We’ve been raving about the Toaplan collections here on the site, and now, two years after their PC release, the Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are heading to consoles. The digital releases are coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a physical edition also landing on PS5. The bundles will launch on 14 August 2025.
As noted in our reviews of Toaplan Arcade Shoot ’em Up Collection Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, Toaplan played a foundational role in shaping the shoot ’em up genre’s resurgence in the late ’90s by bringing forth studios like Cave, Eighting and Takumi (all formed by former Toaplan staff) which carried its torch forward when Toaplan ceased to exist in 1994. But even on its own, Toaplan’s legacy is defined by some of the finest shooters ever made.
Rearranged volumes
Bitwave Studios did a tremendous job with the emulation engine used to bring these games to PC in 2023. For the upcoming console versions, the structure is getting a shake-up: instead of four volumes, the games will be redistributed into two expanded collections with eight titles each.
| Volume | Game title | Release year |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | Flying Shark | 1987 |
| Vol. 1 | Fire Shark | 1987 |
| Vol. 1 | Tiger Heli | 1986 |
| Vol. 1 | Twin Cobra | 1987 |
| Vol. 1 | Out Zone | 1990 |
| Vol. 1 | FixEight | 1992 |
| Vol. 1 | Batsugun | 1993 |
| Vol. 1 | Dogyuun | 1992 |
| Vol. 2 | Zero Wing | 1989 |
| Vol. 2 | Hellfire | 1987 |
| Vol. 2 | Slap Fight | 1989 |
| Vol. 2 | Grind Stormer | 1993 |
| Vol. 2 | Truxton | 1988 |
| Vol. 2 | Truxton 2 | 1992 |
| Vol. 2 | Vimana | 1991 |
| Vol. 2 | Twin Hawk | 1989 |
Hopefully, the outstanding features of the PC versions will make the jump to their console counterparts as well. The leaderboards, filter options and assists were all part of the Bitwave emulation engine, which we previously called the best in the business. With Tatsujin overseeing the transition to consoles, similar features have been promised, though it’s still unclear if they will match the PC versions exactly, which in this case is very relevant indeed.
Features
- PS5/4 and Xbox One and Series|X feature Achievements and Trophies
- Online Leaderboards are on offer, so you can test your metal against the best in the SHMUP community
- Stat tracking allows title-specific tracking of stats from your game sessions
- Dip switches – to recreate customisable arcade settings, such as region, lives, difficulty and autofire
- Assist features – even more aid features such as smaller hitboxes and increased player durability to let you take additional hits before dying and slowdown/speed-up – a must for anyone who finds old-school SHMUPs a bit too challenging
- Customisable audio settings and screen settings to capture the feeling of the good old days
- Rewind function – so you can go back and correct that little mistake that ruined your run
- Quick Save/Load – allowing you to create up to 6 save slots per title
For players wishing for a physical copy of the game, there are a number of first-print bonuses up for grabs:
- Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 – includes an exclusive sleeve made to house both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
- Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 2 – includes an “Instruction Card Gallery Book” containing arcade-style instruction cards for each game, including those in Vol. 1.
For more information on Toaplan Arcade Shoot ’em up Collection Vol 1 & 2, please visit the Clear River Games website.
