Author: Danny Neleman

This summer’s game announcement season seemed to pass over shmup fans — until the Future Games Show: Summer Showcase dropped a surprise update right in the middle of the presentation. Truxton Extreme is alive and well, developed by the core team at Tatsujin, led by none other than Truxton’s original creator and current Tatsujin CEO, Masahiro Yuge. The game was first revealed nearly two years ago, and while that trailer included gameplay, this latest appearance suggests a playable demo is coming during Steam Next Fest. Yuge-san has set clear goals for this revival of the much-loved franchise. Judging by the…

The Joe & Mac series, known in Japan as Tatakae Genshijin, was never a chart-topping franchise, but it holds a special place in the memories of many gamers who grew up in the 1990s. While the original arcade game and its sequels on the Amiga, SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis found success, Data East never carried the series into the next millennium. The franchise blends a slapstick prehistoric setting with side-scrolling platforming and light run-and-gun mechanics. With over-the-top action, vibrant visuals and local co-op play, the games appealed to a wide audience during the 16-bit era. Though often overshadowed by more…

he average gamer who tuned in to Sony’s State of Play presentation on Wednesday, 4 June, might have felt let down by the sheer lack of real heavy hitters. Gamers with a soft spot for retro titles and classic arcade genres, on the other hand, got enough news to bring a real sparkle to their eyes. Lumines Arise First up, Lumines is making another comeback. Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s PSP original launched 21 years ago, spawning one sequel and a variety of ports and spin-offs. It received a remaster in 2018. Now, this fall, Lumines Arise will inject new life into a…

If you were a home computer gamer in the 1980s, especially on the Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum, chances are you were familiar with Hewson Consultants. Founded by Andrew Hewson in 1982, the company became known for publishing standout titles brought forth by a then new generation of UK bedroom coders and can be considerd of one of the standout UK publishers of the 8-bit era. Hewson Consultants was responsible for some of the most acclaimed titles on the C64 and Spectrum. Games like Uridium, Paradroid, Nebulus and Quazatron cemented the label’s place in gaming history. The company eventually evolved…

With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the brink of shipping out to stores and pre-order buyers, the timing of new Nintendo Switch Online additions might seem a little odd. But we’re not complaining. We’re pleasantly surprised by how unpredictable the Nintendo Online release schedule has been since day one. This drop of Game Boy games again leans a bit the obscure side of the immense Game Boy catalog. So let’s take a look at what this update brings. Survival Kids One of the Game Boy’s most original hidden gems, Survival Kids strands you on a deserted island with nothing but…

Out of seemingly nowhere, Antstream and Xbox launched a limited and reskinned version of Antstream Arcade in Game Pass yesterday (20 May 2025). The reworked frontend for Antstream’s retro game streaming service is officially called Game Pass Retro Classics and is designed primarily to showcase the often overlooked retro libraries of Xbox Studios’ many subsidiaries. The first drop includes 60 games, most of which come from Activision’s foundational Atari 2600 lineup along with a solid batch of Imagic Atari 2600 titles. Surprisingly, the collection also features a number of Sierra Online point-and-click adventures and older PC games like the strategy…

We’ve been waiting almost two years for the first free DLC expansion to the wonderful pixel RPG Sea of Stars. But to jump into the Sea of Stars Throes of the Watchmaker DLC, you’ll need to follow a few steps. It’s not a simple in-game download, it’s a bit more involved than that.

Are you up for some pixel-heavy, side-scrolling anime shooter action? Nitro Express certainly ticks a lot of those boxes. Developer Grayfax Software — known for their RPG Orangeblood — has teamed up once again with longtime publishing partner PLAYISM to bring their second commercially published Pixel Game Maker MV title. According to Grayfax, Nitro Express draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, including the somewhat obscure Xbox Live Arcade title Shoot Many Robots, Elevator Action Returns, and Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors. One look at the trailer and you can clearly see those influences at work. So what…

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…

Rain Or Shine, It’s Parasol Time! Get ready for a double dose of platforming nostalgia and charm as two beloved titles come together in one vibrant package. Parasol Superstars unites the classic bubble-blasting adventure Parasol Stars with the retro-cosmic platformer Spica Adventure, a first for Western audiences. Parasol Superstars launches digitally on 16 September 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox. A physical edition will be available exclusively for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. Spica Adventure will also receive a standalone digital release on 30 September 2025. Bundle features The PS5 and Switch Special Edition physical releases…