SolarJetman

As much as I love these Psiyko shooters, I won't buy any more of them until ZeroDiv adds online leaderboards. Part of the joy of arcade machines was trying to get on the top 10, and in my mind, none of these games — that is, the Switch versions — deserve a 9 or 10/10 without this feature. If Hamster can do it, why not ZeroDiv?

How about a Power Blade reboot?

Price is too high, but Darius is PERHAPS my favourite shmup series ever. Taito's 80s-90s output is underrated.

I usually just archive the games I beat, but my SD card and hard drive are near maximum, and as this has happened, a couple of the games I haven't played in a while display a little cloud icon when I hover over them ... is the Switch auto-storing these games in the cloud?

I could have sworn that Nintendo Power reported SFII for NES was in development.... of course I'm recalling reading this in the early 1990s.

I love shmups, but the odd music and pedestrian action are turnoffs.

@OorWullie I totally agree with your modern shooters list, but as for your classics: While the Psiyko shooters are great, I put their Switch adaptations below most good Hamster-published shooters since they lack online leaderboards. I find that an extremely important feature; it kind of completes the "arcade" experience.

Looks fun. Am I the only one who actually prefers a lack of story?

@Raylax Hahahahaha, a keen observation!

Anyone know if this game has an online leaderboard?

Agree with above posters... there can never be enough shmups, and this one looks fantastic, despite the "roguelike" tag, which can be a turnoff, but has been known to work.

The music in the trailer was killer.

Is there any reason to get this version if I already have it — and love it — on 3DS?

I love these Psiyko ports, but they seriously need to add online leaderboards... the lack of them leads me to spend a lot more time with the Hamster games for my arcade/shmup fix.

Dammit! My daughter used her xmas money to pay full-pop for Project Mirai a few weeks ago!

@TheOpponent I believe that tagline was a reference to one of Metallica's fine 1980s albums, Ride the Lightning.

As for the game, I too think slowdown can be beneficial in these types of games, but while I love shmups, the price is too steep right now.

So is there any content in the Switch version not included in the Wii U Steamworld Collection? If so, what is it?

I don't understand the vitriol being unleashed against this game.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this not the first time we can challenge other players across the globe to best hi scores on the original SMB — albeit in a harder, slightly remixed form? (keep in mind, we wouldn't be able to do that with the NES version, since there are many extra man tricks). That in itself warrants a 9/10 for the $8 price tag.

And kudos to Hamster for tapping this vein ... SMB and Pulstar are keeping me plenty happy these days, as did dozens of other arcade ports released by them before that.

Perhaps I missed this in the review, but do you start each run naked, or is like Ironcast, where you earn permanent upgrades via multiple playthroughs?

@Axlroselm Short games for busy, old(er) people! I agree 100%

This game definitely scratches that Wave Race itch for me. The water physics are great, controls are spot on and the post-apocolyptic "waterworld" setting is beautifully imagined. Unlockables include new stunts to pull off, new jet skis and new riders, including a robot!

While this is not Wave Race, it is to Wave Race what the FAST series is to F-Zero: A very reasonably priced fast, tough and beautiful racer full of content. 9/10 for me.

@Retro-Bit : will do, thanks!

I'd love to get my hands on one of these ... but they don't ship to Canada!

One of my favourite Wii U games!

So how exactly does combat work? Turn-based? Hack and slash? Twin stick? Review never really explains ...

Dammit, based on the screenshots I was hoping this would be something like Shadow on the Ninja on the NES.

On the plus side, I save some cash and have plenty of games that need playin' anyway ...

Definitely not double-dipping — against my principles — but this article reminds me to boot up the Wii U and finish this amazing game

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Hey Slig, not sure if you own a Switch, but for me something I've grown to appreciate is the Joycons, especially playing with them separated, one in each hand. You can play SO comfortably that way, standing, sitting or lying on your bed. Ergonomically, it's wonderful, since you don't have to play with your hands together.

As for Alex's video, the volume of quality games is overwhelming. While I have bought only about seven game cards (BoTW, Mario and Rabbids, Tetris/Puyo Puyo, Sine More, Splatoon 2, and Tiny Barbarian), I have 40+ downloaded games, that include Ironcast, Slime-San, Butcher, NeuroVoider, Blaster Master, Thumper, Wulverblade, Earth Atlantis, Pankapu, Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time, Tumblestone, Golf Story, Steamworld Dig 2, Robonauts, Puzzle Adventure Blockle, Mighty Gunvolt Burst, Gonner, Wonder Boy, Kamiko, Fast RMX, Snakepass, I am Setsuna, and Graceful Explosion Machine.

On top of this, I love arcade games, so I have Mario Bros, Gunbarich, Strikers 1945, Namco Museum (which is actually about 10 games) and about 20 NeoGeo games (that is, most of the ones that are NOT 1 v. 1 fighting games).

... and I haven't beat any of them, other than some of the arcade games, which don't count when you keep jamming "quarters" into them.

Although I have put in over 150 hours into BotW, probably the best game I've ever played.

And I love one of the posts above. The conundrum: Kids don't have enough money, adults don't have enough time.

Do I regret any of the above purchases? Maybe Gonner.

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.

The CRT screen curving is a clever touch

It's nice there's a chainsaw, but does anyone have a strategy to use it effectively? It's so much easier to kill from distance!

Another 9/10? I don't doubt this game's quality, but thank the baby Jebus I don't care for this genre ... I have spent way too much money on Switch games over the past couple months!

@ACK I downloaded it last night... totally agree with you on all those points. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Also, screen shots don't flatter this game. It looks much better in action.

@ACK Ha, that's true. The story is forced upon you. Those sequences are fairly short though, unlike some games (like Puyo Puyo Tetris!)

@KIRO Naw, it's actually fairly easy.

As for the post near the top about the story being crap: Seriously? Who plays these types of games for the story? Get yourself an RPG, or a movie for god's sake, if that's what you crave.

I'm so on the fence about this game. I enjoy retro graphics, twin sticks and running and gunning, but the sprites seem so tiny.

Also, is this a game more of a bullet hell experience, where you can survive lots of damage (like, blech, Gunslugs), or a more refined, elegant experience like Contra, where getting hit matters and the set pieces are well thought out (which, if you read between the lines, is my preference)?

I'm glad I'm not as angry as most of you.

Quite the opposite in fact. I still have my NES, SNES and all the other Nintendo systems and most of the games I want for them. I don't need to re-purchase them, and in the meantime, much of the notable games in those libraries have already appeared on Wii, Wii U and 3DS.

I am super happy with the arcade focus on the Switch. Six months into the system's life, we have a nice-sized NeoGeo library (now there's a system I never owned!), and arcade ports from Namco, Psiyko and Nintendo. Who has these games sitting around in their house? Almost nobody! And with the online leaderboards, it's like I'm back in the '80s trying to get my name on the machine! Now if we could get some arcade games from other companies, like Taito (Elevator Action!) and Konami (Contra, Simpsons, X-Men), it would only get better. I'm already considering building an arcade cabinet for my Switch.

As for console ports, rather than re-releasing SMB, Mega Man and Zelda games over and over again, I'd rather see stuff from systems that most people didn't own, games that need to be more widely played, for example from Dreamcast, Saturn, or even Jaguar.

Jesus tap-dancing Christ. I have been overwhelmed so far by the quality and number of Switch titles. I almost wish a Thursday would go by where I say "nothing for me this week."

In this case, the closest I can say is no "insta-buys" for me. I will wait for reviews for all. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime looks great, as does Hive Jump (for Wii U no less!). Not sold yet on Golf Story, as Nintendo has already plumbed the golf-RPG idea and I have doubts that another company could do better on that front.

I often insta-buy the NeoGeo games, but not this time, as I'm not a fan of fighting games ... and before anyone says "but NeoGeo is 90% fighting games," I have already downloaded about 15-20 mostly great ACA NeoGeo games, none of which are fighters.

Woo-hoo! I play Strikers 1945 almost daily on the Switch.

However, my one complaint, and ZeroDiv needs to address this for all its games: we need online leaderboards. That would make these ports perfect!

@BionicDodo If you have 3DS Kid Icarus, the stand that comes with that game works perfectly.

Looks fun, but I'll wait for the review of this one.

I bit on the similar GunSlugs, but was so disappointed in the floaty controls and the fact that there were so many bullets everywhere and you could take so much damage without dying... just bad design. I often find games with one-hit deaths a much more refined gaming experience.

I was a Nintendo kid in the '80s, and still am.

That said, the Genesis/Mega Drive has a wonderful library of shmups, run and guns and platformers, along with a great selection games by Sega.

I owned a Genesis for a time, and while its selection of quality games was almost equal that of the SNES, I always had one major gripe with the Genesis: the controller, both because of the clunky d-pad and the layout of the A, B, and C buttons. Jumping over from A to C would often make me have to adjust my grip mid-play... argh!

I love the art style — anyone know if the whole soundtrack is metal? If so, that's a major bonus for me. I can deal with tough, but definitely will wait for reviews and pricing.

I'm having a really hard time keeping up with all of these quality releases on Switch, but at least I'm not buying an ACA Neo Geo game this week ... I seem to download almost all of them except for the fighting games.

Steamworld Dig 2, Sine Mora and Mario Bros for me this week ... as long as Mario Bros has online leaderboards like the ACA Neo Geo games. That's a huge selling point for me for arcade ports... takes me back to my youth. Too bad the two Psiyko games don't have that feature.

I'm loving this game, for both it's fast-paced Contra-meets Mario Galaxy action and the gorgeous aesthetics. 8/10 for me.

My major issue is that I keep playing the same levels over and over again trying to get the best medal... when that happens I almost never actually beat the game.

Jeez... where's everyone's sense of competitiveness?

Since Hamster is doing this, it means we can all battle for high scores on online leaderboards. The Neo Geo ports are fantastic (I have most of the ones that aren't fighting games), and chasing high scores from people across the globe is so addictive.

I'm dropping the freakin' gauntlet here in the upcoming battle for high score supremacy.

A co-worker quickly pointed out that this game looks very much like Spiderman & X-Men in Arcade's Revenge. Looks like the same engine.

Regarding previous queries, I don't like the jumping... the character moves a bit slippery, almost like he's gliding, and there's a decided lack of animation in the jumps, which makes it feel too floaty. That said, I do enjoy many other aspects of the game.

I'm not finding this on the eShop... is it not available in Canada?

BTW, I don't get the Zelda comparison either; looks more akin to Commando or Smash TV.

@LordGeovanni I downloaded it recently, and played it a bit, and I like it. BUT, as a lifelong Nintendo devotee — a company known for releasing extremely polished games, unlike some major third parties — my expectations of games are that they are glitch-free when they come to market. If developers/producers, no matter how big or small, are either too lazy or hurried to make sure there are no bugs, I feel ripped off if I buy such a product. This is why I think the score of 3 is completely justified. We need to hold developers to the highest standard, and not allow them to think glitches are acceptable.

That said, there has been a patch released since this review was written, so NL would do well to give this game a fresh look and review.

@LordGeovanni I am a big fan of old-school RPGs too, and while the review does speak kindly of the game, I think the final score of 3 is fair reflection of a game-breaking glitch... in fact, that's probably reason enough to score the game even lower, IMO.