List of upcoming shmups to be released.

[mastermx]

As the genre grows more and more into a niche, it becomes hard to find new releases and things to look forward to. Whilst searching through this forum as well as the internet, I was hardpressed to find any real news on new releases. In fact, I couldn't find anything, I could not find professional made shmups, but also I couldn't find any good doujins for 2014.

So I decided that we needed a thread just to keep everyone up to date. I realize things are looking bleak for the shooting game industry, but surely there should be some developers out there making original content as opposed to ports and re-releases.

Let's see if we can all share the new releases for this year, and hopefully index them as they come. Right now I only know about one original shmup to look forward to in 2014, and that is Ghost Blade for the sega dreamcast, which will release in october of this year.

2014 LIST

Original Releases:
Ge-sen Love (Xbox 360 - March 27th 2014)
Bullet Soul - Infinite Burst (Xbox 360 - April 24th 2014)
Ghost Blade (Dreamcast - October 2014)
ChronoBurst (PC & Xbox 360 - 2014)
Galak-Z (PC & PS4 - 2014)
Aero Chimera (PC - 2014 TBA) (Sasupoika)
Cagesis (PC - 2014 TBA) (Cagar)
Starhall 2 (PC - 2014 TBA) (pteri)
Zenodyne (PC - 2014 TBA) (Kaiser)
L.U.X. (PC - 2014 TBA) (Temperance lance)
Gokkaren (PC - 2014 TBA) (Gokusaireverie)

Ports & Localizations:
Raiden IV Overkill (PSN - April 15th 2014)
Caladrius Blaze (PSN - June 26th 2014)
The Tale of ALLTYNEX (Steam - June 2014)
Astebreed (PC - Spring 2014)
Cross Eaglet's Revolver360 Re:Actor (PS4 TBA)
Diadra Empty (Steam - TBA)

[Fudoh]

For retail releases we have at least Ge-Sen Love in late march and Bullet Soul Infinite Burst in late April - both for 360. Ge-Sen Love will have enough original content and I still have hopes for Bullet Soul as well.

On the PS4 we have PSN versions of Caladrius and Raiden IV coming soon. Re-releases, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

[Pretas]

I thought Caladrius was getting a physical release on PS3, or has it not been confirmed yet?

[mastermx]

beggars can't be choosers.

So true.

The once proud people of shmup, those who ushered in the video gaming era, have been reduced to nothing but beggars

[Pretas]

Here are the dates:

Ge-Sen Love: March 27, 2014
Bullet Soul - Infinite Burst: April 24, 2014
Raiden IV OverKill: April 15, 2014 (JPN)/April 29, 2014 (US)
Caladrius (PS3): June 2014

[n0rtygames]

Chronoburst, god knows when - some time in 2014 - 360 digital and PC physical.

Buy a copy and play it. Fun.

Yes, it is a real shooter.

</plug>

[Aisha]

For upcoming localizations, there is the English version of Astebreed, which should be out this Spring. Probably on Playism. Nyu Media also has Astro Port's Supercharged Robot Vulkaiser on their slate, but I don't think they've announced a release date yet.

Oh, and as I'm writing this, it was announced that Cross Eaglet's Revolver360 Re:Actor will be ported to the PlayStation 4.

There are a handful of doujins currently in development that come to mind as well, but you can't really pinpoint release dates for them yet.

[Pretas]

As posted in the other thread, the PS3 version of Caladrius is being retitled Caladrius Blaze, and will be released June 26.

http://caladrius.mossjp.co.jp/ps3/index.html

It will have a physical release with a limited edition.

[n0rtygames]

So in conclusion, things aren't really looking bleak at all? It's been as we've thought for years... Doujin on PC is the way it's going. PC based boards/arcades...

The games are still going to come, just can't expect old equipment to be supported forever unfortunately. The enforced 720p minimum and therefore no 4:3 on PS4 is a bit of a kick in the teeth though. 16:9 verts are coming.. hold on to your butts...

[mastermx]

Most devs still refuse to release on steam. Granted I think there will be a more acceptable shift this year in terms of switching to pc. But cave is a good example of that. If it was up to me I would have ported their games to steam years ago. Steam is the single best thing to ever happen to PC gaming (steam sales baby!)

[Special World]

Galak-Z: The Dimensional looks to be a fairly original take on classic space shooters, looking more like a 2D approximation of a classic dogfighting game and taking its mechanics more from Asteroids than anything else. I think perhaps it's the sort of thing that a lot of these forums, myself included, would turn their noses up at, but I gotta admit that early videos look pretty promising. I read an interview with the developer that maybe set off some alarm bells, as he stated he was sick of 2D shooters, but I think he was coming from a point of love for the genre rather than hate — he seemed upset that there was a tiredness or malaise in the genre, and wanted to shake things up. That's the impression I got, anyhow.

Regardless, I think the game looks potentially really fun, and the developers had previous success redefining genres with Skulls of the Shogun. The lead designer was also involved with Rez, for what that's worth. At worst it'll be a game that reviewers latch onto as the next evolution of the genre, at best it'll be a genuinely and uniquely enjoyable shooter.

The announcement trailer dates it for 2014: http://galak-z.com/

[trap15]

Steam is the single best thing to ever happen to PC gaming

Yup, never actually owning a game and having DRM all over all my games is truly the best thing to ever happen.

[mastermx]

It's a sad fact, but most developers wouldn't publish on pc if it wasn't for drm. Even now, there are devs who publish exclusively on console for that reason. There is a big fear of piracy in the industry, in all industries these days actually. Without Steam, there would be much less choice on PC. If you think about consoles, these days they are just PCs in a console wrapper. Consoles also have built in DRM in that games are much more difficult to pirate if not impossible for some especially the latest gen of consoles.

[ciox]

So in conclusion, things aren't really looking bleak at all? It's been as we've thought for years... Doujin on PC is the way it's going. PC based boards/arcades...

The games are still going to come, just can't expect old equipment to be supported forever unfortunately. The enforced 720p minimum and therefore no 4:3 on PS4 is a bit of a kick in the teeth though. 16:9 verts are coming.. hold on to your butts...

We've already had a couple of 16:10 verts (Snops Attack, Jamestown) so I'm sure it'll happen.
Is there really no chance to weasel your way out of it though? I would think something like Strania can get through, if not, just disguise better that you can't go into the screen edge.
Extra, "secondary" modes where you are "challenged" by having to sit in the 4:3 area should be fair game too.

[nasty_wolverine]

The games are still going to come, just can't expect old equipment to be supported forever unfortunately. The enforced 720p minimum and therefore no 4:3 on PS4 is a bit of a kick in the teeth though. 16:9 verts are coming.. hold on to your butts...

Yeah, shmups will not go out of style for a while atleast. About the 16:9 thing, 16:10 would have been great for shmups, it was still more balanced for shmups then 16:9 (too skinny, patterns become resticted to 75 to 105 degree's, so only vertical baragges, you cant really have diagonal barrages). I am sure you can make 4:3 tate mode shmups with the exra area used for score, multiplier and all the other info.

to be honest, the more limitations of a medium, the more creative the devs get. However, for a shmup dev, now the limitations are completely opposite of other genre devs. We still want low res (800x600 max for dounjins???) pixel-arty 4:3 shmups that newer consoles and monitors dont just support, where as other devs want full HD 16:9 high poly models and stuff. the challenge is how to provide the old feel with new tech!! I am sure some one will release a shmup that will show that it can be done, and done well. But thats gonna take some time.

Steam is the single best thing to ever happen to PC gaming

Yup, never actually owning a game and having DRM all over all my games is truly the best thing to ever happen.

FREE THE GAMES!!!

[HydrogLox]

Doujin on PC is the way it's going. PC based boards/arcades...

Its uncanny how that seems to coincide with

the PC's best days are well past it.

IDC Expects PC Shipments to Fall by -6% in 2014 and Decline Through 2018
IDC forecasts deeper declines in PC shipments for 2014
Is the PC apocalypse upon us? Latest sales figures say it might be.

The PC market had to "stabilize" at some point in time. In 2011 364 million PCs shipped, current 2014 projections are at 296 million (lower than 2008). Sales projections out to 2018 predict a plateau but it remains to be seen if the erosion due to the mobile device market as been accurately assessed.

Too bad that STG+mobile device+virtual controls tends to be such an ill fit.

Yup, never actually owning a game and having DRM all over all my games is truly the best thing to ever happen.

I doubt somehow that (future) Steam Machine owners are even going to bother to notice.

Is there really no chance to weasel your way out of it though?

True 4:3 would require 480p - and I imagine "the box" simply won't support that.

[n0rtygames]

Yup, never actually owning a game and having DRM all over all my games is truly the best thing to ever happen.

I've got two words for this recurring and quite frankly stupid argument:

Suicide battery

Oh, but you can tamper with the pcb to allow the thing to run? Guess what - you can crack software too.

Take a disc image after setting steam to (get this...) PLAY OFFLINE, then you have it forever and when the battery on the internet runs out and Valves 65 million strong customer base dwindles - you can still play your games.

Anyway, let's not derail thread. It was so pleasant.

[Cagar]

Add these:

Cagesis (PC - 2014) (my game)
Starhall 2 (PC - 2014?) (pteri's game)
Zenodyne (PC - 2014) (Kaiser's game)
L.U.X. (PC - 2014?) (Temperance lance)
Gokkaren (PC - 2014?) (Gokusaireverie)
Ketsui 2 (Arcade & PS4 & PC) (CAVE)

EDIT: Oh and
Aero Chimera (PC - 2014) (Sasupoika)

[trap15]

There are a very small number of boards that actually have suicide batteries though. Like, the vast majority of not only STG, but arcade boards in general, do not have them. There are only a handful of STG with suicide batteries; I think the number is literally small enough to count on two hands if not just 1.

So, good argument

[Cagar]

There are a very small number of boards that actually have suicide batteries though. Like, the vast majority of not only STG, but arcade boards in general, do not have them. There are only a handful of STG with suicide batteries; I think the number is literally small enough to count on two hands if not just 1.

So, good argument

There's a higher chance of your boards breaking or otherwise losing your games, than steam shutting down their service while taking your games with them. Isn't it that simple? Be grateful that someone offers to keep track of your game purchases, update them automatically, and have them with you wherever you go... while also preventing games being pirated and shared on memory-sticks to whole class of students each time a new indie-game without drm gets released

[trap15]

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, wanting buying something to mean actually receiving a physical product that I can hold and do what I want with.

[mastermx]

Ketsui 2 (Arcade & PS4 & PC) (CAVE)

Did they ever release Ketsui on PC?

[Formless God]

keep track of your game purchases, update them automatically, and have them with you wherever you go...

Two words: registry management.
What happens when you move over to another PC? What happens if you lose the installation disc? What happens if you lose the registration key?

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, wanting buying something to mean actually receiving a physical product that I can hold and do what I want with.

Just curious, what would you do if 15 years later your physical copy of [X360 game] deteriorates and refuses to boot?

[trap15]

Then I would consider it entirely my fault for not keeping it in better condition to prevent its deterioration.

[Cagar]

keep track of your game purchases, update them automatically, and have them with you wherever you go...

Two words: registry management.
What happens when you move over to another PC? What happens if you lose the installation disc? What happens if you lose the registration key?

You did understand that I was supporting steam in the first place?
Just making sure

[n0rtygames]

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, wanting buying something to mean actually receiving a physical product that I can hold and do what I want with.

You are not old fashioned at all! I have watched you on stream with many others also watching - as you spend money on DLC for a game you will probably play for 20 minutes or so. Back in the 90s, our expansion packs came in big chunky cereal boxes that sat proudly on a shelf - so this is a bit of a silly statement.

Truth is, as we've all seen many a time you're against PC gaming even to the point of berating arcade games that are based on PC architecture as you have a bizarre fascination with collecting things from before you were born... Not that you're alone in this, just saying though.

Anyway since this is a thread about upcoming games and not the ethics of what media you buy your games on... can we sort of let it be the informative thread it's supposed to be?

[nasty_wolverine]

Truth is, as we've all seen many a time you're against PC gaming even to the point of berating arcade games that are based on PC architecture as you have a bizarre fascination with collecting things from before you were born... Not that you're alone in this, just saying though.

the horror...

[Teufel_in_Blau]

Right now I only know about one original shmup to look forward to in 2014, and that is Ghost Blade for the sega dreamcast, which will release in october of this year.

Oh boy, we are so fucked.

[emphatic]

lol, PC gaming.

[n0rtygames]

lol, PC gaming.

Code: Select all

Taito Type X/X+

    OS: Windows XP Embedded
    CPU: Intel Celeron 2.5 GHz, 400 MHz FSB (upgradeable to Celeron 2.0/2.8 GHz, Pentium 4 2.0 GHz/2.4 GHz/2.6 GHz/2.8 GHz/3.0 GHz, 400-800 MHz FSB)
    Chipset: Intel 865G
    RAM: DDR266 DIMM 256MB (upgradeable to DDR400 2GB), 2 memory slots
    GPU: (AGP-8x slot) Supported cards include ATI Radeon 9600 SE 128 MB, 9600 XT 128MB, X700 PRO 256MB
    Sound: AC'97 onboard 6 channel audio CODEC
    LAN: On board, 10/100 BASE-TX
    I/O ports: 4× USB port (1.1 & 2.0 compatible), 1× parallel port, 2× PS/2
    Audio inputs: Microphone (stereo pin-jack), line-in (stereo pin-jack)
    Audio outputs: line-out (stereo pin-jack), SPDI/F
    Expansion slots: AGP (used by video card), 2× PCI
    Storage interface: 2 channel Parallel ATA (UATA-100/66/33), 2 channel SATA
    Media: PATA/SATA Hard disk

lol, PC gaming.