Pacific Wings (Xbox One, 2019 | XBLIG, 2012)

Pacific Wings
Developed/Published by Sprakelsoft GmbH
Released for Xbox One (6/25/2019) | Xbox Live Indie Games (8/2/2012)
Also on Android/iOS/PS4/Switch

Pacific Wings is a rather blatant clone of the old Capcom arcade classic 1942. The player flies an American P-38 blasting down waves of Japanese planes, exactly like the old arcade classic. Looking at screenshots or footage of the game shows some promise, with pixel-graphics that invoke a nice retro vibe. Here we'll take a look at the trial for Pacific Wings on the Xbox One and see how it holds up when compared to the original that inspired it or if it's even worth playing at all.

Chronoblast (XBLIG, 2013)

Chronoblast
Developed by n0rtygames
Released for XBLIG (2/2013)

Chronoblast is a vertical shmup, meaning you view the action from a top-down perspective shooting everything coming at you while flying forward continuously. The game boasts that it's the first on XBLIG to support tate, meaning if you have a vertically-oriented monitor you can tilt the image on its side to take up the whole screen. On a normal horizontal monitor the screen will be heavily cropped on both sides, so having the option to tilt the image is very nice and is a feature often overlooked by developers. The game also included networked high scores which was another nice bonus. Chronoblast definitely takes a lot of inspiration from classic Cave arcade titles in pretty much every aspect of the game. You can really tell the developers love their shooters and they've done an admirable job capturing the Cave-style shmup.

There are four characters to choose from, each sporting a different ship, pilot and shot pattern. While selecting between your pilot (all females), you have the option to select between three different skill levels: autobomb, normal and hell. Autobomb will provide a safety cushion and will automatically use a bomb rather than kill you upon taking a hit.  Normal mode is exactly as it sounds and hell mode is for those who want a real challenge. In a nice little touch, the easier the difficulty the more attire you'll see her wearing in her profile pic. The ship you pilot will have two modes of fire: laser and shot. The ship's speed decreases a bit in laser mode to help with precision dodging. You're also equipped with bombs and can build up a super-meter to unleash a temporary power boost to your attacks. Your ship is represented by a large sprite, but the little circle in the center of it is your hitbox, making it manageable but far from easy to dodge the onslaught of projectiles the enemies will send your way. Enemies will also drop score coins as you mow them down and instinctively you will want to collect as many as possible.

Chronoblast offers ranked, unranked and practice modes at the main menu. In ranked mode you'll try to rack up the highest score possible on a single credit. High scores are saved locally and there's a table for each difficulty. Unranked mode allows you to continue while practice mode lets you select a particular stage or boss to play. The game allows up to two-players to play simultaneously and having a buddy always adds to the fun. There are five levels, each with a mid and final boss. Each level is well-paced and enemies are diverse enough to have you constantly alternating between laser and shot modes. For those who can master the game and clear it on a single credit there's a true final boss you'll encounter at the end. Chronoblast is very similar to many of Cave's offerings and in my opinion that's a good thing; you can never have enough quality shmups, especially when it comes to XBLIG. It's really a shame that Chronoblast apparently hasn't been released for anything outside of XBLIG, though I've seen some links that talk about a PC version of the game but never found a legit download link for the game so I'm not sure on this.

Final Verdict: As far as XBLIG shmups go, Chronoblast is a superb effort and has everything you could want from this style of game, especially if you love Cave shooters!

Related Links:
Chronoblast - GameFAQs
n0rtygames - Official Site

Shoot 1UP (XBLIG, 2010)

Shoot 1UP
Developed by Mommy's Best Games
Released for XBLIG (2/2010)
Also on PC/Windows Mobile

Shoot 1UP is a vertical shmup with an interesting mechanic: every time you collect a 1-up, rather than just add it to your livestock the ship appears next to yours and there seems to be no limit on how many you can gather. You can contract and expand your fleet of ships using the triggers, and the farther apart your ships are the more massive the laser beam they generate will be. They'll also be more prone to enemy fire of course, creating a nice risk/reward mechanic. The graphics are all done in high-res art that looks very good for the most part. The boss designs are unique and the levels themselves never really feel like they overstay their welcome. The stages have sections in them where the path branches off and you're given the choice to select between the regular path straight ahead or to veer off to the side for a more difficult route. These are very unique in that your ship will turn and the game will temporarily turn into a horizontal shooter until you eventually change course and revert back to vertical orientation. The game has its own built-in achievements you can unlock as you play. Overall Shoot 1UP is a very admirable effort to do something fresh with the shmup genre and is absolutely worth the dollar asking price.

Final Verdict: A fresh take on the vertical shmup, Shoot 1UP is definitely worth a look for fans of the genre.

Related Links:
XBLIG Shmups - Xbox Overview 
Mommy's Best Games - Xbox Overview
Shoot 1UP - GameFAQs
Shoot 1UP on PC - Steam
Shoot 1UP on Windows Mobile - Microsoft
Mommy's Best Games - Official Site
Shoot 1UP Review - XBLA Fans
Shoot 1UP Review - Indie Gamer Chick

Pester (XBLIG, 2013)

Pester
Developed by Flump Games
Released for XBLIG (1/2013)
Also on Ouya/PC

Pester is a vertical shoot 'em up with a retro-arcade feel. The graphics look like something from the early to mid-80's, the screen is cropped like it was natively a vertical game (though there is not tate option) and there are scanlines emulated to make it seem as though you're playing on a CRT monitor. While the action looks like an older arcade game, you have bullet patterns to dodge inspired by the more modern bullet-hell shooters. Your ship has the ability to toggle your movement speed holding the left trigger when precision dodging is needed. Coins are dropped by defeated enemies that when collected will help build up your hyper shot meter, which will give your firepower a temporary boost when activated.

The graphics in Pester are a mixed bag, with the ships looking like something out of Galaga while the backdrops look like something that would have come out a decade later. There seems to be a lack of sound effects, for example the coins don't even make a sound when picked up. The enemy explosions fail to impress both in graphics and sound. While Pester definitely isn't the prettiest shmup available on XBLIG, when it comes down to the gameplay there is still a fun and challenging shooter here. There are quite a few modes to unlock, the game keeps tabs on your high scores and there are some settings to customize as you play. You can select the background, music, overlay and ship design. This all helps add a nice amount of replay value. In arcade mode you can play classic mode or boss survival. There are also survival, asteroid belt and boss modes that can be unlocked for achieving certain scores on particular modes. There's also another mode called Tempus which is a timed mode. There's a number next to your ship that is constantly ticking away. Instead of lives, dying will take ten seconds off the clock. Enemies now drop clocks instead of coins, and each clock you pick up adds an additional second to your clock. It's a fun and unique mode and rounds out what was already a nice package.

Pester is definitely a good effort as far as shooters on XBLIG are concerned. The full version features an appearance from one of the ships from Chronoblast which is neat. There's thousands of worse ways you could spend a buck! The game was also ported over to PC and the Ouya. It's currently on Steam for $0.99 just like when it was up on XBLIG!

Final Verdict: Pester is an enjoyable and challenging vertical shooter. While not the best on the service, it retailed for only a buck on XBLIG and is worth a look for genre fans.

Related Links:
Pester - GameFAQs
Pester on PC - Steam

Valkyrius (XBLIG, 2013)

Valkyrius
Developed by Firestorm X
Released for XBLIG (9/2013)
Also on PC

Valkyrius is a vertical 2D shmup with a lot of polish. The graphics are composed of high-res sprites that all look good with lots of detail. Valkyrius has a cool feature where your ship can teleport in any direction to escape from danger in a hurry. You'll only teleport a short ways from where you were but it can save you from death easily. I was only able to reach the second stage before the trial was over, but I was very impressed with what I saw. The ship you pilot has two modes of fire each assigned to the triggers. Certain enemies will drop weapons and you get a nice variation of stuff like missiles, spread shots and machine guns. The ammo is limited on each weapon pickup, but thanks to your two modes of fire you can simultaneously hold and fire two weapons. You can spend your earned points on each run to customize your ship. The full game features six stages, high score tables, unlockable medals (similar to achievements) and artwork, five difficulties and two player co-op local. A high-quality title like Valkyrius comes at a price, however, and the game retails for $4.99, which is the highest price point allowed on XBLIG. That said, I do feel like the quality of the game from what I played in the trial easily justifies the price. A definitive version of the game, called Valkyrius Prime, would later be released to Steam and would be the definitive version of the game.

Final Verdict: Valkyrius is an excellent vertical shmup and is up there with the best of 'em on XBLIG.

Related Links:
Valkyrius - GameFAQs
Valkyrius Prime for PC - Steam

Broken Pearl (XBLIG, 2014)

Broken Pearl
Developed by Mikael Tillander
Released for XBLIG (12/2014)
Also on Ouya/PC

Eight months after dropping the Toaplan inspired shooter Twin Tiger Shark developer Wide Pixel Games released Broken Pearl, another fantastic vertical shmup. The game definitely reminds me a lot of the classic Toaplan shooters with some inspiration from modern bullet-hells for good measure. The game is best experienced on a monitor rotated for portrait view but it still plays just fine, albeit heavily cropped on any typical landscape screen as well.

The enemy explosions in Broken Pearl are very satisfying and the overall graphic design is solid. While some of the backdrops are a bit drab, the enemy attacks are so relentless you'll hardly have time to notice. The controls are spot-on and I always felt accountable for my deaths as the enemy bullets are bright and very easy to spot. The game is a throwback shooter so it's very basic, but it still offers up a serious challenge. In standard Wide Pixel Games tradition the game offers no continues and requires a single credit run in order to see the finish. That means once you lose all three of your ships in stock it's back to the beginning of the game! You have one button to fire and one buttom to bomb; that's it. It's a bit refreshing to have such a simple shmup, but there is a bit more to the gameplay in Broken Pearl. Tougher enemies release power-up capsules which cycle between weapon boost, score multiplier and bomb-stock. There are also helper units that can be freed from a cage and will fly by your side to assist when released. If you can manage to stay alive with your helper units they can be stacked for double the extra firepower which is a really cool feature.

Before starting a stage, you have a ship selection, one with a powerful focus shot and the other with a weaker spread shot. After selecting a ship you're given a selection of missions to choose from. This isn't a stage select, just a sub-objective to be completed as you play. These usually involve killing a certain enemy type but there are some variants. Completing a mission will net you a point, live or bomb bonus upon completion of the stage. The game is one-player only, so you'll have to tackle this one solo. The game is tough and there are no difficulty settings, so to be honest with you I can't even tell how many stages the game has to offer. I can confirm that there are at least three levels, but I will return to this review at some point if I ever manage to get any further. Typically shooters of this variety have five to six stages. The game grants you an extra ship every 147,500 points, but staying alive long enough to rack that score up is no easy feat. The enemies are plenty and the bullets are fast in Broken Pearl, resulting in one of the more challenging shoot 'em ups on XBLIG. On an unrelated note the first boss uses a Godzilla sample when damaged which I thought was cool.

The game had an option to upload your hi-score via QR code. Another menu option keeps tabs on enemies killed in the bestiary. In the options menu you have the option to rotate the screen and controls for portrait style monitors. Broken Pearl is definitely a tough game, but I'd put it up there with the best of best in the genre on XBLIG.

Final Verdict: Broken Pearl offers up some ultra-challenging old school shoot 'em up action. A fantastic vertical shmup that fans of the genre should not miss!

Related Links:
Twin Tiger Shark - Xbox Overview
Birth Order - Xbox Overview
X.S.E.E.D. - Xbox Overview 
Heavy Recoil - Xbox Overview
Broken Pearl - GameFAQs
Wide Pixel Games - Official Site

Twin Tiger Shark (XBLIG, 2014)

Twin Tiger Shark
Developed by Mikael Tillander
Released for XBLIG (2/2014)
Also on Ouya & PC

Twin Tiger Shark is an overhead vertical shmup with an old-school feel. Rather than the bullet-hell mania of most modern shmups, Twin Tiger Shark is a throwback to the '80's arcade titles developed by shooter heavyweight Toaplan. Specifically this game reminds me a lot of Sky Shark & Flying Shark, two of Toaplan's arcade classics. Like the arcade titles that inspired it, Twin Tiger Shark has the most basic of control layouts, with one button to shoot and another to bomb. You're granted three ships and you get no continues, forcing you to pretty much master the game if you'd like to see it all the way through. The difficulty is tough, but if you can stay alive long enough to get your ship powered up the game is very fair. There's an icon you can pick up that will send in a squad of helper ships that will fly and fight alongside you for some extra firepower until they're destroyed. The graphics in Twin Tiger Shark feature some nice, detailed pixel art. Explosions look excellent and the enemy bullets flash bright orange and stand out among all the action. Once your game is over you have the option to upload your hi-score via QR code. The game has the option to rotate the monitor for vertical orientation. Overall Twin Tiger Shark is an excellent homage to an old game company the dev obviously has a lot of love for, resulting in one of the finest shmups available on XBLIG.

Final Verdict: Fans of old-school shooter games definitely need to look at Twin Tiger Shark...it feels almost like Toaplan released a new game in 2014!

Related Links:
Broken Pearl - Xbox Overview
Birth Order - Xbox Overview
Heavy Recoil - Xbox Overview
X.S.E.E.D. - Xbox Overview
Twin Tiger Shark - GameFAQs
Wide Pixel Games - Official Site

Mega Shooter 11 (XBLIG, 2011)

Mega Shooter 11
Developed by infiniteplay
Released for XBLIG (10/2011)

Mega Shooter 11 is a horizontal shmup that makes a great first impression. Upon booting the game up I was greeted with some nice NES-style pixel graphics and a game that instantly brought back memories of Life Force (or Salamander depending on where you reside). Unfortunately I quickly became rather bored by the uninspired level design, with the same couple of enemies coming at you over and over. Enemy bullets defy all logic and pass right through solid objects. There are several areas featuring the same assets just slightly mixed around, making for some very repetitive level design. I really wanted to like Mega Shooter 11 as it really looks the part of a retro shooter, unfortunately it lacked the gameplay to make me want to come back for more once the trial had ended.

Final Verdict: Mega Shooter 11 looks pretty awesome in screen shots, but the gameplay is lacking the polish that the best shooters on XBLIG have to offer for the same price. You can safely skip this one.

Related Links:
Mega Shooter 11 - GameFAQs

Vampire Rage (XBLIG, 2010)

Vampire Rage
Developed by Tricktale
Released for Xbox Live Indie Games (6/2010)
Also on Windows Phone

Vampire Rage is a vertical bullet-hell shoot 'em up, a genre that is no stranger to the Xbox 360. Rather than piloting a ship like in most traditional shmups, in this title you play as a floating vampire out to revenge the death of his woman. Unlike many vertical shooters, this one is locked in widescreen view so there's no options to support monitor rotation, but the playfield is wide and takes up the screen as opposed to being cropped. As far as I can tell, the game was only released for the Xbox 360 and the now defunct Windows Phone platform. The development team was comprised of only three people and with this taken into consideration, Vampire Rage is quite competently put together and is a game worth checking out for shmup fanatics.

Your character sprite appears a bit large but the game grants you a generous hitbox and even though it's not clearly defined it never was a problem during gameplay. Similar to most modern shmups, you have two rates of fire, a spread shot while tapping the fire button and a focused laser shot when holding it. Your rate of movement also slows while holding the fire button, making it a bit easier to sneak around some of the tighter bullet spreads. Unlike most shooters, the game doesn't feature a bomb to save you in times of panic, but to compensate for this you have a sword attack that will reflect bullets in addition to damaging any enemies within its radius. The sword attack will only reflect the pink projectiles, so you can't just send everything flying back. The sword can be used as frequently as you need but there is a brief recharge time required after each use. If you use the sword amidst a large number of projectiles, you'll form a vortex that acts like a bomb and will damage all nearby enemies. The sword is a cool feature though it does tend to make the game a bit on the easy side, especially on the normal difficulty.

The graphics and presentation of Vampire Rage are definitely above average. The menus are all easy to navigate and the in-game graphics are composed of high-res art rather than the normal pixel art you'll normally see in shmups. The backgrounds will frequently repeat themselves throughout the levels, but what's there looks good. The enemies are a variety of demon type things, and there's a decent variety of them between stages. There are brief story segments offered before each stage with accompanying artwork that definitely looks a bit amateur but gets the job done well enough. The biggest issue with the game is that there are only three stages on hand. Each stages ends with a boss battle and the levels themselves are of decent length but the entire game can be completed in about 10-15 minutes. The game states that the story is to be continued at the end but with the game being eight years old at the time of this review it's unlikely that the sequel will ever see the light of day. I really feel like the game could have used another two or three stages, but I'm sure the developers have their reasons why corners had to be cut.

Vampire Rage offers two difficulty modes: normal and rage. Normal mode starts the player off with five lives while in rage mode you'll start with only three. Normal mode is good for beginners or those who just want to see the game and rage will definitely be enjoyed by those who welcome a challenge. There is also support for local two-player coop gameplay, allowing the second player to join in anytime throughout the game. The game keeps tabs on your high scores and at one point offered an online leaderboard, but with the age of the game and the deletion of the indie games marketplace this feature is no longer functioning. I really enjoyed Vampire Rage and would have definitely been interested in the sequel but unfortunately it appears the series will never continue as the developers blog hasn't been updated since 2012. The game is incredibly short but I still found it to be a worthwhile experience and one I come back to play again every now and then.

Final Verdict: Vampire Rage is a short game but well worth a look for shmup fans. It's good fun batting bullets back at enemies with your sword!

Related Links:
Tricktale - Developers Blog

Nandeyanen!? - The 1st Sutra (XBLIG, 2014)

Nandeyanen!? - The 1st Sutra
Developed by Tchagata Games
Released for XBLIG (8/2014)
Also on PC

Nandeyanen!? - The 1st Sutra is a horizontal shmup released for XBLIG in August 2014 and later in 2015 for PC. The game is your traditional bullet-hell shooter and feels like something you'd play in a Japanese arcade. The graphics are composed of high-resolution sprites featuring some nice artwork and coloring. The game looks really good in motion though there is some noticeable screen-tearing (though this is a common issue with many 360 titles). Enemy bullets are bright and pink, making them hard to miss. Rather than piloting a ship, you control a flying tengu, one of those dudes from Japanese mythology with the long-nose. Your enemies consist of various yokai which makes for an interesting and strange assortment of foes to shoot.

Any shmup worth its salt needs something to set itself apart from the pack, and Nandeyanen!? - The 1st Sutra features a "pod" button you can use to summon some help. This can be used to parry bullets (similar to Street Fighter III's parry move) or take down enemy shields by having the pod emit a blast. You can use three pods at a time at which point you'll have to wait for them to recharge. Another somewhat unique feature to this game is the lack of weapon power-ups, your shot remains at a consistent strength throughout the entire game, but the enemy placement was obviously laid out with this in mind so it never becomes an issue. Certain enemies throughout each stage will drop a relic, and if you collect enough of these you can knock off about a quarter of the stage boss's health meter before the fight even starts. You also have a bomb that will clear the bullets off the screen, which will come in handy when you have a curtain of bullets coming at you.
At first you might be surprised at how large your character sprite is, but like in most bullet-hell style shooters your hit-box is actually quite small. In Nandeyanen!?, your hit-box is the little circle on your characters belt, which also shines to indicate when your pods have recharged. The only real complaint I have against the game is that it only features three stages. The stages are quite lengthy and feature both a mid and final boss battle, but it's all over too quick and the game really could have used another level or two. Even with the short length, this is still a fun title worth coming back to every now and then. The game does offer three difficulties to provide some extra challenge as well as a bonus gallery featuring some concept art you can unlock. Upon completion, the game teases that the 2nd Sutra will be coming soon but unfortunately that doesn't look like it's ever going to happen.

Final Verdict: Nandeyanen!? - The 1st Sutra is short shoot 'em up title featuring only three levels, but it's very competently designed and a joy to play. Shmup fans should check this one out.

Related Links:
Nandeyanen!? - Tchagata Games Official Site

Star Crisis (XBLIG, 2010)

Star Crisis
Developed by Excalibur Studios
Released for XBLIG (8/2010)

Star Crisis is a horizontal shmup released exclusively for XBLIG. Rather than piloting a ship like the majority of these types of shooters, in this game you play as an astronaut, floating about in space. The big difference in gameplay here is that your character is constantly floating downwards, and the player must use the thrusters to keep afloat, similar to Lunar Lander. This makes something as simple as lining up your shots or grabbing a power-up a lot harder than your typical shmup. The title features retro-styled pixel graphics and they are well above-average. The chiptune music on the first level was quite catchy. After playing through the trial for Star Crisis, I was impressed by the overall look of the game however I found myself really wishing the game had a standard control scheme for the movement as I just really couldn't get a feel for the thrusters in a horizontal shooter like this one. Star Crisis has a neat idea that just didn't necessarily translate to additional fun.

Final Verdict: Star Crisis is a horizontal shmup where you must thrust to move about. Those who love the thruster controls of Lunar Lander might enjoy this one.

Redshift (XBLIG, 2012)

Redshift
Developed by Daniel Aguisky
Released for XBLIG (3/2012)

Redshift is a vertical shmup released exclusively for XBLIG. The game features a red tint to everything and the ships are presented very basic in their design. Gameplay is very much a traditional bullet-hell shmup, with your spread and focus forms of fire and ship speed decreasing when firing your focused shot. Unique to Redshift is the gauge that when filled, can unleash either a screen-clearing bomb or activate slow-motion. The game boasts having 999 procedurally-generated levels, which can make for quite a bit replay value. From the menu you can select from several difficulties so the game can be a bit easier than your typical shmup, making it a good game for those new to the genre as well as series veterans. While Redshift is not the prettiest game to look, it plays well and shmup fans should easily find it worth the dollar price tag.

Final Verdict: Redshift is an enjoyable 2D shmup that doesn't look the greatest but has solid gameplay deeming it worth a look, especially for shooter fans.

Revolver360 (XBLIG, 2010)

Revolver360
Developed by Cross Eaglet
Released for XBLIG (12/2010)
Also on PC

Revolver360 is a horizontal shmup with 3D rendered graphics. The poly count isn't the highest, but everything has a good polished look for the most part. All of the ships and enemies consist of weird abstract shapes. The unique feature of Revolver360 is that by using the left and right triggers you can turn the world around 360 degrees, allowing you to turn a curtain of bullets on their side making it flat and easy to dodge. It's an interesting mechanic for sure and definitely gives the game a feel of its own. There's a short game mode for quick bursts of play and infinite game mode that will go on until you die. The backgrounds during the game are constantly switching up and at times can be so psychedelic and bright it makes the enemy bullets hard to see. Overall the gameplay feels good in Revolver360, making yet another of many solid offerings in the genre on XBLIG. The game is currently priced at a dollar so you really can't go wrong with this one!

Final Verdict: Revolver360 is a solid horizontal shmup with a unique rotation feature. Well worth checking out at the $1 asking price!

Birth Order (XBLIG, 2012)

Birth Order
Developed by Mikael Tillander
Released for XBLIG (3/2012)

Birth Order is a horizontal 2D shmup from Mikael Tillander, who would later go on to form Wide Pixel Games and create some of the better shooters on XBLIG (check out Broken Pearl and Twin Tiger Shark). Everyone has to start somewhere though, and there's a reason this is one of his titles that stayed exclusive to XBLIG. That's not to say it's all bad, however, as the game controls well and has some pretty cool ideas, there's just not really a whole lot to it. You have four methods of fire, each mapped to a different face button on your pad. Enemies can only be defeated by whatever button they are assigned to (you will literally see the button on the enemy). It's a decent idea but in execution it doesn't work quite so well. If you have the controller layout dedicated to memory, the game is far too easy for the most part. If you struggle to remember which button is where, however, you may have a difficult time with this game. The levels are very short, you'll shoot some fodder enemies for a little bit then face off against a boss. The boss battles will actually require some bullet dodging which is a bit difficult due to your ships one and only default speed. Birth Order looks good with its weird ship designs, decent looking backdrops and bonus point stars exploding all over the screen from downed enemies but the gameplay overall is a bit lacking. With no need to line your shots up and just pressing buttons to take out your enemies, Birth Order looks like a shmup but doesn't really play like one.

Final Verdict: Birth Order looks like a shmup but is more of a button-match-em-up. It's nice to see attempts at innovation but this one didn't really work out.

Related Links:
Wide Pixel Games - Xbox Overview
Birth Order - GameFAQs
Wide Pixel Games - Official Site