Freelance game journalist. The Guardian, Nintendo Life, Edge, Eurogamer and more. Other stuff in the video game industry too (speaking, event curating, etc.). 2018 UK Yo-Yo Champion (mediocre ‘Trick Ladder’ division). Arcade and shmup obsessive. Cardboard box collector. Donk connoisseur.
M2's Masanori Yagi talks Assault Suits Valken Declassified
The Assault Suits mecha action games arguably deserve a little more attention than they enjoy here in the West. Back in the 1990s, their distinct blend of platforming and run ‘n’ gun design did indeed see ports from their native Japan to the rest of the world – sometimes in a heavily...
Review Assault Suits Valken Declassified (Switch) - A Great Treatment Of A Mecha Classic
Assaulting the senses
Within a few steps into the world of Assault Suits Valken Declassified, it is immediately apparent that something distinct is going on. That’s because the steps themselves feel different. Compared to traditional run ‘n’ guns such as Metal Slug, for example, the movement in the Assault Suits Valken remaster is...
Feature "I Think Studio Saizensen And I Will Make A Second Cotton Rock 'N' Roll”
Cotton Fantasy devs on building a new entry for the iconic cute-’em-up series
Over the decades Success Corporation has crafted a great many shmups that are distinct and captivating in equal measure. Games like the sublime Psyvariar, with its remarkable bullet grazing system and adaptive difficulty, or the curious, vibrant-yet-gritty...
Review Cotton Fantasy (Switch) - A Joyful, Mischievous, And Incredibly Varied Shmup
Any Witch Way
When it comes to the cute-’em-up sub-genre, the characterful witch Cotton and the series to which she lends her name are effectively royalty. There are other games that have been important in defining a niche where shmups’ staple fighter craft, tanks and laser turrets are replaced with kittens, candy canes and cuddly toys, of...
Review Toaplan Arcade Garage (Switch) - Two Historic Shmups Archived By Arcade Port Masters M2
Easy, tiger
In recent years fans of the 2D shooter form have had to adjust their expectation of what a port can be, largely thanks to the sublime M2 ShotTriggers series. Indeed, we’ve been rather spoiled by that particular run of games. A long-established convention across gaming’s history states that console ports never quite meet the quality...
Review Raiden IV x Mikado Remix (Switch) - Another Astoundingly Good Shmup For Switch
Mix it up
Back in the late eighties when 2D shooting games were a dominant form rather than a somewhat niche genre, a particular kind of shmup became very popular indeed. While the likes of Capcom’s 1942 certainly set the groundwork, the success of Toaplan’s separate 1987 arcade releases Twin Cobra and Flying Shark made hard-nosed, unembellished...
Review R-Type Final 2 (Switch) - Shmup Royalty Returns In An Authentic, If Flawed, Revival
The final curtain?
Almost two decades have passed since the last entry in the mainline R-Type series. That makes the arrival of R-Type Final 2 a genuinely exciting prospect — particularly for shooting game devotees. Firing up Granzella’s latest for the first time really does feel like a meaningful moment for the form. An icon has returned,...
Review Capcom Arcade Stadium (Switch) - A Rich Tour Through The Coin-Op History Of A True Legend
Keep your loose change
Even if you harbour a deep and sincere love for classic gaming, it can sometimes be tricky to muster a bounty of enthusiasm when a new retro gaming compilation lands. Over time we have perhaps become spoiled by an abundance of access to the mainstream of the video game form’s past. Iconic outfits such as Sega and Capcom have...
"I think about it like food. Mech combat is the main ingredient"
No, you're not suffering from déjà vu; this article originally appeared on the site in August this year, and we're republishing it as part of our 'Best of 2018' series which celebrates what we feel were our finest features of the past twelve months. Enjoy! Kenichiro Tsukuda knows...
Review Rival Megagun - A Unique Competitive Shmup That Is Perfectly At Home On Switch
Head-to-head bullet hell
The shmup genre has long struggled to elegantly accommodate multiplayer gaming. At least, that's the case with 2D shooters that adopt or lean towards the pure arcade form. Shmups are designed primarily as solitary experiences, and to play them with leaderboard position in mind demands a great deal of nuance. There are...
