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 ...
Read More »Irem Collection Vol. 1 review
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. ...
Read More »Astrosmash review
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 ...
Read More »Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX (PC) review
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 ...
Read More »IndieGo #31: Slap Fight and Flying Shark
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 ...
Read More »Ray’z Arcade Chronology review
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 ...
Read More »Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX review
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 ...
Read More »Caverns of Mars: Recharged review
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 ...
Read More »Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.1 review
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 ...
Read More »Raiden IV x MIKADO remix review
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 ...
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