Search found 20 matches for SHMUP

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CounterAttack Ahoy!

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Developed by Relative Games and published by Novy PR, CounterAttack: Uprising for the Nintendo Switch is an endless shmup, with a ton of character and uniqueness, but is there enough on-offer to recommend this game? Oh boy! Do we think so and here's why:



The gameplay is superb with a massive selection of stages with branching paths as well as a ton of weapon and ship upgrades to collect! The variety of enemies and bosses is also extremely impressive in this shmup! The controls are very intuitive and responsive which is pivotal in a game in this genre. The difficulty can be brutal in the later stages, but starts off easy with a slow and steady increase in difficulty as you progress through your current playthrough.



The audiovisual-presentation in CounterAttack: Uprising is absolutely phenomenal with backgrounds and special effects so detailed you'd be forgiven in thinking that the game had a AAA budget rather than being from an indie developer! The ships and enemy models are also superb and look fantastic!

As for the audio, the sound effects feel straight out of an arcade which brought us quite a bit of nostalgia, and the music fits so well with a ton of variety in its tracks and was quite memorable as well!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay with a ton of content, excellent controls, and a top-notch audiovisual-presentation, CounterAttack: Uprising is a highly enjoyable shmup for fans of the genre and with very few cons it's an easy pick-up even if you're not a fan of the genre! Overall we give CounterAttack: Uprising for the Nintendo Switch a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #NovyPR #RelativeGames #Switch #eShop #Shmup #Arcade

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Ray'z Your Hand'z In Excitement!

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Developed by TAITO and M2, published by ININ Games, and with public relations by PR Hound, Ray'z Arcade Chronology for the Nintendo Switch is a faithful port of three legendary TAITO arcade shmups that are among the best games in the genre as well as HD Remasters of two of the included games! Have these ports withstood the test of time, and how good are the two included HD Remasters? As always, continue reading our review to find out the answers to the all-important questions!



The overall UI presentation of the menus and in-game gadgets for the included games are clean and very informative which is a given if you know how TAITO arcade shmups operate, and we couldn't be more thrilled! The gameplay of all of the included games are faithful to their original arcade releases and still feel wonderful to play all of these decades later!

The games are quite action-oriented, but not bullet hell in nature, rather more in line with TAITO's other major Shmup series Darius, which we also reviewed the ININ collections for that series extremely favorably! The games also feature built-in achievements which is a nice touch for sure. The games also vary in length from about 30-45 minutes long to a whopping 3 hours in-length with multiple paths easily giving this collection 30+ hours of replay value for completionists!

The only downside to this collection is that it lacks bonus features such as artwork and other extras that other collections from ININ possessed, but it doesn't really negatively affect our opinions of the game all that much.



The games control amazingly well and feel as fluid as they did in the arcades way back when! As for the visuals? The games range from 2D to 3D, and look gorgeous with excellent enemy and ship designs, flashy and awe-invoking special effects, and gorgeous scrolling effects that have aged like fine-wine! The HD Remasters included really pop in HD with sharper image quality, and vastly improved backgrounds and special effects that look fantastic even by today's standards!

And lastly the games' soundtracks are as exceptional as they are varied and they fit the mood of what's going on on-screen extremely well. Overall the audiovisual-presentation is absolutely top-notch!



Bottom-Line: With flawless gameplay, excellent replay value, great controls, and a top-notch audiovisual-presentation, Ray'z Arcade Chronology for the Nintendo Switch is a must-have collection for any/all fans of the SHMUP genre and despite lacking some of the bonus features you'd expect from a collection of arcade classics such as this one, the games are so well-done that this one gripe just barely lowered our score of this otherwise perfect collection! As such we give Ray'z Arcade Chronology a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★¾ 9.75/10

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#Review #RayzArcadeChronology #TAITO #ININ #M2 #PRHound #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PS5 #PSN #Shmup #Arcade #Retro

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A Brilliant Shmup Making Waves Later This Year!

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ININ Games and PR Hound have announced that Air Twister, their upcoming 3D shoot em up with a touch of Kid Icarus Uprising flair will be releasing on November 10th! Pre-Orders are set to begin on July 18th! Here's what PR Hound had to say about the upcoming game:

PR Hound wrote:In Air Twister, embark on an epic quest with Princess Arch as she fights to save her planet from imminent destruction. Armed with arrows that trace graceful arcs of light, she confronts bizarre invaders in her path. With more than 20 unique enemies to conquer and beautifully designed stages to explore, Air Twister promises an unforgettable gaming experience.

To evoke a sense of nostalgia for traditional arcade games, Yu Suzuki designed Air Twister with varying levels of difficulty, providing an authentic old-school arcade feel.

The game’s challenging gameplay is amplified by an epic musical score by Valensia that will take you on a nostalgic and thrilling journey. It is a one-of-a-kind gaming adventure that no player will soon forget!

Game Features:

12 artfully crafted stages with unique and new experiences each time you play. Embark on a fantastic journey, resembling that of Alice down the rabbit hole.

Over 20 Vanguard creatures and 10 unique bosses to challenge your skills and simple controls for a fun and easy play experience.

An epic soundtrack by Valensia, a Dutch music composer, known for over three decades of keeping the musical rock and opera heritage of Queen's greatest hits alive.8

High replayability by unlocking Challenge Games in the Adventure Map with different modes like Arcade, Turbo, Boss Rush and more!

Many fantastic Minigames with surprising elements.

And lastly, the announcement trailer can be watched below:



What do you think of this announcement? As always be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

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#News #AirTwister #ININ #PRHound #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PS5 #PSN #Shmup

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Rays The Waves!

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ININ Games and PR Hound have announced that the Ray Z Arcade Chronology collection will be releasing on the Nintendo eShop on June 30th! The collection features two HD remakes and the original trio of games in the series, RayForce, RayStorm, and RayCrisis. The game will retail for $50. What do you think of this upcoming collection of classic TAITO arcade titles? As always be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

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#News #RayZArcadeChronology #RayForce #RayStorm #RayCrissis #HD #Remake #Switch #eShop #Retail #Arcade #Shmup

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An ACE Doggo Adventure!

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Developed by Katsu Entertainment, published by Hound Picked Games, and with public relations by PR Hound, Dogfight is a shoot em' up twitchfest that has its moments, and while certainly not perfect, we enjoyed our time with the game! Continue reading our review to find out just what we thought about this action-packed title!



The gameplay in Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story is superb with tight controls, accessible difficulty, and varied gameplay elements that will thoroughly entertain any fan of the shoot 'em up genre. The enemies also come in many varieties with unique attack patterns and this is doubly true for the game's fantastic bosses! Not all is good, however as the game is exceptionally short clocking in at around an hour or two to beat which left us yearning for more.



The audiovisual-presentation is also really good with vibrant stages, detailed and gorgeous enemy and boss designs, and REALLY amazing special effects that showcases how well the switch can handle an HD scrolling Shmup when developed by the right teams! As for the audio? The soundtrack is catchy and will leave you humming to the beat, while the sound effects fit the arcadey nature of the game quite nicely!



Bottom-Line: With amazing gameplay and a great audiovisual-presentation, Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story is a fantastic shoot 'em up that had a ton of potential, but the small amount of content left us yearning for more when the game ended much too soon. Overall, we give Gogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story for the Nintendo Switch a solid to good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆¾ 7.75/10

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#MiniReview #KatsuEntertainment #HoundPickedGames #PRHound #Switch #eShop #Shmup

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The Final Frontier...TWO!

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Developed by Granzella and published by NIS America, R-Type Final 2 is the latest game in the long-running R-Type series with updated gameplay mechanics and fresh new visuals. Is this new game as good as its predecessors? No, but it is a solid game in its own right and here's why:



The gameplay in R-Type Final 2 is fantastic even by sidescrolling Shoot em' up standards. There are plenty of game modes and options to give players quite a few ways to play the game. The game itself is more refined than its predecessors with additional upgrades, more responsive controlls, and more which makes the game feel fresh, and while the game has a decent amount of content, a huge chunk is also locked as paid dlc, which is rather unfortunate. The game also suffers from a bit of stuttering and several second loading times between deaths which is a bit jarring and lowers our overall score of the game by a bit.

As for the audio-visual presentation the game looks amazing with gorgeous level backgrounds, excellent ship and enemy models as well as great looking UI's and menus. The soundtrack is also absolutely incredible and fits the mood of the game well as do the myriad of sound effects in the game!



Bottom-Line: With good gameplay, excellent controls, and a top-notch audio-visual presentation, R-Type Final 2 is an enjoyable romp through a new entry in a beloved series, however technical issues and long loading times hold this game back quite a bit. We still give R-Type Final 2 a solid level of recommendation despite its flaws!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PSN #Granzella #NISAmerica #SHMUP

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Space Fish In 3-D!

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Developed by TAITO, published by ININ Games, and public relations by PR Hound, G-Darius HD for the PS4 is a 3-D Polygonal arcade space shoot em' up in the long-running Darius series and the first one that was in 3-D. The original arcade release back in the 90's was amazing and while the PSOne port wasn't quite as good, it was still quite an enjoyable experience. Does this HD remaster live up to the previous iterations of the game? We think so, and we'll tell you why, so continue reading our review to find out!



The gameplay in G-Darius HD, is jam-packed with a robust power-up system, dozens of types of enemies, branching level paths, and epic bosses and mid-bosses that are sure to provide a challenge to all players. The games' zones vary widely and add a ton of replayabilty to an already content rich game, which is always a good thing. The game also features alien ship capturing allowing players to capture enemies or even mid-bosses and add them as an ally!

The difficulty can be challenging, but is fair and as for the controls, they work exceptionally well. The game also features loads of cabinet settings, screen settings, and an assortment of widgets that can display various information regarding the game on-screen which is a nice touch!



The audiovisual presentation is fantastic with detailed environments, gorgeous 3-D enemies, and crazy special effects that are actually quite impressive for a game released back in the late-90's. The soundtrack is also extremely enjoyable and fits the game like a glove! The sound effects and other audio is just as pleasing to the ears as well!



Bottom-Line: With excellent gameplay with tons of replayabilty, great controls, and a top-notch audiovisual presentation, G-Darius HD for the PS4 is a superb remaster of one of the first 3-D scrolling shmups released in the arcades and the amount of customization adds to the replayabilty of the game! Overall we give G-Darius HD for PS4 a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #TAITO #M2 #PRHound #ININ #SHMUP #Arcade #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop

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Bursting The Waves of Adventure!

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Developed by TAITO, published by TAITO and M2, with PR by PR Hound, Darius Burst: Another Chronicle EX+ is a console port of the arcade title Darius Burst: Another Chronicle, and while it might not have as much content as Chronicle Saviors, it's every bit as enjoyable! Continue reading our review to find out why!



The gameplay in Darius Burst: Another Chronicle EX+ is split into several different modes, these include Original which is a traditional arcade experience through three branching zones. While fun, this mode is extremely short and has a limited number of zones, which means very low replay value can be found in this mode. Then EX mode which is basically a more challenging remix of Original Mode and is quite enjoyable if not a tad too similar to Original Mode.

Another mode is Chronicle Mode which has many missions and custom zones with specific goals that must be met. This mode is quite beefy and adds many hours of gameplay to the game. We highly recommend playing through Chronicle Mode for the best experience. Finally there's event mode which features all of the limited time Chronicle Mode events from the arcade release of the game which is exceptionally fun to play and quite difficult to boot. The only downside is that there are only around 20 missions in this mode so don't expect much replayability here.



The gameplay will be familiar for those who are longtime fans of the Darius series, with challenging waves of enemies, tough as nails bosses, and tight controls that are very responsive which is always important in Shoot 'em up titles! As for the audiovisual presentation, the game looks fantastic despite its age with impressive special effects, detailed enemies and backgrounds, and a rocking soundtrack that fits the hectic mood of the game!



Bottom-Line: With many fantastic and fun game modes, excellent gameplay, and a superb audiovisual presentation that has aged extremely well, Darius Burst: Another Chronicle EX+ for the PS4 is one whale of a shmup that no fan of the genre should let get away! We give the game a perfect level f recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #TAITO #M2 #PRHound #Darius #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop #Shmup

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The Final Wave!

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Developed by SideQuest Studios and published by EastAsiaSoft, Soldner-X 2 Final Prototype: Definitive Edition for the PS4 is the best edition of the game originally released way back in 2010 on PS3 and Vita. The game comes with all three DLC packs, as well as a full trophy list including a platinum trophy which the original lacked, an art gallery, and bonus stages that can be unlocked by collecting five hidden keys in the game's various stages! If this sounds good so far, continue reading our review, because this is just a tip in the iceberg in-terms of this game's awesomeness:



You are one of the best pilots left in an apocalyptic world and are the last line of defense between the enemy and human extinction as is common in the genre. Cliches aside, the gameplay in Soldner-X 2 Final Prototype Definitive Edition is super refined and feels like a cross between a bullet hell shmup and something more traditional such as Gradius. The enemies are varied and oftentimes drop power-up's that will help players out immensely while the combo system will allow you to score massive points. The bosses are where the real challenges lie, however as they will shower players with complex bullet patterns, lasers, and even hordes of enemies which will truly test players' mettle in the game!



The difficulty is very challenging, though more fair than most bullet hell games, with fairly small bullet hit boxes, and fair enemy movements. The controls are also very tight and responsive so expect to not get frustrated with the controls all that often which is always great for games in the genre! The audiovisual presentation is good. It won't wow with its dated modern graphics, but looks nice and the soundtrack on the other hand sound absolutely fantastic and fits the game to a tee!



Bottom-Line: With great challenging gameplay, excellent music, good graphics, and tight as well as intuitive controls, Soldner-X 2 Final Prototype: Definitive Edition for the PS4 is an amazing game that is well worth the cost of admission and we highly recommend the game to all fans of shmups and arcade games of the 90's and early 2000's. We give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #EastAsiaSoft #SideQuestStudios #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #SHMUP #Arcade

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Cottonly Smooth Shmup Experience!

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Developed by Success, published by ININ Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Cotton Reboot is an absolutely adorable shoot 'em up game from a series previously not available in the Western Hemisphere, but is this game worth checking out? We think so and here's why:

Cotton Reboot is as its name suggests a reboot of the popular Japanese "Witch 'Em Up" series Cotton, which is a bullet hell shooter series known for its cute graphics and challenging gameplay and this reboot delivers both in spades with silky smoth gameplay regardless of how much chaos is on-screen at any given time, a wide array of power ups and challenging enemies and bosses with sophisticated bullet patterns.



Cotton Reboot is quite challenging and will really test your skills, however the intuitive controls will make it possible even for novice bullet hell fans to eventually beat the game. The audiovisual presentation is breathtaking with gorgeous level backgrounds, detailed characters and enemies, and great anime cutscenes between the levels! The soundtrack is also catchy and fits the game's setting perfectly!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay, challenging yet fair difficulty, intuitive controls, and an amazing audiovisual presentation, Cotton Reboot is one retro-style shoot 'em up series that can stand up to modern games in genre in-terms of features, while staying faithful to the charm and tried and true design of the golden age era games of the genre. It isn't the best shoot 'em up out there, but its charm and utter lack of any flaws whatsoever make it a great game to add to your PS4 library of games!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #Success #ININGames #PRHound #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop #Shmup #Reboot #Cotton

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Invaders From The Depths of Space!

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PR Hound has struck once again with another surprise announcement and it's another big one! TAITO has teamed up with Strictly Limited Games once again to bring the Switch title, Space Invaders Invincible Space to the west in physical form. There will be three limited editions available exclusively from Strictly Limited Games' website here. Sadly there is no digital version planned at present, but we'll let you know if that changes!

Here's the info regarding the collection from PR Hound's press release:

"Space Invaders is a founding block of video game history that filled the arcades. It is said that the game made 100 Yen coins scarce and defined the visuals and mechanics in the first decade of video games."

"Until this day, Space Invaders remains highly successful in the gaming industry as well as it is highly prominent in pop culture."

"Now the most complete collection on cart ever, the Space Invaders Invincible Collection, is heading to the West. It combines all titles from the Japanese standard and special releases on one cartridge, including Space Invaders DX (1994), Space Cyclone (1980) and Lunar Rescue (1979) - the limited Western collection even has the console port of the game Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders on cartridge, a unique title which was only available as a download code in the Japanese version. The experts from Gotch Technology have ensured a perfect and accurate realisation on consoles."



"The following games are part of the Space Invader Invincible Collection:

● Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – b/w

● Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – colour

● Space Invaders Part II (1979, Arcade)

● Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV (1990, Arcade)

● Super Space Invaders ’91 (1990, Arcade)

● Space Invaders Extreme (2018)

● Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE (2018)

● Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders (2017)

● Space Invaders DX (1994, Arcade)

● Space Cyclone (1980, Arcade)

● Lunar Rescue (1979, Arcade)"


"Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders (2017) is, for the first time ever, available on console. The game is a crossover of Arkanoid and Space Invaders and features gameplay elements from both games."

"To celebrate 40 years of Space Invaders, Square Enix and TAITO held an art installation and limited time event in Japan called “PLAY! Space Invaders”. For the event, TAITO, with Square Enix, created a huge version of the game “Space Invaders Gigamax” with a 7 meter  high by 15 meter wide screen. Now the game “Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE” will be available as part of the Invincible Collection."

"Space Invaders Invincible Collection Limited Edition



The Limited Edition for Nintendo Switch will contain all 11 games and will be available for 59,99€.


Space Invaders Invincible Collection Collector’s Edition

The limited Collector’s Edition for Nintendo Switch features:


● Soundtrack

● Arcade Book

● Sticker Sheet

● 4 Instruction Cards

● 6 Flyers

● Pin

● 4 Acrylic Art Cards

● Arcade PCB Box

● Collector’s box with magnetic latch"

"The Collector’s Edition will be available for €99.99.

Space Invaders Invincible Collection Ultra Edition



The limited Ultra Edition for Nintendo Switch features everything of the Collector’s Edition plus the ultimate Space Invaders Board Game and more special items. The Ultra Edition will be available for €149.99."



What do you think of this collection? Will you be getting it or would you rather waif to see if a digital release is announced at some point in the future? Be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

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#News #PRHound #StrictlyLimitedGames #TAITO #Collection #Shmup #Arcade #SpaceInvaders

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A Whopper of A Collection!

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Developed by M2, published by ININ, and localized by ININ, Darius Cozmic Collection Console is a collection of console versions of several of the flagship shoot 'em up's from the famous TAITO series Darius. Does the game hold up as a true masterpiece like the Arcade Collection of Darius that we recently reviewed? No, but it's still a good collection nonetheless and here's why:



This collection features several versions of a few different Darius console titles which have all of the great shmup action you'd expect from the series, only a bit shorter and more simplified than the arcade counterparts. You still must fight hordes of ships modelled after marine life, avoid hazards, collect power-up's for your ship, etc. As per usual the console titles in the series feature branching level progression with dozens of level possibilities, although the courses are a bit shorter and there are fewer of them when compared to the arcade versions. There are a couple of games that are console exclusive that make this collection worthwhile, but the lack of options compared to the arcade collection and the missing UI elements do make this collection the less exciting of the two, which is a shame because it could have been so much better.

The difficulty is ironically harder than the arcade collection due to the lack of being able to add infinite continues in the games, despite the games themselves actually being easier. The controls are quite easy to learn, but hard to master with a bit of a frame delay. It's nothing substantial or even bad, but it takes a bit of getting used to. Overall the gameplay and controls are solid in this collection!



The visuals in this collection won't wow anyone, but are quite good with great backgrounds, detailed character and enemy models, and great special effects for games of their time! The soundtrack is absolutely incredible and will have you humming for hours afterwards. The music not only fits the games well, but is extremely memorable! Overall the audio-visual presentation of this collection is great!



Bottom-Line: With solid gameplay and controls, and good graphics Darius Cozmic Collection Console will draw fans of the genre in and the amazing and memorable soundtrack will keep them hooked and coming back for more! We give Darius Cozmic Collection Console for the PS4 a good to great level of recommendation to all arcade aficionados and fans of shmups in general!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #M2 #PRHound #ININ #TAITO #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #Shmup #Arcade #Console

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In Console And Arcade Varieties!

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PR Hound has made yet another announcement and it's a good one as ININ Games and PR Hound are releasing two amazing shmup collections next week on PS4 and Switch in conjunction with TAITO Games! The two collections are Darius Cozmic Collection Console and Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade! Here's what PR Hound said in their press release:



“WARNING!”

"A Huge Collection of Classic Shoot-em-up Games is Approaching Fast!


The localised, digital, versions of one of the highest revered Shoot ‘Em Up game series in the history of video gaming are heading to the Nintendo eShop and PSN. The Darius Cozmic Collection Console and the Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade will be available on 16th June 2020.


Make it Simple, Make it Tough!


The Darius series pioneered horizontal Shoot 'Em Up games and was developed by the legendary TAITO Corporation. The first Darius game wowed arcade going fans when it was

released in 1986 with its dedicated dual-display cabinet, imaginative enemy designs and revolutionary sound design.


RoboFish!


The first Darius is set in a futuristic 2D world, where the player pilots a Silver Hawk craft alone, or with a second player, and shoots their way through enemy hordes, navigating tricky terrain and battling giant robotic sea creatures. Armed with missiles, bombs and a forcefield, which can be powered up along the way, the players must defeat the alien invaders through a series of branching ‘zones’ to be victorious.


Numerous sequels and ports followed over the years, setting new standards for Shoot 'Em Up excellence each time, from the outstanding soundtracks, to the unforgettable, aquatic-lifeform-themed boss design and the innovative branching paths at the end of each section


The Darius Cozmic Collection represents the classic 2D history of this iconic Shoot 'Em Up series. All games have been faithfully ported to modern consoles by M2 in Japan, so gamers can rest assured that these are absolutely high-quality ports with perfect performance - as one would expect from the retro game experts at M2."

The two collections and the pricing for each can be found below:



Console


Darius Cozmic Collection Console - Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4

This download collection includes 6 titles (9 versions) from the Darius home console series:

Darius II (Mega Drive, JP version)

SAGAIA (Genesis, US version)

SAGAIA (Master System, EU version)

Darius Twin (Super Famicom, JP version)

Darius Twin (Super NES, US version)

Darius Force (Super Famicom, JP version)

Super Nova (Super NES, US version)

Darius Alpha (PC Engine, JP version)

Darius Plus (PC Engine, JP version)


Price: 54.99€ / 44.99 GBP / 59.99 USD



Arcade


Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade - Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4

This download collection includes 4 titles (7 versions) from the Darius arcade series:

Darius (Arcade, original version)

Darius (Arcade, new version)

Darius (Arcade, extra version)

Darius II (Arcade, Dual Screen version)

SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.1)

SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.2)

Darius Gaiden (Arcade)


Price: 39.99€ / 34,99 GBP/ 44,99 USD



2D or Not 2D - Don’t Miss Out!



What do you think of these two collections of classic games? Will yo be downloading either of these two collections? Be sure to vote in our poll and leave us your comments below!

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#News #ININ #PRHound #TAITO #PS4 #Switch #PSN #eShop #Shmup #Collection #Arcade #Poll

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Classic Arcade Goodness Making A Splash On PS4 and Switch!

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Developed by Digital Eclipse and published by NIS America, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a compilation of excellent retro arcade games from SNK's rich catalogue of software and there's a large variety of genres to be had so there's something for everyone in this collection of games. Is it worth its price though? We think so and here's why:



This collection of games is pretty impressive with fantastic emulation and amazing bonus content. You can choose the region of most games and some games you can even choose between a home console version and the original arcade version which is a nice touch. The games span several different genres so there is something for gamers of different tastes, however scrolling shmup's do dominate the lineup somewhat.

The games run as they should with little to no issues. The games also have a sharp image mode and even a full-screen mode and stretch mode if you want the original aspect ratio or don't like borders or arcade cabinet images on your TV screen while playing respectively. The gameplay options are somewhat limited, but are serviceable.



A cool feature of this compilation is that you can activate "watch mode" at the start to watch how the courses should be played and can jump in at any time which can help if you get stuck on a particular part of one of the games or to help you boost your scores by knowing how to do certain things in a particular way.

Back to the bonus content there's a plethora of cool info regarding  the included games in Museum Mode and tons of other juicy tidbits of awesomeness that you likely wouldn't expect to be included which is great for any arcade aficionado's!



The controls are pretty responsive and work as they are intended to which is nice as well. The audio-visual presentation is what it is and is more or less perfectly rendered from the source material. Sure there's a very rare visual or audio blip every now and then, but you'll likely not even notice these while playing and some of the games hold up quite well visually given their age. The soundtracks of many of the games range from good to great, but a few of the older titles do have rather limited chiptunes and can be somewhat grating, but overall it's a non-issue.



Bottom-Line: With a great selection of arcade game classics with tons of bonus content in the museum, excellent controls, and  near-perfect emulation including the audio-visual side of things, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection for the PS4 is a good title that is well worth purchasing if you're a fan of arcade gameplay and grew up with older games. On the downside these games are bite-sized compared to modern games and are mostly good for short-bursts of challenging fun. Overall we give the game a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #NISAmerica #DigitalEclipse #Arcade #Compilation #Platformer #Action #Shmup #RPG #PS4 #PSN #Retail #Switch #eShop

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Wii U Release Making A HUGE Splash!

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Today, aPriori Digital has announced that their frantic multiplayer shmup, Aperion Cyberstorm will be hitting the Switch AND Wii U eShops on February 8th in North America and Europe! The game was announced three years ago for the Wii U and the developer has thankfully kept their promise of releasing the game on Nintendo's ill-fated console alongside the release of the Switch version of the game!

What do you think of the news regarding the Wii U version of Aperion Cyberstorm? As always be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

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#AperionCyberstorm #WiiU #Switch #eShop #Shmup #ReleaseDate

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Shooting Point And Clicker!

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Indie developer Imagos Softworks has confirmed that their intriguing point and click and side-scrolling shooter mash-up Starr Mazer will be hitting the Wii U and 3DS eShops in 2017, sometime after its initial launch on the PC platform early next year!

What do you think of this announcement? As always be sure to leave us your thoughts in our comment section below!

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#WiiU #eShop #Shmup #PointAndClick #ImagosSoftworks

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A Hauntingly Difficult And Fantastic Shmup For U!

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Developed and published by Squarehead Studios Star Ghost is an extremely challenging yet enjoyable procedurally generated shoot 'em up title released exclusively on the Wii U! Does the game live up to its Studios' Rare pedigree? Continue reading our review to find out!

The gameplay is fairly simple with the A button being used to move the ship up "release it to drop altitude" and the left analog stick is used to shoot and aim your shots. The controls definitely take some getting used to, but it shouldn't take too long to learn them. Still it would be nice if the controls were a little less awkward. Star Ghost is divided into several sectors with multiple procedurally generated stages. The stages and enemy patterns are well balanced so the game never feels cheap or unfair.



There are several types of enemies and obstacles that are introduced as you progress through the sectors and from the second sector on you'll face-off against boss battles! The boss battles play-out like a game of cat-and-mouse, but after awhile the roles are reversed and you'll take the offensive to defeat the worn-down bosses. This is a refreshing new take on boss battles that we thoroughly enjoyed in the game!

You can also earn blue orbs to spend on power-ups, health, and even a continue if you earn enough orbs. Purchasing continues is very important early on in the game when orbs are easier to come across and you're less likely to die. You only get one life per continue and start off with absolutely no continues and everything past the second sector is quite challenging so expect to replay the game many times before reaching the end!



Star Ghost also features flawless Off-TV-Play which is an excellent feature to say the least. In-terms of the audio-visual presentation the game is superb! Visually the stage backgrounds are vibrant and detailed with excellent lighting effects. The ship looks decidedly retro and so do the aquatic and insectoid enemies! The look of the stages will instantly remind gamers from the 80's and 90's of titles such as Gradius and Salamander!

The music is by far the game's strongest point, as the entire sound-track has been composed by the video gaming legend David Wise himself! With music this good you'll feel like you've been sent to the past and it's a wonderful feeling! The rest of the audio in Star Ghost sounds like something you would have heard in a 90's arcade room! You just won't find many modern games with such an authentic turn of the millennium sound-track and sound effects which is something we feel must be stressed as the developer deserves praise for this accomplishment!



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay that is extremely challenging, but never feels cheap, fantastic visuals, Off-TV-Play, and one of the best sound-tracks we've heard from an eShop title Star Ghost is near perfection, however the rather awkward controls do take some getting used to so we felt that was an issue. Regardless Star Ghost is a wonderful title and because of that we give the game a great level of recommendation!

Price: £7.99/€8.99/$8.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #Shmup #Shooter #WiiU #eShop #Nindie #SquareheadStudios

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Ghostly Shooter!

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Squarehead Studios' Star Ghost, a promising looking Gradius-style shoot 'em up title will be hitting the Wii U eShop on March 10th! You can view some official footage of the game below:



What do you think of the game so far? As always be sure to leave us your thoughts in our comment section below!

Source: Nintendo Everything.

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#WiiU #eShop #SquareheadStudios #Nindie #Shmup

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Twin Stick Mayhem!

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Gray Fin Studios has announced that they will be submitting their upcoming twin-stick shooter Dual Core to Nintendo very soon so we should expect a release in either February or March of this year!

Here's what Gray Fin Studios had to say about their upcoming title in detail:

Gray Fin Studios wrote:Dual Core is a vibrant, futuristic, “twin-stick” style, shooter, with a strong focus on local co-op multiplayer (up to 4 players). Lots of robots, lots of lasers, lots of aliens, lots of explosions!

The numerous retro arcade influences are front and center, but spiced up with a colorful modern style, a generous helping of sci-fi intrigue, and a dash of RPG ELEMENTS! This isn’t an arena shooter (though there is an arena-style arcade mode); there’s a full story mode with a ton of handcrafted levels to explore, and battle through.

Dual Core has been in development for several years now, and originally was conceived as a mobile/tablet game – however, somewhere along the line, I realized that very few of my favorite games were actually on mobile devices, *most* of them were in fact, on the Wii U, and usually because of the local multiplayer.

So I decided to trust my instincts and that became the focus – our goal is to get players having a blast, working together, laughing, and (occasionally) yelling at the each other! One of my fondest gaming memories was playing co-op Gauntlet as a kid, and that’s still a strong influence today.

But it’s not just multiplayer – even in single player, you don’t play alone; your robot buddy “Corby” sticks with you, and battles by your side through the whole game. So in a way, it’s co-op multiplayer, even when it’s not.

You can watch the official trailer for Dual Core below:



What do you think about this upcoming title for the Wii U eShop? Be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

Source: Nintendo Everything.

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#WiiU #eShop #DualCore #GrayFinStudios #Nindie #Shmup

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If you feel that muscle bound macho men in video games are getting a little old and overdone rejoice, Shutshimi totally isn’t that.

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Developed by Neon Deity Games and Published by Choice Provisions Shutshimi has players taking on the role of ……..….Muscle Bound Fish???

Yes that’s right Muscle bound fish, Muscle Bound Fish with memory problems, as they protect the seven seas with their “trusty Bullet Morphing Shotguns”. Shutshimi is classic Shoot em up that has players battling waves of enemies, collecting power–ups and battling awesome bosses.

Shutshimi isn’t just another Shump title though as its Ten Second Combat and Upgrade cycles add an extra layer of difficulty and gameplay that sets it apart from similar titles.



The WiiU version of the game will feature Co-op and Off-Tv Play via the Gamepad. Though the game has been released on the PSN Network and Steam for a bit it’s just today that it has been confirmed for WiiU via the games Twitter page. Look for this title to hit the E-shop on February 4th 2016.

Shutsumi Official Site



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#WiiU #eShop #Shmup #ChoiceProvisions #Nindie

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