We’ve talked about the Toaplan Arcade releases on Steam in the past, which chronicle some of the best “shmups” in their development history. The first two volumes offered some killer favorites like Truxton and Zero Wing (that “all your base are belong to us” game), along with long lost favorites like Slap Fight (no hands included) and Flying Shark. They’re well worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Now we come to Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol. 3, which features four separate games to choose from. Batsugun will likely be the most recognized of the group, thanks to its recent re-release on Nintendo Switch. But there’s also Tiger-Heli, which you may remember from the NES days; as well as the interesting Fixeight and the surprisingly engaging Vimana.
For a very reasonable price, you can snag all four and add them to your collection. And you can do so with solid emulation and plenty of options to choose from as you work on your “shmup” mastery. There could be some things added – like maybe historic details for each game – but as it stands, this collection has plenty to offer, just like the others.
Where To Begin?
Honestly, each of the games included here have some quirky shooting enjoyment to them. Fixeight is actually pretty good fun, despite its dorky screenshots indicating that it resembles a bad 80s film. And, of course, Tiger-Heli delivers some dependable shooting goodness, with your helicopter flying through the unfriendly skies.
However, I found two titles to be standouts here. The first is Batsugun, which is definitely in shooter legend with some people. Its difficulty definitely spikes pretty often, but it makes up for that with noteworthy power-ups and absolutely splendid visuals. Not to mention the boss designs are something else. It still packs a punch, and now that it’s on Steam, you can easily add it to your collection.
But, man, Vimana came out of nowhere to absolutely floor me. This is a wonderful shooter in its own right, with its own level of difficulty to tackle and immense bosses to reduce to ash. The explosive effects are also noteworthy, and, yeah, the power-up system works on its own level. These two are definitely where I’d start, but you can’t go wrong with any of the games.
That said, the structure is interesting. Rather than being bundled in one convenient game launch, the four titles are installed separately. Also, there’s no history option here, just the four games. But, fortunately, there are options you can play around with, including accessibility ticks that help you to adapt to each game’s difficulty curve. They’ll actually make you a better player over time.
So, yeah, the package balances itself out. There could’ve been more, but what’s here is sufficient.
So How Do the “Shmups” Play?
Of course, a shooter is only as good as its gameplay. After all, if you’re barely able to guide a careening spaceship through space, what’s the point? But this is Toaplan we’re talking about here, and they continue to deliver after all these years.
Each game in the Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol. 3 handles beautifully. Again, Batsugun is my favorite of the bunch, though the other three games have a lot to offer. What’s more, there are gameplay options for each, including difficulty setting, screen changes (so you can actually see what’s happening, gasp) and even the ability to record gameplay and change up audio settings. Want to listen more to the music? You can do that here.
The games also have different control options available. Me, I prefer to go with the gamepad, if only because I grew up on consoles like the Genesis and what not. But this game handles really well with keyboard as well, if that’s your bread and butter. And yes, each of the games work on Steam Deck with barely any hitches, save for any graphic tweaks you have to make (depending on how you want to see the screen).
Along with gameplay, the emulation is also done really well. Each “chiptune” soundtrack for the games delivers, and the visuals don’t show any hints of slowdown, despite the franticness you’re seeing on-screen. Emulation done right, yet again.
Make It a Toa-plan To Enjoy These Shooters
If you don’t mind the age of these shooters and the lack of any sort of historical footnotes (something to consider for Vol. 4, perhaps), Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol. 3 will give you the bullet heck goodness you seek. Each of the four games included here are a lot of fun to play, and the bevy of options available will keep you busy, especially on the accessibility front. Plus you can finally add Batsugun to your collection and enjoy its elite status, if you weren’t doing so already on another platform.
As long as compilations like this keep coming, we’ll welcome them with open arms. And fast trigger fingers.
GAMERHUB RATING: FOUR (out of FIVE) JOYSTICKS
(Thanks to Bitwave Games for the review code!)
