Shmups released on 2023

[Nahar]

I suggest (and I will try to maintain) a thread about good shmups released / to be released this year. Initially I suggested excluding ports and re-releases because they usually get a unique thread, and because the point of the thread is getting some light on new releases, but in the end I think that I will be adding every release I get notice of.

I will not be making reviews for all the games I link here, because I don't have the time, but if I can, I will write something about them, even if it's just an opinion on the trailer.

Also, I encourage you to add new games to the thread. I will try to update a list in the first post so we can archive them, even if it's in a crude way of doing so.

[JANUARY]

05/01: Galaga Hamster's ACA
18/01: Graze Counter GM

[FEBRUARY]

01/02: Metal Black S-Tribute
02/02: Drainus for the Switch
02/02: Phelios Hamster's ACA
02/02: 东方雪莲华 ～ Abyss Soul Lotus
14/02: Toaplan titles: Zero Wing, OutZone, Twin Cobra, Truxton
16/02: 連縁无現里 ~ Misremembered Memories
19/02: Fiery Rivaz
21/02: Akka Arrh
24/02: JASH
24/02: GyroGunner

[MARCH]

Undetermined day: Crossgunr: Infinite
02/03: Sky Kid Deluxe Hamster's ACA
09/03: Ray'z arcade chronology
16/03: Squad 51 vs the Flying Saucers for the Switch
24/03: Schildmaid MX
30/03: Like Dreamer for the Switch

[APRIL]

13/04: Shikigami no Shiro 2 switch port (JP)
25/04: R-Type Final 3 Evolved

[MAY]

25/05: Batsugun PS4/Switch (JP)

[JUNE]

09/06: Raiden 3 PS4/Switch (PAL)
30/06: Telenet Shooting Collection Vol. 1 for the Switch (JP)
Undetermined day: Nanoforce: tactical surgeon fighter

[JULY]

06/07: Trouble Witches Final! for the PS4/NSW
07/07: Space Elite Force 2 in 1 for the PS4

[AUGUST]

[SEPTEMBER]

[OCTOBER]

[NOVEMBER]

[DECEMBER]


[To be released along 2023, with no specific date yet]

Valfaris: Mecha Therion
Heli-Cats
Gunvein PS4
ShotTriggers: Dodonpachi Daioujou
Toaplan Arcade Garage Vol. 3: Zero Fire
Steel Empire
Visco Collection: Andro Dunos and Captain Tomaday


Before anyone asks, I'm not affiliated to any company nor I'm a developer. Just a shmup passionate fan and podcaster lol.

[Nahar]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2299 ... _Memories/

Saw this on Steam. Looks a bit cringey on the art side, but if you are a Touhou fan I suppose you'll enjoy it. It's a hard pass for me.

[Nahar]

Graze Counter GM: released on january. I really don't get the appeal of anime cute girls, but the gameplay mechanics look fun from the trailer in the steam page.

[xxx1993]

R-Type Final 3 Evolved is coming to the PS5 on April 25th.

[Nahar]

R-Type Final 3 Evolved is coming to the PS5 on April 25th.

Added to the list. I doubted about adding it because it seems to me it's not completely new. Am I wrong?

[xxx1993]

R-Type Final 3 Evolved is coming to the PS5 on April 25th.

Added to the list. I doubted about adding it because it seems to me it's not completely new. Am I wrong?

That’s true, it does look like a rehash of R-Type Final 2, but we’ll have to wait and see when the game releases in Japan on March 23rd.

[Jonpachi]

^ There's not really a wait-and-see factor though, right? It's just R-Type Final 2 with some extra stages and a 3D hangar tacked on. It's kind of a joke to call it 3.

[kid aphex]

I think this is a good idea, but … it should def include re-releases like the ShotTriggers series, etc.

[xxx1993]

^ There's not really a wait-and-see factor though, right? It's just R-Type Final 2 with some extra stages and a 3D hangar tacked on. It's kind of a joke to call it 3.

If the final stages and endings remain unchanged, or rather, the final stages are still 7.0 (the graveyard), 7.1 (becoming a Bydo), and 7.2 (the Bydo home planet), then maybe I'll call it off.

[Jonpachi]

I guess it just comes down to what you want the list to be. If it's just shmup releases, then yeah get Final 3 on there. If it's NEW titles, then, hehe, it's gonna a rough list to put together.

[xxx1993]

Again, when the game releases in Japan next month, please let me know.

[Nahar]

I think this is a good idea, but … it should def include re-releases like the ShotTriggers series, etc.

Yeah, I think it's going to be this way.

[Nahar]

Fiery Rivaz: made with SHMUP creator. Looks amateurish but it has an interesting premise: reinvigorating shmups, one doujin game at a time

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2284590/Fiery_Rivaz/


Akka Arrh: a Jeff Minter discarded prototype from the Atari 2600. I really don't know what to think about this one. Also the pricetag looks menacing.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2005680/Akka_Arrh/

[xxx1993]

Another shmup with a female protagonist. Though I'm not sure I feel crazy about this one.

[Nahar]

JASH, an acronym for "Just a Shmup" released on 24th of february. It looks promising, paying homage to many classics from ages past. It falls a bit on the euroshmup side, but looks fun and the trailer shows a lot of love for the shmup genre.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1849260/Jash/

[Nahar]

Heli-Cats: a gimmicky indie shmup with nice art and an interesting elevation mechanic. It has a thread in the forum (https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71036) in case you want to add something to the conversation. There's no release date on the Steam page, but judging on the trailer, art and gameplay, I'd bet it releases on Q4: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2262880/HeliCats/


EDIT: Also with a post here we have GyroGunner https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71123, a twin stick shooter with free scrolling movement. I see some inspiration from Desert Strike and Choplifter. For 4 euros you can't go wrong if you enjoy this kind of games: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2268960/GyroGunner/

[Nahar]

Nanoforce: tactical surgeon fighter, another indie shmup made in SHMUP Creator. This software looks like it might drive an indie renaissance wave in shmup publications. Let's see what happens. The trailer shows very detailed levels, and the developer promises more than 20 different weapons, seven levels and three different game modes. A tweet announced that the game will release on june. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2254 ... n_fighter/

[xxx1993]

I'm also waiting for Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission, even though that's a light gun game/rail shooter, and not a shmup. I thought it was coming out last year, but I haven't heard anything recent about that game lately.

[Nahar]

I'm also waiting for Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission, even though that's a light gun game/rail shooter, and not a shmup. I thought it was coming out last year, but I haven't heard anything recent about that game lately.

I don't really like light gun games, sadly... If it's not a shmup I won't be listing it here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the game.

[xxx1993]

Oh, I love light gun games. I still hope it gets released soon, though.

[consoleretro]

I've got on my watchlist:
Batsugun PS4/Switch (JP) - 25th May
Raiden 3 PS4/Switch (PAL) - 9th June
Radirgy 2 PS4/Switch (JP) - Summer
Gunvein PS4 - 2023

[xxx1993]

I've got on my watchlist:
Batsugun PS4/Switch (JP) - 25th May
Raiden 3 PS4/Switch (PAL) - 9th June
Radirgy 2 PS4/Switch (JP) - Summer
Gunvein PS4 - 2023

Radirgy 2 is also one of my primary targets for 2023.

[Nahar]

Added all the games you guys said. 2023 is looking good!

[NeoStrayCat]

Trouble Witches Final! for the PS4/NSW on 7/6/23 (Originally scheduled for a Spring [or 3/16/23] release, until it had a delay release notice. -> http://studio-siesta.mails.ne.jp/twf/info_20221220.html)

https://www.play-asia.com/trouble-witch ... /13/70fo19

[Nahar]

Trouble Witches Final! for the PS4/NSW on 7/6/23 (Originally scheduled for a Spring [or 3/16/23] release, until it had a delay release notice. -> http://studio-siesta.mails.ne.jp/twf/info_20221220.html)

https://www.play-asia.com/trouble-witch ... /13/70fo19

This one looks very inspired by Cotton. It's me, or are cute em'ups on the rise now?

[To Far Away Times]

That looks like a port of Trouble Witches Neo, a rather high quality shmup from way back on the Xbox 360 arcade days if you can get past the art style.

The original Trouble Witches goes back even farther to Doujin PC releases.

I do like how it is both Episode 01 and Final though, lol.

Speaking of which, I guess we are never getting episode 02, are we?

[Nahar]

Another interesting release on steam: Schildmaid MX. Looks very tight and hard (lol). It releases in two weeks: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2154 ... ldmaid_MX/

[NeoStrayCat]

That looks like a port of Trouble Witches Neo, a rather high quality shmup from way back on the Xbox 360 arcade days if you can get past the art style.

The original Trouble Witches goes back even farther to Doujin PC releases.

I do like how it is both Episode 01 and Final though, lol.

Speaking of which, I guess we are never getting episode 02, are we?

Actually, Origin from the PC/Steam version. While its more or less basically the same like Neo, there are few things changed here and there (Especially the artworks and UI, along with some spell card changes). From what I gathered, its more/less a port of Origin, but with all of its DLC included along with some added content for the PS4/NSW versions (which have yet to be mentioned).

As for the second episode however, it seems to be vaporware at this point, and all references to it have been removed from Studio Siesta's site ages ago. (Outside of possible existing archive(dot)org links if they are still available.)

[hamfighterx]

A few more:

February 2: Drainus (Switch, Worldwide) - an actual NEW game, PC version released in late 2022 and the Switch port released on eShop in February with physical copies coming soon (Strictly Limited Games, and Playism is doing a Japan retail release on May 25)

April 13: Shikigami no Shiro 2 (Switch, Japan) - rereleased on several platforms over the years, here's the Switch port

June 30: Telenet Shooting Collection Vol. 1 (Switch, Japan) - compilation of 4 of Telenet's PCE/Mega Drive games

No release dates yet for the following:
- ShotTriggers: Dodonpachi Daioujou (platforms unconfirmed: PS4 is a sure thing, Switch is a maybe)
- Toaplan Arcade Garage Vol.3: Zero Fire (platforms unconfirmed, but extremely likely to be PS4 and Switch)
- Steel Empire (Switch port)
- Visco Collection (PS5/PS4/Xbox/Switch) - includes a couple notable Visco shmups from the Neo Geo, Andro Dunos and Captain Tomaday

And are we including STGs that get released in Hamster's Switch/PS4 Arcade Archives series? If so, 2023 has given us the following so far:
- Galaga (Jan 5)
- Phelios (Feb 2)
- Sky Kid Deluxe (Mar 2)

[Nahar]

A few more:

February 2: Drainus (Switch, Worldwide) - an actual NEW game, PC version released in late 2022 and the Switch port released on eShop in February with physical copies coming soon (Strictly Limited Games, and Playism is doing a Japan retail release on May 25)

April 13: Shikigami no Shiro 2 (Switch, Japan) - rereleased on several platforms over the years, here's the Switch port

June 30: Telenet Shooting Collection Vol. 1 (Switch, Japan) - compilation of 4 of Telenet's PCE/Mega Drive games

No release dates yet for the following:
- ShotTriggers: Dodonpachi Daioujou (platforms unconfirmed: PS4 is a sure thing, Switch is a maybe)
- Toaplan Arcade Garage Vol.3: Zero Fire (platforms unconfirmed, but extremely likely to be PS4 and Switch)
- Steel Empire (Switch port)
- Visco Collection (PS5/PS4/Xbox/Switch) - includes a couple notable Visco shmups from the Neo Geo, Andro Dunos and Captain Tomaday

And are we including STGs that get released in Hamster's Switch/PS4 Arcade Archives series? If so, 2023 has given us the following so far:
- Galaga (Jan 5)
- Phelios (Feb 2)
- Sky Kid Deluxe (Mar 2)

Awesome! I will add them to the list.