
From the NES heyday shoot 'em ups like Gradius, and moving through the console generations with various sequels, Nintendo players have seemingly often had a soft spot for the genre. Right up to the recent tide of Neo Geo classics released on the Switch, including Blazing Star and Alpha Mission II, the genre continues to be well represented; while these titles are good for scratching that nostalgic itch, the contemporary scene is rather strong. With the rise off download stores and smaller studios, the retro classics on the eShop have recently been joined by the likes of Sine Mora EX and Graceful Explosion Machine - each offering their own aesthetic and gameplay twists on one of the most straightforward of straight up (or left to right) genres.
While the shmup's mantra is often 'go in one direction and shoot anything that moves', Thai developer Pixel Perfex's new title Earth Atlantis reminds us that there can be more beneath the surface. Although it never tries to shy away from its roots, Earth Atlantis is also an exploratory and even reflective experience at times, but more on that later.

Somewhat reassuringly (considering the genre) the backstory is as brief as it is shallow - after a catastrophic global event at the turn of the century leaves 96% of the earth under water and inhabited by a wide range of aquatic beasts, it is up to you to choose a submarine and go about taking them out, one by one. The quick introduction allows players to get straight in and focus on the key elements and mechanics.
Going up, down, left or right at your own pace - and taking in the scenery at times - is a welcome change to the frantic pace autoscrollers in the genre are known for, and all round movement feels good. Use ZL or B to turn your ship around, and A or ZR to shoot. There is only 'quest mode' open and one ship available from the outset, but new ships are available after fulfilling certain objectives - how to acquire them would spoil the surprise. Even so, the final number of vehicles available is low with no customisation options. 'Hunter mode' opens up after successfully completing the game - essentially a 'Rush mode' to kill all bosses on a single life as quickly as possible. There is also a visual log of the boss monsters you have defeated.

The enemies range from relatively harmless minions that regularly drop weapon upgrades - adding firepower and eventually an extra direction to your ships arsenal - to tougher foes, while you can seek out barrels or crates to find homing missiles, bombs or a burst of electricity. The main antagonists of Earth Atlantis are 38 giant 'boss monsters'. Without spoiling too much, these range from a static biomechanical octopus and a raging, spinning armoured king prawn to more organic types, such as a squid or sea turtle - with many more besides.
The difficulty of these boss battles fluctuates a fair bit, with one taking us over a dozen attempts after a gritty and intense war of attrition; we'd then casually cruise past the next few bosses on the first attempt, only to once more get hopelessly obliterated with an almost instant kill attack from another. It seems like the developer has taken this on board, as a rapid patch increased item drops and weakened certain bosses. While the battles are tough, and sometimes frustratingly so, with persistence and patience slaying each beast is immensely satisfying.

Changing course from the more traditional titles in the genre, the exploration elements of Earth Atlantis are well balanced, opening up new areas after defeating bosses, with 'bullet hell' tropes taking a bit of a back seat. That's not to say that things don't get hectic - weaving and dodging through waves of enemies feels great and is initially necessary when the one sub to choose from has limited range, but nonetheless is a tense and fulfilling experience due to decent manoeuvrability. The more low key moments are a good mix of open areas and maze like rock formations. The mini map can also be turned on or off with X for a 'pure' experience, as it shows boss and power up locations; this reviewer felt that, although useful, this map somewhat imposed on the overall presentation, so the option to disable it is welcome.
Anyone who is reading this review after seeing screenshots or watching any footage has no doubt noticed a glaring omission - the visuals. The game has won Asian video game convention awards since its reveal, and it's easy to see why. The sepia toned, meticulous line drawing aesthetic is instantly striking, but look a little closer and you'll realise that there are a wealth of subtle details that make the game stand out. The glorious depth of field and parallax is simply stunning, as broken buildings, scaffolding, famous landmarks and narrow caverns make up the one vast, semi-metroidvania style world. Whether it's noticing a majestic and docile beast swimming peacefully in the distance posing no threat, or navigating the abandoned structures in tighter areas, the visuals in both handheld and especially docked - as the game felt slightly faster and smoother on the TV - are a delight. Animations are fluid, and the game shows no slowdown during more intense moments.

Despite the soundtrack being hand picked from licensed music, the boss battle tracks in particular are suitably orchestrated, brutal and epic, akin to something from Shadow of the Colossus. Disappointingly there's only a single overworld track, but it's appropriately ambient with a light sprinkling of more modern electronica sound effects.
Conclusion
Even if you're not a 2D 'shmup' veteran, or are looking for something a little off the beaten, sidescrolling track, there is plenty to enjoy here - we have tight controls, plenty of unique monstrous bosses to defeat and exploration of a broken but beautiful submerged world. While it lacks a few options, has occasional boss fight difficulty spikes and is not the relentless action that some genre fans prefer, Earth Atlantis has enough old school shoot 'em up substance to back up its glorious and organic style.
Comments 39
Hopefully the patch is good, because the release version of this was almost unplayable.
I've heard mixed reactions from the community on this, so I'd appreciate some feedback from users who have tried it. Thanks in advance.
Looks cool, but its limited color palette is throwing me off.
@Reignmaker looks like.a gameboy HD game
I think I'm inclined to try this one...
Out of interest, is the patch available on the European eShop? Mine's still at 1.0.0.
This game is so incredibly boring. Very disappointed in the review. It desperately needs the patch, even then the game is dull
Surprised by the high score. Me too have heard more mixed reaction so far, but limited. Repetitiveness and frustrating finding and rebuilding power-ups on death seem to be the biggest annoyance. So far holding off from a purchase.
@andisart I wonder how much of that will be fixed by the upcoming patch. Having played the game for a week prior to its release in its current state, I think it merits no more than a 7/10.
I've read several reviews and they're averaging about 6.5 -7. The biggest complaint is the difficulty and having to regather all your power-ups when you die before refacing the bosses. It's supposed to be lengthy and extra modes are unlocked upon completion of the game.
@antster1983 yes I will be looking out for the patch notes too, if the main issues are addressed I will probably try it
I think i'll keep waiting for Zero Gunner 2.
This is like the water stages on the original game boy playing super mario land but now in hd
It took me a bit to warm up to (mostly because I'm so spoiled from playing old arcade shmups) but I definitely enjoyed it despite the slow pace and somehow limited power-up/ship selection. Again, truly I was spoiled when the genre was at it's peak, but I always welcome new shmups where I can get them.
I like it but it is extremely difficult at times.
great review. not sure if i'll get or not.
These graphics look incredible. Too bad it got released in such a packed period, but on my wishlist it goes.
One of the things pushing me away from this is the art style. It's unique, sure, and I'm not saying anyone else can't find it pleasing, but it just looks so ugly to me.
Edit: I find it really funny, that right as I press send, a comment above me is praising the art style just as I'm criticizing it XD
This one has been near the top of my most-wanted list since I first saw video of it ... I love the art style, and as a big shmup and metroid (vania not necessary, or even accurate) fan, I will download it on the strength of the review, and despite the complaints.
Was wrong, looks better in motion. Hope games like DariusBurst or RayCrisis make it to the Switch also.
Kind of reminds me of a hand sketched Darius entry.
Looks beautiful to me, art style looks amazing. Bit low on budget though because of all the other games released + Odyssey, so I'll get this in a sale somewhere down the line probably.
Also, schmups should be hard. And yes, of course you lose your powerups when you die. Have you never played an arcade game before? All this hand-holding of current gamers is making me nauseous
To my eyes, this looks awful
@Scrummer love the art style but this seems like the type of game that I would play for a week, then quit due to frustration.
I've killed several monsters in it and played for a few hours and I can say that the game looks and plays great. Even having to go pick up your lost power ups isn't too far from how other games like this handle the same mechanic.
My issue is the lack of a power up structure. There's P pickups, 3 special weapons pickups, & health pickups. Getting more P's add more bullets to your main weapon, but once you've got the max? Limited weapons is fine, there's just no hook, no special mechanic that rewards exploring different weapon combos and that leads to shooting the same weapon 90% of the time since one weapon IMO is much better than the other two.
Is there a Switch eShop game, obvious shovelware aside, that doesn't score an 8 or 9 on this site? I love this place but the Switch reviews seem a little overly eager in their praise. How many of these would you be wanting on a Switch Mini in 20 years?
Hmmmmm... As much as I love oceanic themed games the mention of difficulty spikes puts me right off. I've new game plus, suffered through Bloodborne several times but suck at these sort of games.
@Agramonte
i assumed you were a toss:)
its definitely an unusual game but the atmosphere and good controls help. bloody difficult but in motion a beautiful game
Switchforce did a let’s play thing and looked pretty boring and annoying when you die you start all over again
I like it. I wish the save system was a little more forgiving and the respawn rate is insane but it's a fun game. The bosses are definitely the highlight.
I'd say 7/10. Not incredible but definitely not bad either. A decent game through and through
@SayGuh actually, I take it back - you are right it does look better in real life. Pictured do not do it justice.
I;m a sucker for mobile shmups... Hold me over till Amazon ships my copy of SineMora EX
The visuals look awesome on this, but there are farrrr too many games I'm neck-deep I'm to play it right now, it'll have to wait until a drought
Managed to KO 3 bosses but KO'ed by the Huge Octopus creature1 hit attack. LOL.
@Agramonte
Yar, this isnt a patch on Sine Mora, hoping to grab a retail copy myself to go with my steam and ps3 downloads. some great shooters on mobile, hoping the similar architecture of the switch leads to plenty of them appearing. i havent booted my tablet in a couple of years
This is a spiritual sucessor to "Metroid 2," not a real SHMUP. Cool! Add to Wishlist (once I get a Switch)...
I'll throw this into my maybe pile. Perhaps if it goes on sale I'll snag it.
The visuals look great but I could only handle the occasional level like this. The lack of color would start to drive me nuts.
I really enjoyed The Aquatic Adventures of the Last Human and whilst this has a very different art style and much more of a shmup focus, I'm pretty sure it will be equally enjoyable!
I'm not going to bother with the physical edition, but I'll grab the digital download in the upcoming holidays.
Great vintage art style
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