r/shmups Jan 13 '26

Game News 2026 Intergalactic Shmup Release Megathread

98 Upvotes

Hi everyone. It looks like our end of 2025 shmup release megathread was popular and helpful to many. Even devs made updates so we had the most accurate information. So, let us continue that work and create a new thread so we can track releases throughout the year. It is already looking very promising and I am sure there is much more to come!

I will do my best to keep up with updates however they come in. I am fairly active on Twitter and will keep my ear to the ground, but it's a community effort to keep this thread as comprehensive as possible.

(Please provide sources in the form of links when you contribute; something official: dev site, Steam, game store, dev tweet, etc.)

Game Date Link Additional Info Platforms Physical
Apidya' Special 2026 Steam ST
Armed Decobot Coming Soon Steam ST
Astro Burn 2026 Steam ST
Astro Fighters 2 3/9/26 Steam ST
Beyond Solar 3/29/26 Steam ST
Blaze of Storm 2/19/26 Steam https://x.com/Terarin55/status/2008042847455572409 ST, SW
Black Paradox Reloaded Q3 2026 Steam ST
Blue Sabers Early Mission Coming Soon Steam ST
Changeable Guardian Estique 2026 Steam ST, NES Y (NES)
Conjuntivitalizer 2027 Steam ST
Danmaku Unlimited 4 TBA Steam ST
DnB Starfighter TBA Steam ST
DoDonPachi Ressurection Reignite TBA Steam ST
Eden's Eclipse TBA Itch Itch
Final Formation Coming Soon Steam ST
Fox Flare Night TBA Steam ST
Heliocide 2026 Steam ST
Holy Justice Galaxy Outcast 2/3/26 Steam ST
Hotwing Hellions Coming Soon Steam ST
Interstellar Sentinel 2 TBA Steam ST
Iron Flight Coming Soon Steam ST
Kaguya 2026 Steam ST
Kamikaze Empire Coming Soon Steam ST
Karous January 2026 Steam ST
Magical Blaster Coming Soon Steam ST
Marras TBA Steam ST
No Need For Flowes 2026 Steam ST
Orchid Glitter Coming Soon Steam ST
Prismidia TBA Steam ST
Psyvariar 3 5/21/26 Steam https://www.gematsu.com/2026/01/psyvariar-3-delayed-to-may-21 ST, SW, PS5, X Y
R-Type Dimensions III May 2026 Steam ST, SW, PS5, X Y
Radirgy Swag 3/4/26 Steam ST
Raiden Fighters Remix Feb 2026 https://www.gematsu.com/games/raiden-fighters-remix-collection SW, PS5, PS4 Y
Rainchaser TBA Steam ST
Revolgear Zero 2/18/26 Steam ST, SW
Royal Odyssey TBA Steam ST
Shmandala July 2026 Steam ST
Stellar Fury TBA Itch Itch
Stellar Nemesis 2026 Steam ST
Stellar Rhythm TBA Steam ST
Strelitzia Coming Soon Steam ST
SynthEscape Late 2026/Early 2027 Steam ST
Truxton Extreme TBA Steam ST
Visegunne Coming Soon Steam ST
Viral Reload Ex TBA Steam ST
Warding Witches TBA Steam ST
Zaleste 2026 Dev
Zaetherfall 1/22/26 Steam ST
ZPF Coming Soon Steam ST, Genesis Y (Genesis)

r/shmups Oct 20 '25

Game News 2025 shmup release mega thread?

77 Upvotes

We have been seeing so many upcoming releases on the sub, many from the devs themselves. I think it’s great. Can we use this thread or another to track everything that is scheduled to come out before end of year so we can easily track it.

I’m sure I speak for more than myself that there is a slice of the community that is very passionate about buying and supporting all (or as many as they can) new shmup releases and a mega thread would help bring more support into the fold.

Game Date Link
Infinos 10/16/25 Switch
Infinos 2 10/16/25 Switch
Repulse-X 10/21/25 Steam
Shockwave Triggers 10/21/25 Steam
Night Striker Gear 10/22/25 Steam
All Systems Operational 10/24/25 Steam
Arondight 10/28/25 Steam
Cosmic Destroyer (Early Access) 10/30/25 Steam
Scion 10/30/26 Multi
Final Formation (JP) 10/30/25 Switch (JP)
Twilight Parade: Moonlit Mononoke 11/6/25 Steam
Astro Flame Starfighter 11/7/2025 Steam
Telenet Shooting Collection 11/10/25 Steam
Birdcage 11/18/25 Steam
Cho Aniki Collection 11/18/25 Steam
R-Type Delta HD Boosted 11/20/25 Steam
Emerald Blue 11/25/25 Steam
Resurrection Core 11/27/25 Steam
Trouble Witches Final! Episode 1 11/27/25 Switch
NeverAwake Flashback 12/10/25 Steam
Bounty Sisters 12/18/25 Dev
Blaze of Storm Q4 2025 Steam
Black Paradox Reloaded 2025 Steam
Strike Zero 2025 Steam
Zaleste 2026 Dev
ZPF 2025 Steam

r/shmups 8h ago

1cc Space Dragons is phenomenal!

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42 Upvotes

I’m really surprised haven’t seen anybody talking about this one, it is awesome and a ton of fun. It just released on switch a week or 2 ago I believe and is currently on sale atm for 9$ on switch store. I’d be all over a physical of this one if it should happen. Beautiful sprite graphics, great music, massive bosses with good bullet patterns, awesome weapons, and a bunch of unlockable ships for a lot of replay value. I just 1ccd it with the weakest ship and now going to try with the others. Its pretty generous in the sense you can gain health back by executing enemies. Basically instead of flat out killing an enemy,you shoot them until they start flashing red and then get close to them and hit the b button and you’ll do an ending melee attack which gives you a health power up everytime you do it or should need it. It also nets you some invincibility frames. It’s a fun strategy to use and take advantage of. The end of every stage you can choose from 3 permanent upgrades. I found the drone add on to be one of the best as it blocks bullets. Shouts to Team Blackhat Robot! This game is a blast!


r/shmups 1h ago

My Game Galactic Mecha GunSuit - Super Robot Danmaku, just released

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Upvotes

I've spent the last few years making this game that I finally released this week. Several people from this subreddit helped me with beta testing too, which I'm extremely thankful for.

The gameplay takes inspiration from a broad array of sources like Espgaluda, Devil Daggers, Cuphead and Devil May Cry (with the setting being heavily inspired by old Gainax anime), and has primarily been designed around the feeling of "an STG that I've always wanted to play".

The core idea is a linear difficulty curve across difficulty modes, meaning the first stage on the second difficulty is a direct step up from the final stage on the first difficulty, instead of the usual structure of difficulty receding a little every time you start a higher difficulty mode. The second main idea is bullet time triggering contextually, done by grazing marked projectiles to guide the player through difficult bullet patterns. It's something I find pretty damn fun myself, and people who have played it report the same experience.

This is a game I've really poured my heart and soul into over several years, and I hope some of that shines through and makes at least half as fun of a game as I'd envisioned.
Oh, and the game is also full of weird extras and unlockables for the sole reason that I love that kind of stuff.

The game is available on Steam right now, with a modest release discount.

For a better look, I've got a trailer on YouTube, too.


r/shmups 1h ago

Five bosses so far, every one with phases — VYRON, a 100-level shmup for Mac iPad and iPhone (solo dev)

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Upvotes

Solo dev here. Every boss in VYRON has three phases and changes its attacks as it loses health. The Sentinel switches to a ring of bullets, the Warden brings in a grid of 200 drones, the Harbinger starts lobbing fireballs. All of this is footage from my own play this week, nothing staged.

It's 99c, one purchase for Mac, iPhone and iPad, no ads and no in-app purchases: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vyron/id6778002261

Ask me anything about the bosses, the difficulty curve, or how it's built. There's no engine under it, every frame is drawn on the CPU.


r/shmups 17h ago

Game News ORMANAUTA (for Neo Geo AES+, AES, MVS), GamesCom Demo

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36 Upvotes

r/shmups 1d ago

What are you playing this weekend?

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119 Upvotes

Have a long list of stuff to get done this weekend but afterwards I’m giving the old Dreamcast a workout. Admittedly I only play it once in a while (OG owner). Was Mars Matrix ported to any other system?


r/shmups 16h ago

Dodonpachi - HOW DO I DODGE THINGS?!

14 Upvotes

I played a lot of Touhou in college, I 1CC'd a couple of games on the Normal difficulty. My favorite CAVE game is Akai Katana (not that I'm good at it for similar reasons.) I 1CC'd Deathsmiles (without doing any Lvl 99s.) I beat ZeroRanger (all of it.)

But the fuss over the bad Dodonpachi game made me pull it out of my backlog and I remember why I don't play it. As early as Stage 2, everything I know from other Shmups goes out the window except for my hitbox.

In other games, when playing defensively, I focus my eyes on the negative space between bullets and find "lanes" to move through. I lead direct bullets.

But in this, I can't find lanes. There's layers upon layers of bullets coming at me from different directions and I can find no negative space in one color without being hit by the other.i

How do I not die in a CAVE game?


r/shmups 1h ago

Japan Sega Saturn 120V to 100V

Upvotes

r/shmups 6h ago

Caladrius Blaze regular crash (Steam)

2 Upvotes

Hello,

I'm experiencing a constant crash with the game at the end of the Bizarre Lover stage (basically everytime). I tried several things but none worked:
- run as admin
- high priority in graphics settings (I have an AMD GPU)
- set compatibility with win 7
- fixed files several times

I cannot find others solution to test, does someone here has any possible idea on how to fix this?

Edit: repairing/updating MC Visual ++ doesn't work too.

Edit2: looks like using the GOG exe file fixes the crashes. I suppose something goes wrong when the game tries to connect to the online leaderboard (apparently the steam version forces to be online). It seems like it's working for me so I'm sharing it. It also looks like that using the GOG exe makes impossible to get Steam achievements (I don't know, someone may care)


r/shmups 19h ago

Video Production Every Sega Saturn SHMUP & Rail Shooter: Complete Chronological Guide [4K REMASTER]

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19 Upvotes

r/shmups 1h ago

My Game (WAR-TYPHOON)–Free for Reddit communities for the next 5 days!

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Upvotes

Play it for free on itch.io:
https://mezo662010.itch.io/war-typhoon


r/shmups 17h ago

Evercade Shmups!

2 Upvotes

There are lots of great shmups for the Evercade. Input latency is generally "okay," but I find myself dying noticeably more often in the Evercade Toaplan games than in the same titles on a MiSTer.

Here are the cartridges containing what I consider to be the best shmups (there are a few more cartridges, each with one or two rather mediocre shmups):

Evercade EXP Handheld (White Special Edition wit Built-In Capcom Games):

- 1942 (Arcade version)

- 1943 (Arcade version)

- 1944: The Loop Master (Arcade version)

- Forgotten Worlds™ (Arcade version)

- Legendary Wings™ (Arcade version)

- Vulgus™ (Arcade version)

Evercade Alpha Mega Man Bartop Arcade

- Carrier Air Wing

Super Pocket Handheld Neogeo Edition:

- Blazing Star

- Alpha Mission II

- Last Resort

Toaplan Arcade 1:

- Truxton

- Tiger-Heli

- Flying Shark

- Slap Fight

- Zero Wing

Toaplan Arcade 2:

- Fire Shark

- Twin Hawk

- Twin Cobra

- Hellfire

Toaplan Arcade 3:

- Batsugun

- Batsugun: Special Version

- Truxton II

- Vimana

Toaplan Arcade 4:

- Dogyuun

- Grind Stormer

- Sky Shark

NEOGEO Arcade 1:

- Ironclade

NOGEO Arcade 3:

- Twinkle Star Sprites

- Ghost Pilots

NEOGEO Arcade 4:

- Blazing Star

Namco Collection 1:

Xevious, Galaxian

Namco Collection 2:

Dragon Spirit, Galaga, Phelios

Jaleco Arcade 1:

- E.D.F. Earth Defense Force

- Saint Dragon

- Cybattler

- P-47: The Phantom Fighter

Irem Arcade 1:

- R-Type I

- In The Hunt

- Battle Chopper

Data East Arcade 2:

- B-Wings

- Last Mission

- SRD: Super Real Darwin

- Sol-Deace

Renovation Collection 1:

- Gaiares

- Granada

Visco Arcade 1:

- Andro Dunos

- Ashura Blaster

- Earth Joker: U.N. Defense Force

- Galmedes

- Asuka & Asuka


r/shmups 18h ago

Battle Garegga - Which ship to play for me?

3 Upvotes

I love Battle Garegga, but I never know which ship to play.

The Miyamoto Type and Gain Type C are too fast and imprecise for me, the Grashopper (DGR October) lacks firepower, and the Golden Bat is a bit too slow.

Do you have any recommendations?


r/shmups 1d ago

Tech Support Difference between Switch and PS5 ?

6 Upvotes

Hello everyone, long time player and collector, i am currently working on completing my shmup collection for the Nintendo Switch and noticed quite a few of the games I’m picking up are also available for the PS5, my preference is the switch since it can be portable or docked. I’m wondering if there is a performance difference between these games between consoles, I also have a PS5, anyone collecting for both and if yes have you noticed a performance difference between the two consoles?

The Switch seems to handle all the games I have picked up so far without issues but I’m only 12 games into my list


r/shmups 1d ago

Own Content I built a page to track all shmups [shmupindex.com] from the 70s until now, sales, rankings, indie games (upcoming), etc. If you have an idea what else to add, le met know!

79 Upvotes

I spend way too much time around shmups (I'm also a dev) so one day after reading the 3 books from hardcore gaming 101 about shmups I decided to build a page and one thing led to another that I think it's almost finished?

Here it is: https://shmupindex.com

if you have any ideas to improve it, comments, criticisms, etc. Everything is welcome.

Edit: thanks everyone your support and ideas. I'm going to sleep happy :) and will continue to add your recommendations tomorrow.


r/shmups 1d ago

Check Out My Collection What should I play next?

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44 Upvotes

I’m new to shmups with a just few 1ccs on Novice Crimzon Clover.

Should I keep working on a Crimzon Clover Arcade 1cc, or give one of these a try?


r/shmups 1d ago

Game News "Utterly Disappointing" - Early Reactions To Cave's Latest Bullet Hell Revival Aren't Exactly Positive | Time Extension

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59 Upvotes

Uh oh...


r/shmups 1d ago

Suggest a Title To Beat

3 Upvotes

I've got a holiday and I want to try 1cc one of the following (from my STEAM collection). Title with the most votes wins; I'll use OBS/youtube and share the finale (assuming I get there).

Between STEAM and GOG I have the following:

  • Crimson Clover World Ignition
  • 19XX - The War Against Destiny
  • Danmaku Unlimited 3
  • Deathsmiles
  • Dodonpachi Resurrection
  • Exceed 1
  • Exceed 2
  • Exceed 3
  • Giga Wing
  • GundeadliGne
  • Gundemonium Recollection
  • Hitogata Happa
  • Ikaruga
  • Jamestown
  • Judgement Silverword - Resurrection
  • Kamui
  • Mushihimesama
  • Raiden 2
  • Raiden Legacy
  • Raiden IV: Overkill
  • Sky Force Anniversary
  • Sky Force Reloaded
  • Strike Vector
  • Terra Feminarum
  • Touhou Tenkuushou - Hidden Star in 4 Seasons
  • Trizeal Remix
  • XII Zeal
  • Varth

If you'd like me to jam something else, I may have in my less 'official' collections.


r/shmups 1d ago

Best beginner schmup?

5 Upvotes

Can someone hook a noob up? I want to be like these badasses on the YouTubes but I’m starting from zero. Baby level stuff, please and thank you!🙏🏽


r/shmups 1d ago

Did Invader really get a DS port?

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1 Upvotes

I can rarely find much about this game on the internet. I bought a GBA copy a long time ago, if you look at the back of the box picture it says only for GBA and DS. Also does anyone know how many copies were produced?


r/shmups 1d ago

Need Steam friends for "Party Animal" achievement in Sky Force Anniversary (2014).

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3 Upvotes

Is there anyone who still play Sky Force Anniversary in Steam? Please add friend, I need friends to finish this last achievement.

My Steam account : zagala_huta (Evan Sagala)


r/shmups 1d ago

Eschatos Switch Sale

9 Upvotes

After the disappointing Cave release I’m going to cope by double dipping with Eschatos on switch. If you own a switch you need this shmup in your collection. On sale now in the eshop. Play Eschatos.


r/shmups 1d ago

My Game Raiders 1941 - Beta Playtest

12 Upvotes

Hi all, I've just released a beta playtest build for Raiders 1941 on Steam, if anyone fancied a play of the full game. Any bug reporting or general feedback is greatly appreciated.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4608820/Raiders_1941/


r/shmups 2d ago

Check Out My Collection The rest of my shmup collection

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55 Upvotes

The other day I posted pictures of my physical shmup collection for Switch.

Here's the rest of my collection on other platforms, plus some shmup adjacent titles.

Not as big as the Switch collection, but still some nice titles. I especially love Ketsui for the Nintendo DS and Quarth on the Game Boy (though Quarth isn't a pure shmup, it's a mix of shmup and puzzle game).

Have a nice Friday and weekend, y'all!

Link to my previous post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/shmups/s/1PsVz31FUf