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X-Out: Resurfaced Review – A Deep-Sea Shoot’em Up That Makes Waves

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Now this is literally a blast from the past! Fabulously reborn from the Rainbow Arts Amiga classic, X-Out will give your Nintendo Switch a nice jolt of nostalgia.

This revitalised classic takes the beloved 1989 Commodore 64 shoot’em-up and plunges it into modern waters, offering both nostalgia for seasoned gamers and fresh excitement for newcomers.

A Deep-Sea Adventure Awaits

Set beneath the ocean’s surface, X-Out: Resurfaced stands out in the shoot’em-up genre with its unique underwater setting. As the pilot of a formidable submarine, you’re tasked with thwarting an alien invasion brewing in the ocean’s depths. The game’s horizontal scrolling action challenges you to navigate treacherous terrains, dodge relentless enemies, and unleash a barrage of firepower to restore peace beneath the waves.

Customise Your Submarine

One of the standout features is the extensive submarine customisation. Before diving into each mission, you’re allotted a budget to outfit your vessel. Choose from a variety of submarines—like the agile Trilobyte or the robust Shark—and equip them with an arsenal of weapons, including heat shots, flamethrowers, and smart bombs. This strategic layer adds depth, allowing you to tailor your loadout to your playstyle and the challenges ahead.

Stunning Visuals and Sound

The developers have done a commendable job updating the game’s visuals. The underwater environments are richly detailed, immersing players in a world teeming with aquatic life and hidden dangers. Complementing the visuals is a captivating soundtrack that evokes a sense of mystery and urgency, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Challenge and Replayability

X-Out: Resurfaced is not for the faint-hearted. Its challenging gameplay demands precision and strategy, especially with its no-continue system—losing all your health means starting over. However, this difficulty is part of the game’s charm, offering a rewarding experience for those who master its mechanics. For added fun, team up with a friend in the two-player mode and tackle the alien menace together.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a fan of the original X-Out or a newcomer seeking a fresh and challenging shoot’em-up, X-Out: Resurfaced delivers on all fronts. Its blend of classic gameplay with modern enhancements makes it a must-have for your Nintendo Switch library. Prepare to embark on an unforgettable underwater adventure!

Details:

  • Platforms: XB/SW/PS5/PC
  • Genre: Shooter
  • Price: €19.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.99
  • Release date: 20th February 2025
  • Developer: Ziggurat
  • Publisher: ININ Games

Disclaimer: X-Out: Resurfaced NS code was kindly provided by PR Hound for this review.

SPACE INVADERS: World Defense – A Cool New AR Smartphone Game

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Hold onto your blasters, because Taito – the developers of the OG Space Invaders – have unleashed Space Invaders: World Defense, a 3D augmented reality (AR) extravaganza that turns your smartphone into an alien-blasting weapon. Picture this: you’re waving your phone around in the air like you’re swatting digital mosquitoes, all in the name of defending Earth from an extraterrestrial invasion. That’s one way to get those arm muscles in shape, right? Welcome to the 21st-century workout routine, where Pokémon GO meets intergalactic cardio!


source: Taito Channel (YouTube)

And if you’re ready to embrace your inner space-pilot, you can snag this quirky game on iOS and on Android right now! Prepare to go head-to-head with pixelated invaders who’ve decided Earth is the hottest tourist spot in the universe. These little buggers are leveling up – they’re now masters of evasion, peeking out from behind buildings and doing their best dodgeball impressions. Who knew aliens had taken improv classes?

Be warned though, this isn’t just a solo mission. It’s an international showdown, as players team up across the globe to squash these pixel-pushers before they can beam up any more unsuspecting cows. High scores and special power-ups are the name of the game, and we’re praying that among those power-ups is a “Death Star Superlaser” option. Let’s be real, we could all use a planet-blasting tool to level the playing field. Otherwise, we’re leading the charge, and trust us, Earth’s fate is doomed if we’re in charge of fending off an all out alien invasion. We still can’t even fold a fitted sheet, let alone save the world.


source: Google AR & VR



Review: Remote Life

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The first horizontal (or side scrolling for the retro crowd) shoot’em up that took the world by storm was Irem’s R-Type. There was also Konami’s Salamander (aka: Life Force) too, followed by the Thunder Force series on the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis. These titles have become iconic in the shmup genre, so it is our privilege to announce that there is a new contender to be added to this illustrious list, Remote Life.

Just looking at the screenshots we have in this review, you’ll agree that Remote Life looks darn amazing. Coupled with the gorgeous visuals is a great soundtrack and sound effects, but most importantly, the action is top notch! With a myriad of weapons to pick up and cycle through, your ship can arm itself to the teeth to take care of enemies (and other obstructions) standing in your way. The game mechanic and control system is intuitive with modern controllers (moving, shooting, cycling weapons etc), making Remote Life an absolute blast (pun fully intended!) and fun shmup to play on your given system.

To think that this fabulous shooter was created by a single developer (Next Game Level), totally boggles the mind. It has a AAA look and feel, without the price, which is a massive win for us gamers. The inspiration of Remote Life may be old schools shoot’em ups, but it stands on its own, with its own unique shooter features.

Remote Life successfully merges the classic shoot’em up formula with its own new and unique improvements to differentiate itself from the crowd. One very cool feature is the 360 degree shooting, which is unusual for this genre, expanding the combat mechanic, while the presence of support machines such as allied automatic turrets or temporary drones, and even usable vehicles that drastically change how combat plays out, are welcome additions that modernise the shooter gameplay. The variety is another positive, with differing types of enemies – with new ones revealed in each level, and many unique and visually amazing mid and end-level bosses – each with their own attack patterns to keep you on your toes.

As mentioned, the weaponry is varied with new weapons introduced at each level, each requiring the player to pick up them up. The twist in the weaponry is the limited ammo, so you will have to be wise in what weapon to use on any given level. There are 16 missions which are quite varied, with some feeling more “open world” than others, so there is a ton of content to test your shoot’em up mettle!

If you have any interest in shooters/shoot’em ups, then we can’t recommend Remote Life enough – it is a visual, aural, brutal and fun extravaganza! This is one of the best shmups we have played in a long long while!

Details:

  • Game: Remote Life
  • Developer: Next Game Level
  • Publisher: Ratalaika Games
  • Release Date: May 27, 2022
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S & Nintendo Switch
  • Price: $18.99 / €17.99 / £14.99



Disclaimer: The Xbox Series X|S review code for Remote Life was provided by PR Hound.

Williams Defender Source Code Posted To Github

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Fancy checking out some assembly code of a classic arcade game from 42 years ago?

Thanks to Rob Hogan, you can now check out Eugene Jarvis’ (and his fellow Williams programmers’) assembly code from one of the most successful arcade titles from the golden age of the arcades, Defender!

Oh how we wish we had the necessary skills to comb through the code to find Easter eggs and amusing comments, as we are quite sure Eugene and co. would have inserted in this tough 1980 scrolling blaster!

If you do find some surprises in the code from ‘Dr J’ (aka: Eugene Jarvis), please let us all know either via Twitter or Facebook!

PS: This Defender code is for the ‘Red Label’ version of the game, which was one of four versions (the others being: White, Blue and Green) that were distributed to arcades.



Pew Pew Pew – We Love These Galaga Pins!

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GalagaYou would have all guessed it by now that we are huge fans of Namco’s timeless classic arcade and iconic vertical shoot’em up, GALAGA. The constant pew pew pewing at enemy ships as they stream down and across the screen never gets old!

It seems that we are not alone in our love of Galaga, as Etsy seller Wardingers has created these awesomely cute 1 inch Galaga Enamel Pins which we would proudly wear on our lanyard as we blast those pesky enemy ships!

source: Wardingers on Etsy



Cotton Reboot! – Nintendo Switch Review

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Cute’em up or shoot’em up? Whichever way you look at it, Cotton Reboot! satisfies both with its extremely fun shmup elements onboard a witches broomstick wrapped in cutesy remastered HD graphics. But don’t let the cuteness fool you, as this is one wicked game!

Let’s not beat around the bush, we have been playing and have been fans of shoot’em ups (or lovingly referred to as shmups) for 40+ years, starting with Space Invaders, so seeing another classic 30 year old shmup get a contemporary console release is huge news! To the uninitiated, Cotton is a much revered and iconic series which appeared on many consoles and computers, beginning with the arcade port of Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams on Sharp’s X68000, PC Engine, PlayStation, right through to the the Neo Geo Pocket.

Finally PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch gamers can experience some Cotton action via Cotton Reboot! for themselves, with all the colour and fun gameplay. This Reboot! offers 3 game modes (including the original X68000 Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams) new features/options and 7 stages that highlight what a sprawling horizontal shoot ’em up should be like, with a dazzling array of onscreen cast and challenges. Oh yeah, it would be remiss of us not to mention the parallax scrolling, it is *chef’s kiss* superb!

At the heart of all shoot’em ups, regardless of their orientation (horizontal or vertical), is to use the protagonist, in this case, your young witch, Nata de Cotton, to dodge bullets, kamikaze enemies, bombs and other nasty objects while doing some pretty cool shooting yourself and powering up to inflict some serious damage, especially when battling end of level bosses! Did we mention Cotton loves Tea Time too? Well, she does, which she collects at the end of each stage.

Each shmup game has their means of powering up and Cotton Reboot! is no exception. The hook here is collecting power crystals (which are dropped by slayed enemies), but you need to be quick, as they drop off-screen if you are playing the X68000 game. If you play the Arrange game, the power crystals float, making it easier for Cotton to sweep in on her broom to pick them up. Crystals dropped by enemies can be fired upon multiple times till they change colour. Picked up crystals increase Cotton’s EXP gauge, powering up her main shot. As for the colour of the crystals, yellow and orange crystals increase the power of Cotton’s main shot, the blue and red crystals give Cotton lightning and firebombs, while in the Arrange-exclusive mode, green and purple crystals drop massive rocks and nukes, respectively. Oh yeah, another cool new feature is that bombs can be levelled up three times by collecting crystals of the same colour, increasing their destructive power – now you are playing with, erm, power! No shmup is complete without a side kick to help you through the game. In this case, you can enlist the aid of Silk, Cotton’s magical fairy friend who can summon up different configurations to easily mow down your enemies.

The action can become frenetic at times with the screen becoming so busy that it is easy to miss enemy shots which can down Cotton. We aren’t big fans of the bullet-hell shmup sub-genre, which Cotton Reboot! sometimes delves into, but luckily it doesn’t remain there for too long, but something to consider if you absolutely despise bullet-hell shooters.

Cotton Reboot! will satisfy both newcomers to shoot’em ups and those of us that have been playing these types of games for decades. Don’t be deceived by the cute and enchanting graphical presentation, this game is devilishly fun, atmospheric and addictive to play. At AU$59.99 (Switch eShop), it is on the expensive side, but if you want the best cute’em up, it is worth checking out. There is a reason this series is loved by many, it is that darn good.



Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for Cotton Reboot! was provided by PR Hound.

VergeWorld: ICarus – A Nostalgic Blast!

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Whoa, the team at Retro Bones have been busy tinkering on VergeWorld: Icarus, a new sci-fi racer shoot’em up game (with exploration elements) for the Amiga, Atari and Mega Drive!

What is VergeWorld you ask? Far into the future, on a distant and inhospitable planet, mankind engages in one thing it knows well – war. The tyrannical corporate regime wants to enslave all inhabitants of the Kingdom – humanity’s new home. As a young smuggler, Nix, aboard the aircraft Icarus, you want to help the oppressed by joining the Revolt.

Download the Amiga demo to prove your worth by completing the infamous Death Run challenge and convince the Revolt to accept you as one of them!

image source: Retro Bones

 

Gradius V Official DVD The Perfect

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That Alex Reynolds (aka: Alexpletives on Twitter) has surprised us once again!

Hot on the heels of his Ikaruga Appreciate DVD, Alex showed us another DVD from Japan in his vast collection, this time, it was Konami’s Gradius V Official DVD The Perfect.

According to our good friend, Wikipedia:

“On April 9, 2004, Konami announced a DVD called OPTIONS, which was being offered to pre-ordering customers in Japan — containing interviews with the developers, art galleries and a number of videos demonstrating the inner workings of the game’s levels. Adding further incentive for customers to purchase the upcoming game, Konami later revealed the availability of The History of Vic Viper — a book indicating inner design, the background and the roadmap of the Vic Viper ships. The book was included with all versions of the original Japanese pressing of the game. An additional DVD with expanded content titled Gradius V Official DVD The Perfect was also released in Japan to be ordered separately or with the game from Konami’s online retail store, Konamistyle”.

We may need to ask Alex if we can “borrow” this DVD 😉

 

 

MEGAMANIA 64 – Have a Blast On Your C64

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One of the better Atari 2600 video games, Activision’s MEGAMANIA, has now been expertly and lovingly ported to the Commodore 64 by the very clever and prolific game dev, Nick Sherman of Arla Games!

The best part is, MEGAMANIA 64 is totally free! What are you waiting for? Grab the game and fire up your Commodore 64 and get blasting!

image source: Arla Games

 

Dragon Blaze: Old School Shmup For Your Nintendo Switch

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Just when you thought that you have all the best old school shoot’em ups in your Switch games library, Zerodiv swoop in with their fire-breathing beauty, Dragon Blaze!

With Dragon Blaze, we may have found the perfect vertical shmup (Ed: Sorry Sonic Wings 2!). Zerodiv have yet again reminded us that Psikyo’s long forgotten library of games is full of treasured titles. We are just glad that Zerodiv are bringing these awesome games to a new (and old) generation of gamers.

There is a story-line in Dragon Blaze but it’s your usual paper thin good versus evil, where the evil doers are seeking revenge and it is up to you to stop them. Who cares about the backstory when you have an awesome game, right? Of course we are right, turn your Switch in TATE orientation, pick your knight with their accompanying winged steed and get blasting some demonic baddies!

This game is a bit of a departure from the regular Psikyo TATE shmups which is due to the introduction of a third button – the ‘Dragon Shoot’. The ‘Dragon Shoot’ enables you to dismount your fearsome dragon, lunging it forward delivering punishment until you press the button again so the winged steed returns to its master. Since your knights have wings (thus can still fly around solo), and your dragons are utterly invincible, this is your best strategy to deal not only with bosses but also some of the regular foes. This game definitely encroaches bullet-hell territory but just stops short, which is a good thing in our books.

Both graphics and music are awesome and in keeping with the medieval-fantasy setting. Every stage offers distinct and memorable backgrounds, with enemies that are distinct to the stage you are on and of course, challenging bosses. As this game is full on, you won’t have time to stop and admire the lovely graphical details.

So why does Dragon Blaze belong in your Nintendo Switch games library? Well let us tell you, it is simply brilliant, unique with its Dragon play mechanic and super addictive. This is another must-have shmup for your every growing digital arcade collection on the Switch.

Disclosure: Dragon Blaze was kindly provided by Zerodiv for this review.