Alpharay is a new shmup for Commodore 16/+4

Why target something s mainstream as the Commodore 64 or even the Amiga when you can aim for the decidedly more obscure Commodore 16 and +4 computers.



Well, that's exactly what the makers of Alpharay did and it's available to pre-order now in three different editions (and downloadable from itch.io).

The Future Was 8 Bit releases physical C64 shmup Crazy Blaster

Been itching to buy a new physical shmup release for your collection? TFW8B can scratch that for you!


The pitch:

The game play on offer within Crazy Blaster is a mixture between arcade platforming and a shoot’em up game. Pushing up on the joystick will result in thrust being applied to your spacecraft allowing you to navigate from one platform to another. However, the ability to thrust is not infinite, meaning that you will need to apply multiple thrusts to be able to successfully pull off the longer jumps.

Once you eliminate all the aliens and rescue all the cosmonauts, you need to return safely to your base before you can move on to the next level. You will want to do all this before the timer expires as once the clock ticks down to zero, faster and more dangerous enemies will appear and hone in directly on you.

Bug Out available for Commodore 64

In a nice retro twist, Bug Out, a new run'n'gun game, is available for the Commodore 64.

Some retro news (C64 & Atari 2600)

Blastopia DX is a new shmup for Commodore 64 out now.

That Galaga for Atari 2600 I rambled about earlier is now known as Galagon (I think the name change is for copyright reasons) and available to download for both PAL and NTSC machines. The creators state: PLEASE NOTE: If you plan on playing this in an emulator, you must use the latest version of Stella (6.0.1) or Stellarator.  The game works on the Harmony (and Encore) with BIOS 1.0.5 or higher.

Vacation update number 1

I'm on my vacation right now so it's not every day I have a computer (I write blog posts on a real computer, I hate writing on phones and/or tablets) but here's a run-down of stuff that keeps happening anyway:

1. Blazing Chrome seems to deliver everything it promised:


2. Grazella has posted their first monthly update on the R-Type Final 2 development status.

3. Sarah Jane Avorys new shmup in development for the C64 has a name: Soul Force.

4. Acclaimed shmup Hellsinker is out now on Steam.

5. New shmup Red Horizon is out now on Steam, debuting July 19th. It's 10% off right now and as a result dirt cheap!

6. The physical edition of Caladrius Blaze for Switch is Korean and has started shipping. Mine sadly hasn't arrived yet.

7. With only days to go, July 25th is the date, Raiden V: Director's Cut for Nintendo Switch is getting retail releases in NA and EU. This one had me worried for a while with rumours of a "single print run" in "low numbers" being spread - possibly to stoke the fire of pre-orders.

8. After a substantial delay Dispatch Games has started shipping the NA version of Psyvariar Delta. They were gracious enough to send me an eShop key for the game (huge thanks! as an aside, I never ask for free games, and I don't expect developers to just give away their work) and I have the asian physical release from way back when.

9. My MegaSD has shipped!

A first here: MSX2 gets a new shmup

So... MSX was a computer standard roughly around the same time the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 was around. It was mainly a hit in Japan but had some shaky showings in Europe (I remember mainly the Spectravideo offerings SVI-728/738). By the time MSX2 showed up as a souped-up standard the game was mostly up. I never saw any MSX2 machine in Europe outside music stores (maybe they had a great MIDI interface or something?).

Anyway. What better way to revive interest in old hardware than to launch a brand spanking new MSX2 shmup?

Caravan Boomer is coming early 2020 with pre-orders already accepted. The game is written in assembly language and features music from luminaries such as Shinji Hosoe (EspGaluda, Strret Fighter EX) and Masahiko Ishida (R-Type 2, Ninja Spirits). The game has two modes, normal and (ta-da!) caravan. There will be a limited physical release available for about 40€.

2019 SEUCK competition open

The 2019 Shoot'Em'Up Construction Kit (SEUCK) competition is open, all games are available to play and you get to vote for your favorite to pick a lucky winner.

If you have a Commodore 64 or VICE at hand, start playing!

Votes need to be in by June 30th.

Parallaxian for C64 tries to Kickstart

Let's keep the C64 news rolling! There's a Kickstarter that ends June 16th that tries to get funding for a new shmup called Parallaxian.

If you're into shmups and the Commodore 64 you know what to do!

Early video:

Vortex, new SEUCK game for C64 released

Vortex is a new shmup for the Commodore 64. Like so many of its brethren on the C64 platform it's made using the Shoot'Em'Up Construction kit (SEUCK).

Download Vortex.

Bridge Strike review (Amiga game)

Although not as old as the Commodore 64, the Amiga from the same company is still plenty old. But the mid-80s to late 90s computer still commands a dedicated following and new games are being written for it, just as with the C64.

One such game is Bridge Strike which gets reviewed by (fittingly) AmigaGuru (kids today won't get the pun). Looks to me if you still have an Amiga and want a fresh shmup, Bridge Strike could very well be the way to go.

Goldrake for C64 released

While this is yet another Shmup made with the Shoot'Em'Up Construction kit (SEUCK) don't hold that against it.

Goldrake was released May 17th and is available for download for your cool Commodore 64.

The C64 still delivers: Let's Invade 2 & Neutron

The Commodore 64, the 80's home computer we all know and love, unsurprisingly still has life left in it.

First, as evidenced by the review of Let's Invade 2:


And then by exciting new shooter Neutron by the multi-talented Sarah Jane Avory:

Indie developments

Irena: Metal Fury is coming for Genesis/MegaDrive.

Galagaga targets the same platform.

There's also an unnamed shmup in progress for the Commodore 64.

The future looks bright, even for old hardware!

A whole lotta news!

Black Bird has already launched (back on October 18th), worldwide, on Nintendo Switch and is expected to arrive on Steam on October 31st. Here's a review.

Astebreed for Nintendo Switch (i sense a theme here) is arriving on November 7th.

Anger Force: Reloaded is a new shmup announced for Switch and tells us it's coming this year. eShop only as of now, but who knows if a physical release is in the cards at the rate they are appearing?


Yuge-san, holder of the Toaplan license, say they have a shmup in development for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch for release 2019.

If you want Hunter's Moon: Remastered for the Commodore 64, Thalamus Digital has orders open until midnight tomorrow. Hurry!

Steel Vampire's Steam page is up. This seems to be a big deal although I haven't heard about this one before.

Nintendo Everything brings us a closer look at the upcoming SNK 40th Anniversary Collection Limited Edition for Nintendo Switch.

Solid Aether is a minimalistic bullet-hell shmup available on Steam since September 28th that I haven't heard of before either (another theme?).

C64 shmup mono available now

The Commodore 64 has a living, active community that still release software for the old home computer.

mono is the latest shmup to get a cart release. It's a PAL release only, for C64 and C128.

Hunter's Moon Remastered out now (digitally)

Hunter's Moon is a 1987 shmup from Thalamus for the Commodore 64.



Hunter's Moon Remastered for the (same) C64 was released in a digital version recently and a cartridge is coming later this year from Protovision.

What's new?

• Over 180 levels spread across 21 Star Systems
• New level types including Jumpgates and Blackouts
• Trainer Version designed for novice players
• All-new Random Mode to test seasoned veterans
• Save your game progress direct to the cartridge
• Stunning new intro and outro sequences
• New in-game music and enhanced parallax starfield
• Built-in Level Editor to craft your own cunning creations
• Multi-language support for French, German, Italian, and Spanish
• Bonus: Original 1987 version also included on the cartridge!
• Full PAL & NTSC compatibility (Remastered Version only)

Bullet Heaven review of Raid on Bungeling Bay

Raid on Bungeling Bay (1984) isn't what I'd describe as news per se but hey, it's a new review!

I used to play this on the C64 but was never a big fan.

C64CD releases HyperZap 2018, for Commodore 64(!)

It's not every day I get to feature a brand new Commodore 64 game. And a shmup at that.

But here it is, HyperZap:



And just in case, here's some info on the Commodore 64 itself.

EDIT: More info on HyperZap.