Simply put, SHMUPS are awesome and I fangirl over them all the time. What’s better than rapidly turning waves of enemies into flaming space shrapnel, only to face branching paths while searching for upgrades and taking down epic bosses? The 80’s and 90’s were chockful of them but now, it’s Xydonia’s turn!
Uhhh…gesundheit?!
So what’s a “Xydonia” you may ask? It’s a love letter to retro Japanese SHMUPS that is currently in Kickstarter, sitting pretty at over half of their $22,223 goal with 16 days left. Paying homage to legendary SHMUP entries such as Darius, R-Type and Gradius, Xydonia promises:
- soul-shredding fast-paced shooting action,
- an amazing soundtrack composed by legends Shinji Hosoe and Keishi Yonao,
- devastating weapon and armor upgrades,
- various characters with unique play styles,
- branching paths, and (drum roll)…
- two-player coop!
SOLD!
All in all, Xydonia is just what old school SHMUP fiends are needing in their lives. Developer Breaking Bytes is promising us a return to a purer time when skill mattered and disruptive, hand-holding tutorials weren’t even invented yet. Sounds like a sweet return to roots to me!
