Gokujou Parodius

 
 During my childhood, I got my share of exposure of Shmup games and of all many Shmup games, Parodius is one of the most influential to me. Parodius series is the most responsible to shape my matter personal taste for Shmup games which are either Full Mecha Scifi or colorful fantasy. My personal favorite game for Parodius series also happen to be my gateway which is Gokujou Parodius which was released in Arcade back in 1994.

Parodius is a spin off version of Konami Horizontal shooter games essentially Parody version of the game. Parodius features assorted comical character as playable shooters ranging from classic Gradius Vic Viper to human doodle on paper plane or even an Angelic pig. In this game I used Twinbee and Penguin character as my mainstay adventuring through very colorful stages which really will lighten up anyone's childhood and fought bosses like Panda Ballerina or Mermaid princess with ship hat. Other later Parodius series are awesome as well but I always find my way back to Gokujou due to its strong attachment with my childhood.

Personally I think best means to access Gokujou Parodius apart from the MAME emulator is through PSP port of the Parodius Portable which feature one stop for complete Parodius experience and the high value of the second copy of the PSP UMD really reflect the merit of this compiled series. Apparently Gokujou Parodius also received SNES port back then which I might give a visit in near future.

Gradius Origin

  Seems like Konami has someone really competent at handling their Game portfolio as we are kept getting remastered collections of Konami’s game library in their golden age. Not as mainstream as Suikoden or Castlevania, but we are getting a Gradius series collection dubbed Gradius Origins within this year!

Scheduled for August 2025 release, Gradius Origins will feature 7 of Konami’s Shmup Title. Unlike the PSP Gradius Collection this collection is not 100% series so we will get combinations of Horizontal and Vertical Shmup title. Gradius Origins will feature Gradius 1-3. Salamander 1-3 and Life Force with several versions available for each title. For some reason, Konami decide to omit Gradius IV from this collection which makes it less perfect successor of its PSP counterpart. While I am not exactly a big fan of Gradius, I do use Vic Viper as my mainstay unit back in Parodius series which is another Konami’s established Shmup series. This remaster announcement will make me hopeful that Parodius collection will be possible in the near future and I will keep a close tab on it.

Wolf Fang: Kuuga 2021 1/35 Soryu

 When I still frequently played my JP version of PS Vita, there was this particular Horizontal Mecha Shmup game that I played called Wolf Fang and certainly it was a rather unique experience. This game is quite cut above for something published by DataEast which don't exactly have good reputation when it comes to Consistency. Fast Forward to 2024, out of the blue Plum decided to release a model kit from this series that has went past its heyday under 1/35 Scale. Scheduled for October 2024 release, 1/35 Soryu will be sold for 4500 Yen.

 Given Plum's track record in releasing Model Kit for non mainstream Mechas like Assault Suits and Powerdolls, It is somewhat expected that they will move on to Wolf Fang at some point though it is commendable for them to do such attempt in the current difficult economic situation. For a 4500 Yen Model Kit, you get a 13 cm Soryu Model Kit in its default getup along with the Pilot model kit. Considering the Price Tag, I really doubt this one got cockpit gimmick even if It could use one. What makes Wolf Fang rather special is its degree of customization for the Mecha loadout which consist of Components like Main & Melee weapons and Leg type. Wolf Fang even got the Pilebunker as one of possible loadout even though I still find laser blades to be more reliable option. If you like Mecha and never played Wolf Fang, I strongly recommend to give this game a try in PSX version which even got Voiceover! Perhaps in near future I might even make a dedicated article for this game.

Gradius 1/144 T-301 Vic Viper Polystone figure

 Konami had plenty of famous video games series back then which have been left to dust nowadays. The Horizontal Shmup Gradius is one of them and it is getting a surprise release product by Plum! Plum is one of those Japanese Hobby manufacturer company who had released some model kits for niche Mecha series like Assault Suit Valken or Power Doll but this time they are releasing Vic Viper as a finished luxury product! Scheduled for 2024 and comes in 1/144 Scale size, this version of Vic Viper will be sold for 25000 Yen.

Apparently Plum used the Gradius V version of Vic Viper which was from PS2 games and probably the last of its series. My exposure toward Gradius series is mostly from the PSP Gradius collection which was a solid compilation game though I mostly use this futuristic Spaceship fighter in the Parodius series. Probably this version of Vic Viper is one of the few that comes with Option weapons though it is rather strange choice for Plum to pick Polystone as the designated material as Vic Viper would look very great in diecast rendition. This product will probably cater only to Diehard Gradius or Shmup fans due to its price tag but Plum did release a model kit for some other versions of Vic Viper. The Polystone 1/144 Vic Viper do make me reminisce about Atelier Sai's Vic Viper model kits which were very good value for its time, should have acquired more back then.

R-Type Tactics I・II Cosmos

 Hailing from one of the classic Arcade shooters R-Type series, the Spinoff SRPG R-Type Tactics is making a comeback with HD makeover of its previous 2 Games dubbed R-Type Tactics Cosmos! Irem may be long dead but Publishers still do try make a good use of their IP and R-Type Tactics definitely deserve another chance to make appearance in Modern console.

 No set schedule so far other than 2024 release and NIS America could have done better job in promoting this game because the only trailer that R-Type Tactics Cosmos had is a 30 second shorts that doesn't showcase the gameplay at all. While I never managed to play R-Type Tactics 2 Operation Bitter Chocolate myself, I had great experience in playing R-Type Tactics which is futuristic Strategy game using Hexagonal Grid system that offers a great experience if you like mecha stuff. You will get to lead a fleet of motherships with Squadron of Arrowheads space fighters pitting against Bydo Empire aliens. I kinda regret not able to finish R-Type Tactics before my PSP broke down and definitely will look forward to play this game once securing a physical copy for Switch.

Stardust Galaxy Warriors: Stellar Climax

 Some mecha shmups game from my Switch Backlog that I recently finished my first Run and for its price, it is the bang for the buck. Aksys Games tend to be associated with 2D Fighting Games due to their portfolios but from time to times they do release some JRPGs as overseas publisher. However Mecha games is still an exception and Stardust Galaxy Warrior catches my attention by that factor alone.

 Developed by Finland Devs, Dreamloop Games. Stardust Galaxy Warriors is a Horizontal mecha shooter game that has customizable loadouts and parameters. Another selling point is that this game features couch coop mode up to 4-players which kinda emulate the PS3 Local co-op eras like Castle Crashers. In Stardust Galaxy Warriors, you have 5 playable mechs that can use same main weapons but each have different special abilities and the players are encouraged to find playstyle suitable for them whether it is classic range shooter or full frontal close combat. 

  For a Bullet Hell Game made by a western dev, from a Casual Shmups gamer perspective Stardust Galaxy Warriors is actually a well made one and can held its head high with its Japanese peer. Compared to Astebreed, Stardust Galaxy Warriors scratch my itch better since it strongly reminds me of Brave Blade Arcade shooter game and it would have been perfect if the game is not kinda rushed nearing the endgame part as the Final Boss do really get very cheap even in Normal Difficulties. Personally I feel Stardust Galaxy Warriors could have left a bigger lasting impact if the Dev could have designed more distinct Asymmetrical RPG aspects of each unit along with immersive elements. But for a Shmups games, Stardust Galaxy Warriors fulfill all of the mandatory requirements.

Vostok Inc

 Yet another game backlog cleared and more relief for me as my Switch pile of shame cleared up abit. Growing up in 90s, I am always a sucker for pixel art games and this is a reason why I picked Vostok Inc. Vostok Inc an Arcade Space Shooter game where you play as a Spacefaring entrepreneur,  exploring planets to planets to expand your business in Capitalistic fashion, taking any advantage that you can get to reach the top Sapce Corporate Chain.

Ray'z Arcade Chronology

 Nintendo Switch is a paradise for Bullet fans as it has plethora of Top Arcade era games like Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun hailing in this platform. Once part of Taito Arcade titles which was warmly received during its era, The futuristic shooter Ray series made it into Nintendo Switch bundled as Ray'z Arcade Chronology. The game is available on Eshop for 50 USD and also come with limited Physical Run including the limited edition for 140 USD+. This Ray'z Bundle include 3 Ray series titles of Rayforce, Raystorm & Raycrisis along with its derivatives. Out of the 3 Ray Series, based on my experience playing these games on Vita, Raystorm would be the best out of the titles having tons of Cool mechas as the bosses to fight such as the Zeta A1/S Gundam Hybrid which I will show at the end of the post. Personally I would love to see a more affordable Asia Region version of this game to join my part of collection since I am just a Casual Shmup fan who owned a digital copy previously. As someone who was raised in 90s Arcade scene, I would love to see more of Raizing Shmups and Parodius to make it onto switch next.

Astebreed

 Switch is a gold mine for mecha games since it receive plentiful ports from Steam which is one of the choice destination for Japanese Indie devs. One of those mecha game that i came across recently is called Astebreed which is a classic shooter game featuring mechas and it did particularly well in terms of presentation. In terms of gameplay and visual Astebreed kinda reminds me of those shooter game from Dreamcast era especially Psyvariar 2 and Brave Blade. I do like shooter game even though i suck at them because it is one of the bountiful source for cool mechanical designs whether they are planes or robots which Astebreed is one of the prime examples. One thing that distinguish Astebreed apart from the run of the mill shooter is that you get to play vertical, horizontal and rail shooter in one game.

 The story for Astebreed is nothing special since a six-stage arcade shooter doesn't have room for it but it still have some interesting concepts all over. The Heroines kinda remind me to characters from yet another shooter game called Triggerheart Exelica with the trope the game used. In terms of mechanical design,the main mecha from Astebreed is a solid one.  Kimaris Vidar's source design is based from Astebreed's first form where Astebreed's final form kinda resemble Rayfalx from Frame Arms. At its core Astebreed is an indie game, nonetheless it is clean cut high tier one which i enjoyed overall. I will look forward to an opportunity for switch port of Ether Vapor which is another shooter game made by the Astebreed dev which looks cool enough while at the same time waiting for ports of Raizing and Treasure shooter as well.

Otaking's R-Type Tribute

 I don't post people's fanmade videos in general but i think this one is an exception since it deserve much more views. Mr Otaking, a reputable tripfag on /m/ who made himself well known on Youtube for animating fanmade Star Wars TIE Fighters video. Recently made an R-TYPE tribute video. Like the previous TIE Fighter videos, the R-TYPE videos are just filled with plenty of awesomeness with way above average quality for a fanmade video. Seriously Mr Otaking worth to be respected for creating such awesome homage to the glory days of Mecha back in 80s.

 While i am terrible at Bullet Hell game, i always attracted to these genre because they tend to have delicious mecha design. R-type was one of the more well known shooting game back in the Arcade age in particular for its insane difficulty and rather grimdark setting. While i never played the actual shooting game, it was a horizontal shooting game similar to Gradius and popular enough to spawn plenty of Sequels. It is such a shame that the series developer; Irem gave up everything on its gaming library when it went bankrupt few years ago which basically stopped the re-distribution for their once popular games. I suppose one of these days i will finish my R-Type Tactics playthrough for the sake of respecting the series. Also if you want further informations about R-Type series, you can just look at HardcoreGaming101 Article.

Raystorm 1/144 R-Gray 1

I am never good at Shoot'em up or STG game but i do play some of the series due to the plane design and these genre were part of my childhood. One of the STG title that catches my eye is Ray series which are published by Taito back in 90s which i played Raycrisis the most. A few while ago Kotobukiya released a model kit for the plane model from Raystorm which is called R-Gray1 in the game which is the standard model of the plane used in every Ray series. What makes Ray series different with other shooters is that it have lockon system which you can destroy offscreen targets to make them stop shooting or coming to shoot you on the screen, The main fighter in the series use standard bullet and laser cannon to shoot offscreen opponent. I only just played Raystorm recently on my Vita through PS1 Classics which is a blast. As for the kit, it is quite expensive costing more than 5000 yen base price but if you experienced modeller, i think this kit is a good one to build. Personally i find the base color of the model is too bright and i think if i ever got one of this kit, i will make it in 2P colors. Speaking of STG game, 90s is the best time and i played Psikyo's title alot and Dreamcast got plenty of them as well. Though i wished PSN had more STG games other than the PS1 classics which i hope Ikaruga will show up someday.

1/100 Vic Viper Gradius 5 ver review

Another old review of my kit and it is pretty short one.

Brave Blade

Anyone playing this game?