Chronicles of 2 Heroes: Amaterasu's Wrath, a brand new action platformer with 16-bit style visuals, is launching on the Switch eShop on 26th May, publisher Catness Game Studios has announced.

Infinity Experience's gorgeous stab at the genre blends character-swapping action with Metroidvania elements. You control siblings Kensei the samurai and Ayame the ninja, who must work together to save feudal Japan from Amaterasu, who shares their name with the celestial sun goddess.

You can swap between both heroes at any time, and you'll need to in order to get through the game's precision platforming and action-packed boss battles. Both characters play very differently — Kensei is excellent at close-ranged combat but he's unable to jump, while Ayame is much more agile with long-ranged attacks.

Here's more info from Catness' press release (and the Steam page), including some frankly stunning pixel art screenshots:

Chronicles of 2 Heroes has confirmed its release date with a new trailer. After being funded on Kickstarter, this retro platformer will arrive on PC (Steam), Xbox, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch on May 26, 2023.

This new trailer sums up every thrilling aspect of the game: intense action, precise platforming and exquisite pixel art. And, of course, its main mechanic: switching between the protagonists in real time! Kensei is a samurai unable to jump but lethal in close combat. Ayame, on the other hand, is as agile as fragile. Pressing a button makes you switch between these heroes and their more than 20 unlockable skills.

Kensei and Ayame are the only hope for feudal Japan. Amaterasu and her disciple, Empress Himiko, tyrannize the land with their mighty army of yokai. Combining their skills, the two heroes must reach the imperial capital of Osaka and recover the three sacred treasures, Amaterasu's source of power. Along the way, they will clash against enemies inspired by Japanese mythology.

Features
- Switch between the protagonists in real-time. Kensei the samurai uses his katana for close combat, but he cannot jump. Ayame is way more agile and uses ranged attacks.
- Overcome old-school platforming challenges. Retro platformers are our main reference, but we tried to bring the most satisfying, modern experience to the table.
- Dive in Japanese mythos. Fight against ronin, yokai and countless enemies inspired by Japanese mythology.
- Unlock up to 20 powerful abilities. From smashing the ground and stunning your enemies to double jumping and reaching higher platforms.

You've got some time to prepare and hone your mastery of the blade before Chronicles of 2 Heroes: Amaterasu's Wrath lands on Switch on 26th May. And come on, with how stunning that skeleton boss looks, how badly do you want to take it down? You can get practising now with a free demo on Steam.

Has Chronicle of 2 Heroes piqued your interest? Will you be hiding in the shadows until its release? Tell us in the comments.