Angel at Dusk is wonderful, weird, and built on a foundation of deep understanding of the genre, and an intelligence and self-awareness that elevates its potential to delight. Not all will take to its theme, but it presents a deeply authentic hardcore bullet hell experience, a dazzling wit, and a suite of game systems that are a joy to explore. And the fact it welcomes a wide range of players to an authentic shmup? It's one of the year's most enticing genre contributions.
KeelWork's strikingly opulent shooter dares to do new things with its genre in an effort to unite players of every level. This is what a blockbuster shooter should look like.
The most refined, purebred 2D shooter there is returns, perfectly preserved and bolstered by a range of alternate versions old and new, and a bounty of customization options.
A touch too much repetition doesn't spoil this ambitious and elegant combo of run 'n' gun, tower defence, and roguelike.
30 years after the arcade original debatably debuted the bullet hell concept, Toaplan's best shooter is back in an imperfect port of a port.
It might not be perfect, but if you have any affection for mecha and anime culture, classic action gaming, or shooters and run 'n' guns, Assault Suits Valken Declassified is very much worth strapping yourself into. The odd quirk aside, it's a very well-thought-through creation, defined by tight controls and movement, tidy level design, and a bounty of ideas. And then there's all those lovely archive materials. Tread carefully, though. This mecha is a beast.
A quartet of classic arcade shooters from a genre powerhouse get a decent modernisation, capturing the moment the genre strutted towards bullet hell.
A bullet hell barrage that wants you to be a better player, Gunvein brings a confident blend of thoughtful elegance and unyielding intensity.
Imperfect, unkind, and rough round the edges, Session captures more of real skateboarding than almost any game that has come before.
A brilliant return to the series at its best that modernises the point-and-click form.
Platinum's modernisation of the classic shoot 'em up form has delivered something thrilling, distinct ‒ and in need of a bit of a polish
While staying true to the series that it extends, Cotton Rock 'n' Roll / Fantasy brings so many different experiences in a single shmup that it may as well be a compilation release - and unlike the arcade versions, it is all presented in English language. The more time you give it, the more the replay value snowballs. The faults to be found are few and far between, while sharp level design and a joyful, even mischievous personality define Success' latest. Simply put, Cotton Fantasy has a lot of fun to give.
Thanks to the skill of the M2 team, two very important shmups have enjoyed a range of thorough and brilliantly authentic ports - as have two Toaplan oddities. But compared to many of the previous ShotTriggers releases, Toaplan Arcade Garage appears just a shade less ambitious. Still, if you enjoy purebred '80s 2D shooters, obsess over the shmup form, or have a soft spot for arcade preservation, it absolutely deserves to take up a little of your shelf space.
Yes, Raiden IV is not a typical shmup by contemporary standards, and won't be for everyone. Equally, all of these modes have been available in some form elsewhere. But as a single package, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix offers the Switch one of its best shooting game releases yet – and that is saying something on a console that has emerged as an unexpected star vehicle for the genre.
R-Type Final 2 makes an authentic if flawed contribution to an iconic shooting game series. Many of the problems seem technical, so hopefully an update could do plenty - especially if it lets you lock that camera pitch. All we can hope for, then, is that we are still in the beginning of R-Type's final phase, and that what Final 2 gets right is allowed to rise to the top.
Overall, Capcom Arcade Stadium is a very good package filled with brilliant games, each updated with modern functionality. It doesn't rival the quality of original hardware or the likes of M2's sublime individual ports of arcade masterworks as seen with the release of Esp.Ra.De Psi, but at £30 for 32 games, it is well worth the price, warts and all.
It's a satisfying experience as you glide gracefully over the ocean, but too often the dogfighting and bombing runs play out as erratic scrambles
The legendary skateboarding sim is back in a brilliant rerelease that offers a portal to the past
Phoenix Point may not meet the legacy of its celebrated forebear X-Com, but then few games ever will. Elegant, atmospheric, and energetic, Gollop's latest remains remarkably hard to put down.
There's plenty to do in this exciting and empowering simulation game, where automation is the key to your shining future