 16th May. There's no word on a European release just yet, but the base game is available on the US eShop for...
News Edia Crowdfunding Telenet Shmup Collection For Nintendo Switch
Targeting a June 2023 release
Update [Tue 24th Jan, 2023 00:30 GMT]: Edia has now confirmed this collection will be arriving in Japan on 8th June 2023. It has also shared a new trailer: Original story [Tue 22nd Nov, 2022 04:45 GMT]: We've got some exciting news for fans of the shoot 'em up genre, with Edia announcing a themed collection for...
News Superb Shmup Radiant Silvergun Is Getting A Physical Release On Switch
Update: Pre-orders on LRG go live
Update [Sat 15th Oct, 2022 06:55 BST]: Pre-orders for Radiant Silvergun have gone live on the Limited Run Games website. Original article [Thu 13th Oct, 2022 01:25 BST]: If you're a fan of shoot 'em ups, one game you can't go past on the Switch is Radiant Silvergun by Treasure. It made its debut in 1998 and was...
News Anime-Style 3D-2D Shoot 'Em Up Angelian Trigger Locks In A Switch Release
Take note, Space Harrier fans
The Nintendo Switch is already home to a lot of retro and modern shoot 'em up games, and if you're hungry for more - you'll want to be on the lookout for Angelian Trigger, arriving on the hybrid system in 2023. This anime and Space Harrier-style game by PiXEL will feature a unique 3D-2D style of gameplay with both...
News Introducing 'RoTATE' - A New Desktop Stand & Kickstarter Project For Switch
Play your way
Are you tired of holding your Switch in handheld mode? Is Tabletop mode not enough? Want to play certain genres of games like SHMUP in vertical mode? Then this new Kickstarter project caleld 'RoTATE' might just be the Switch accessory you need. Developed by Retro Frog - a small design and manufacturing company located in southern...
News Taito & M2 Bringing Shmup Collection 'Ray'z Arcade Chronology' To Switch
Update: Localisation & HD Collection confirmed
Update #2 [Sat 30th Jul, 2022 17:15 BST]: ININ Games has confirmed it will release Ray'z Arcade Chronology and also RayStorm x RayCrisis HD Collection on the Switch here in the west. There's no release date just yet and ININ will be handling publishing duties of both games digitally (via Gematsu). The...
News PlatinumGames' Shmup Sol Cresta Receives An Update, Here's What's Included
Bayonetta 3 can wait
In case you missed it, Sol Cresta actually got a release on Switch earlier this year (after starting out life as an April Fool's joke). Since then, PlatinumGames has been issuing updates for this new shoot 'em up, and we're now up to the next major one (Version 1.0.4). The Japanese publisher and developer has shared the full...
News Platinum's "Must-Watch" Sol Cresta Release Date Broadcast Postponed Due To Technical Issues
"We are truly sorry"
Update [Tue 11th Jan, 2022 05:30 GMT]: If you were wondering what happened to Platinum's Sol Cresta broadcast that was scheduled to air on YouTube last weekend, it's been postponed. It's apparently due to "technical difficulties" with streaming equipment and a new date for the broadcast will be organised soon. In the meantime,...
Feature 'Arcade Perfect' Be Damned: R-Type DX Is Still Portable Perfection
Bydo To The Future
R-Type may be 34 years old but the beyond-enthusiastic reception for R-Type Final 2's Kickstarter proved Irem’s long-running series is much more than a nostalgic memory held close by a few greying fans, or vintage shmup still hazily respected from a great distance. R-Type can still generate hype and open up wallets; the thought...
News Deathsmiles Collection Gets A Western eShop Release At The End Of The Month
The shoot 'em up of gothic horrors is back
Update [Sat 18th Dec, 2021 06:55 GMT]: It's official, Deathsmiles I.II is coming to the Switch eShop here in the West on 30th December 2021. It'll be available for $39.99 USD or your regional equivalent. It'll require 3.5 GB of space and supports up to two players. Our review for the Japanese version of the...
News PlatinumGames Delays Sol Cresta, Hideki Kamiya Says A December Launch Is "Not Possible"
"I apologise very sincerely"
Hideki Kamiya’s "Very Sorry Stream" just wrapped up and if you're wondering why it was called that in the first place, it's because PlatinumGames has had to delay its upcoming shoot 'em up, Sol Cresta. Kamiya broke this news very early on in the stream. While the game was originally locked in for a 9th December...
News Neo Geo Shmup Razion EX Gets A Switch eShop Release On September 16th
A blast from the past
Update [Fri 10th Sep, 2021 05:30 BST]: It's taken some time, but Razion EX is finally getting a Switch eShop release. It'll arrive next week on 16th September in both Europe and North America. The developer has also confirmed the game will be getting a physical reprint at some point in 2022 (see the box art below)...
News Sol Cresta Brings More Shmup Action To Switch This December, DLC Too
Platinum's next release is en route
At BitSummit 2021 today, PlatinumGames announced a release date for its new shoot 'em up Sol Cresta. It'll be released on all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, on 9th December this year for $39.99 / €39.99 or your regional equivalent. It's also been revealed how the game will be receiving "Sol Cresta...
Two collections, 10 games, 16 versions
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade and Darius Cozmic Collection Console will both land on the Switch eShop next week, on 16th June. The Arcade collection includes four different titles across seven different versions, and the Console version includes six titles across nine different versions. Here's a rundown of...
News Retro Shoot ‘Em Up Cotton Making A Surprise Comeback On Switch
Bewitched!
Great news for shoot 'em up aficionado as Beep has officially confirmed it is working on a brand new Cotton franchise reboot – heading to multiple platforms including the Nintendo Switch. While there isn't much information about this new entry at the moment, the company has revealed it will be based on the X68000 Japanese computer home...
News Shoot 'Em Up Raiden V: Director's Cut Rated For Switch In Taiwan
Save earth, again
Another incoming Switch release has been revealed by a classification board. This time it's the Moss-developed shoot 'em up Raiden V: Director's Cut. It appears the enhanced title, based on the 2016 Xbox One release, has been classified by the Digital Game Rating Committee of Taiwan. The series began in 1990 and like all good...
News It Looks Like Johnny Turbo Is Entering The Shmup Business On Nintendo Switch
"Gues whats next"
If the Nintendo Switch is your system of choice for shoot 'em up games, you'll be glad to hear another retro one is making a comeback. Johnny Turbo - one of gaming's worst mascots - and now the face of Flying Tiger Entertainment's classic line recently hopped on Twitter to tease another old school Data East title coming to the...
News Prepare For More Shmup Action When Hucast Releases Ghost Blade HD On Switch In 2019
Physical and digital release confirmed
As niche as the shoot 'em up genre might be, on the Switch it’s growing in size by the day. If Ghost Blade HD sounds familiar, that’s because the developer Hucast Games previously released this bullet hell shooter on the Wii U eShop in 2017. The German-based developer has now announced the game will be...
News Bullet Hell Shmup Mars Chaos Menace Takes A "New" 3D Approach To Arcade Shooters
Out next month on Switch
Byte4Games, StarCruiser Studio and BadLand Publishing will bolster the shoot 'em up genre on the Switch eShop in the second half of November with the release of Mars Chaos Menace. No exact release date has been announced. After "successfully reintroducing" the twin-stick shooter genre with Demon's Crystals - released on...
News Psikyo's Strikers 1999 Bringing More Shmup Action To The Switch
Finally confirmed
The Switch eShop already has a healthy selection of shoot 'em up games and soon there will be another one added to the digital library. Psikyo's arcade title Strikers 1999 (also known as Strikers 1945 III) appears to be on the way. The news was teased a while ago, and following this year's Tokyo Game Show has now been confirmed by...
News Indie Shmup Astebreed Announced For Nintendo Switch
"Hope turns to an unlikely hero"
The shoot 'em up genre is a perfect match with the Nintendo Switch, so it should come as no surprise yet another one is on the way. Japanese indie developer Edelweiss, with the help of Active Gaming Media, will be bringing the 2014 title Astebreed to the Switch eShop in the near future. A release date has not been...
News Shmup Twin Pack R-Type Dimensions Coming To Switch This Winter
Japan only for now
Tozai Games will release R-Type Dimensions for Switch in Japan this winter. The remastered two-in-one shmup package contains the original eight-stage R-Type and the six-stage R-Type II. Dimensions was first released in 2009. As can be seen in the trailer above, you'll be able to swap from the classic 2D pixel...
News Retro-Style Shmup FullBlast Is Making A Comeback On Switch Next Month
Previously released on Wii U eShop
Being able to place the Switch in a vertical position is very handy considering how many shoot 'em up games continue to get released on the Nintendo eShop on a regular basis. According to a PR from Ratalaika Games, the next one due out sometime in September is FullBlast by UFO Crash Games. If the name...
News Danmaku Unlimited 3 Is Bringing Bullet Hell Brilliance To The Switch
TATE mode confirmed!
We love a relaxing bullet hell shmup here at Nintendo Life, so we were delighted to hear that Danmaku Unlimited 3 will be heading over to the Switch eShop later this year. Developed by Doragon Entertainment, a one-man indie game studio based in Vancouver Canada with a passion for old school shooters and Japanese...
Review Ghost Blade HD (Wii U eShop)
Bullet heaven?
Bullet hell shooters - also known by fans as "shmups" - are a niche genre due to their often extreme difficulty. Hucast Games and 2Dreams' Ghost Blade HD aims to be a shmup for everyone, and is largely successful at easing new players into the experience. Ghost Blade HD is a vertical, top-down game in which the player controls a ship...
Review Kaite Tsukutte Asoberu Dezaemon (SNES)
Super shmup construction kit
How would you like to make your own video game? The incredible Super Mario Maker was not the first time a company gave players the tools to produce their own interactive entertainment. In fact, such titles predate the online infrastructure which modern examples of the genre rely on for growth, idea exchange and level...
News Masato Maegawa Talks Shoot 'em Up Designs and Sin and Punishment
A blast from the past
The shoot 'em up genre is one that's seemingly been around for nearly as long as video games have. While they do certainly have a limited appeal, these types of games offer up what could certainly be argued as the purest arcade experiences, with lightning fast reflexes and pattern recognition being absolute musts. Treasure is...
Review G.G Series SHADOW ARMY (DSiWare)
Bob and weave
The next title in the G.G series opts to go once again into the shooter genre, and the interesting gameplay manages to set G.G Series SHADOW ARMY apart from its predecessors in a meaningful way. While some aspects of it may be dull and somewhat uninspired, the continuously variable and fast paced nature of its gunplay make it an...
Review G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER (DSiWare)
Mega Buster
The G.G series keeps on going, and next up is another shoot 'em up; yet this one presents a unique and dynamic combat system that's surprisingly engaging. In an experimental series that's pretty hit or miss depending on the genre being attempted, G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER provides a fun, arcade style shooter that's easily the most...
Review G.G Series WONDERLAND (DSiWare)
We're all mad here
It's not often that a new DSiWare game shows up on the eShop, as that particular line of software is on the brink of extinction. Imagine, then, the shock when the G.G Series made its return to the service when Genterprise chose to localise the remaining games in the series. G.G Series WONDERLAND marked the beginning of the...
Review Super E.D.F. Earth Defense Force (Wii U eShop / Super Nintendo)
All buck and no bang!
Its certainly no secret that the 16-bit era of gaming was a great time to be a shoot em' up fan. Not only were there a large number of titles released, there were also some of the best the genre ever had to offer on display. While the Sega Mega Drive and NEC PC Engine were the definitive hot spots to get your shooter fix, the...
Review Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden- (3DS eShop)
Not exactly the beast
The "shmup" genre is relatively niche but is also, among its devoted fans, one of the great pleasures in gaming. It's a difficult genre to create games for, however, as the nature of the gameplay is rather limited and simple, with innovations being hard to come by. After all, there's only so many ways one can pull off...
Review Steel Empire (3DS eShop)
The Empire strikes back
Side-scrolling shoot-‘em-ups were a force to be reckoned with in the early ’90s, gracing every arcade and home system under the sun with seemingly limitless variations on Gradius-style gameplay. Perhaps surprisingly, given the genre’s popularity, they also tended to stick rather closely to each other in terms of theme;...
Review Ice Cream Surfer (Wii U eShop)
Ice Cream Snorer
Shoot 'em ups aren't really a popular genre these days, but there seems to be a bit of a resurgence on the downloadable front. Not long ago we received Gaiabreaker, and now here we have Ice Cream Surfer, a game which had an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign, but nonetheless ended up being developed anyway. Upon launching the game...
Review GAIABREAKER (Wii U eShop)
Shoot meh up
Although there are plenty of shoot 'em ups to pick from on the Wii Virtual Console, new games in the genre tend to be quite rare; as a result it's always exciting to see a new addition to a challenging field. Developed by a relatively unknown developer that's only dabbled in mobile phone games before, this particular shoot 'em up is of...
Review Gradius (Wii U eShop / NES)
Just keeps shooting
To say that the original Gradius was influential on the evolution of the side-scrolling shoot 'em up would be a gross understatement. When it hit arcades in 1985 it was lauded for its amazing level designs and simple, yet wildly playable, power-up system. This NES release was one of the first home ports of the game and has become...
Review Summer Carnival '92 RECCA (3DS eShop / NES)
For shoot 'em up experts only
The release of this game on the 3DS eShop is a bit of a strange occurrence. Summer Carnival '92 Recca was, as you might guess from its odd name, created for a shoot 'em up game competition held in 1992, exclusively in Japan. It was only available from those competitions, so the supply was quite limited and, as a result,...
Review Chain Blaster (3DS eShop)
Blastin’ makes me feel good
It’s been just over a month since G.Rev’s Kokuga hit the 3DS eShop, and now we’re already being treated to another shoot ‘em up with the release of G-Style’s Chain Blaster. Though shoot ‘em ups have been few and far between since the home console took over the industry and put countless arcades out of...
