shmup Archives - Tech-Gaming

Angel at Dusk review

Robert Allen — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 23:19:13 +0000

A STG pared down to its skin and bones. By nature, danmaku (or bullet hell shoot ‘em ups) are brazenly unforgiving. Routinely, they require pixel perfect precision, as you maneuver a ship through storms of hundreds of projectiles. Undoubtedly, doujin circle Akiragoya’s (Maidens of a Hollow Dream, Steel Vampire) latest effort is one of those ...

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Irem Collection Vol. 1 review

Robert Allen — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 02:43:38 +0000

Strictly Limited isn’t just one of the publishers- it also describes the amount of enjoyment found in this rushed compilation. For many, Irem (officially, Kabushikigaisha Airemu Software Engineering) is best known for the R-Type series. Following its 1987 arcade debut, R-Type spawned six sequels and five spin-offs, securing a much-deserved place in the shoot-‘em-up pantheon. ...

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Astrosmash review

Robert Allen — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:33:11 +0000

Smashing just isn’t as fun as it used to be. 1981’s Astrosmash is one of the irrefutable gems in the Intellivision library. Created by John Sohl, the game delivered an engaging combination of Space Invaders and Asteroids, as a lone ship moved across the bottom of the screen, targeting a storm of plummeting meteors. It ...

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Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX (PC) review

Robert Allen — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 17:36:57 +0000

This definitive edition strives to improve on an already renowned shooter, with several supplements aiming to make Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX a standout shoot ‘em up. But the lack of Steam Deck support and display options is about as frustrating as losing two ships on the first stage. 2005’s Raiden III symbolized the well-liked STG reemerging ...

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IndieGo #31: Slap Fight and Flying Shark

Robert Allen — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 20:22:32 +0000

IndieGo #31 looks at two oldies but still goodies from the STG maestros at Toaplan, now available on Steam. Any respectable overview of shooting game history wouldn’t be complete without a discussion of Toaplan. Once situated in the cedar-lined streets of Suginami, the prolific developer released sixteen STGs between 1985 and 1993. Over these eight ...

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Ray’z Arcade Chronology review

Robert Allen — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 22:43:47 +0000

A Ray of Hope Courtesy of Retro Aces M2 Every STG fan should be familiar with the three Rs: Raiden, R-Type, and Taito’s Ray series. Each franchise takes a distinct approach to the genre. Raiden’s vertically-scrolling stages fling highspeed projectiles but provide players with a trio of powerful weapons. R-Type’s horizontal stages scroll slowly and ...

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Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX review

Robert Allen — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 17:23:32 +0000

This definitive edition strives to improve on an already renowned shooter, with several supplements making Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX a standout shoot ‘em up on Switch. 2005’s Raiden III symbolized the well-liked STG reemerging like the mythical phoenix. Seven years earlier, the franchise’s original developer, Seibu Kaihatsu, had released Raiden Fighters Jet. While the ...

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Caverns of Mars: Recharged review

Robert Allen — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:46:30 +0000

Admirably, SneakyBox attempts to reinvigorate this early indie effort. But there’s just not enough substance in the source material to make Caverns of Mars feel truly fully Recharged. Launched in 1981, the Atari Program Exchange (or APX) laid down several foundations for indie game development. The initiative allowed consumers to submit their works to Atari. ...

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Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.1 review

Robert Allen — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:22:05 +0000

These are exceptional ports with all the in-game extras you could ask for. But sadly, there’s little context or presentation to connect these games. Any respectable overview of shooting game history wouldn’t be complete without a discussion of Toaplan. Once situated in the cedar-lined streets of Suginami, the prolific developer released sixteen STGs between 1985 ...

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Raiden IV x MIKADO remix review

Robert Allen — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:33:50 +0000

Seibu Kaihatsu/MOSS’ Raiden franchise has earned its place in the STG pantheon, thanks to meticulously polished play and that iconic plasma laser. This definitive edition stives to improve on an already distinguished shooter, with several supplements making Raiden IV x MIKADO remix a standout shoot ‘em up. Following disappointing cabinet sales with 1989’s Dynamite Duke, Seibu Kaihatsu’s developmental budget shrank. ...

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Wings of Bluestar review

Robert Allen — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 18:05:20 +0000

Wings of Bluestar’s might not live up to the classics that inspired it, but it’s an agreeable STG thanks to brawny and adaptable weaponry. Devoted shoot-em’-up fans will undoubtedly recognize Wings of Bluestar’s multitude of inspirations. Take flight across the game’s eight horizontally and occasionally vertically scrolling stages with Aya and you’ll soon gain a ...

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Graze Counter GM review

Robert Allen — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:49:54 +0000

Good morning, Glorious Massacre, or Graze Master? Decades of shoot-‘em-up games have imparted a crucial message to players: the enemy projectile should be avoided at all costs. But that enduring adage gets challenged in Graze Counter GM, Bikkuri Software’s remix of 2017’s Graze Counter. Once a PC exclusive, the follow-up also opens up the vertically-scrolling action ...

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Game Type DX review

Robert Allen — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:12:33 +0000

Once a light entrée of horizontally-scrolling shooting with a side of corporate criticism, Game Type DX resurrects the playful indie release and adds two additional game modes. Microsoft is notorious for tampering with its console user interfaces. Back in 2011, an overhaul brought a deluge of advertisements to the forefront, while their entire Xbox Live ...

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Orbital Bullet (Switch) review

Robert Allen — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 20:01:05 +0000

Orbital Bullet has you skimming through ring-based stages as you stomp and shoot enemies. Expect more longevity than your average shooter, with the game gifting a succession of weapons, perks, skills, and meta-game bonuses. A developer once joked, “isn’t everything better with roguelike qualities?” After playing, Orbital Bullet, that playful statement seems to contain quite a ...

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Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo review

Robert Allen — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:20:41 +0000

Mecha Ritz’s bullet hell holiday offers a wide assortment of different ships as well as difficulty that adjusts to your performance. But occasionally, it feels like flying coach. Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo makes an uninspired first impression. Cutscenes deliver amateurish illustrations that look like placeholder art. The text which accompanies these drawings is vague, named ...

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Moon Dancer review

Robert Allen — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 16:17:04 +0000

Moon Dancer imagines the simultaneous bullets and lock-on missiles of Taito’s Ray series and Raizing’s Terra Driver arriving on 16-bit hardware. Coupled with a Caravan mode, it’s an enjoyable STG that harks back to a time when the genre wasn’t so sadistic. Many contemporary shoot ‘em ups are unambiguously hardcore. Enemy firepower moves in confounding, ...

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Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Burst Forth!! Choro-gon ☆ Breath review

Robert Allen — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:33:24 +0000

As a subsidiary that assisted MOSS with the development of Raiden V: Director’s Cut and Caladrius Blaze, Kaminari Games makes their autonomous debut with the release of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Burst Forth!! Choro-gon ☆ Breath. It’s a solid, six-stage effort where any deficiencies in length are balanced by supplemental modes, collectibles, and numerous play ...

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Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES review

Robert Allen — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 17:39:27 +0000

With just four months left in the year, it’s safe to say that Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES will be one of the most creative shoot ‘em ups you’ll play in 2022. Armored Lab Force Vulvehicles influences are plentiful. The game’s dozen fighters evoke comparison to Master Blaster’s SOPHIA tanks. But whereas the Sunsoft title flaunted ...

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Yars: Recharged review

Shane Nakamura — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 23:14:27 +0000

Yars: Recharged is fun, affordable, and respectful to the original game, which is the trifecta for Atari remakes. Yars’ Revenge is often mentioned as one of the best games in the Atari 2600 library. But the 1982 title wasn’t always so positively regarded. Game critic Bill Kunkel called the game a “video sleeping pill”, while ...

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Yurukill: The Calumniation Games review

Robert Allen — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 02:37:35 +0000

One instant, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is poking fun at the spectacle of reality TV. The next moment it might subject you to a deadly interrogation or a 2D shooter that’s a visual representation of an accuser’s mind. It’s one of those wild fusions of genres and a wellspring of creativity that is tragically infrequent. ...

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