Tokyo, Japan – May 15, 2025 - TATSUJIN© a Japanese video game publisher that was one of the original founders of the legendary arcade developer TOAPLAN, today announced that the ultimate collection of its iconic shoot ’em up titles, which have enthralled fans for generations, will soon be heading to Europe on modern platforms in two volumes: Toaplan Arcade Shoot 'em up Collection Vol 1 & 2 on August 14th 2025. Both compilations will be released on Nintendo® Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S. There will also be a physical version available for PlayStation 5.
TOAPLAN is a legendary developer known for its arcade games released throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and the team at Tokyo’s TATSUJIN have been tirelessly working to make sure that retro game fans and new gamers alike can continue to enjoy their iconic legacy. Some of the games include not only the Japanese version, but also the international version with different specifications, allowing players to get their hands upon rare titles that were hard to procure in Japan. Swedish modern retro game veterans Bitwave Games, who specialise in blending old-school game design with all luxuries you expect from modern games, have been integral in ensuring that the games’ retro roots sparkle brightly with 21st century mojo.
So what’s on offer in each collection?
Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 brings you:
- Flying Shark
- Fire Shark (local cooperative support)
- Tiger Heli
- Twin Cobra (local cooperative support)
- Out Zone (local cooperative support)
- Fixeight (local cooperative support)
- Batsugun (local cooperative support)
- Dogyuun (local cooperative support)
Check out the Volume 1 trailer here
Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 2 contains the following titles:
- Zero Wing (local cooperative support)
- Hellfire (local cooperative support)
- Slap Fight
- Grind Stormer
- Truxton
- Truxton II (local cooperative support)
- Vimana (local cooperative support)
- Twin Hawk (local cooperative support)
Check out the Volume 2 trailer here
In order to bring these retro titles into the 2020s, a number of useful quality of life updates have been made to the games to alleviate some of the frustrations that original gamers had to endure from last century gaming, offering a full suite of options for beginners and veterans alike.
- PS5/4 and Xbox One and Series|X feature Achievements and Trophies
- Online Leaderboards are on offer, so you can test your metal against the best in the SHMUP community
- Stat tracking allows title-specific tracking of stats from your game sessions
- Dip switches - to recreate customisable arcade settings, such as region, lives, difficulty and autofire
- Assist features - even more aid features such as smaller hitboxes and increased player durability to let you take additional hits before dying and slowdown/speed-up - a must for anyone who finds old-school SHMUPs a bit too challenging
- Customisable audio settings and screen settings to capture the feeling of the good old days
- Rewind function - so you can go back and correct that little mistake that ruined your run
- Quick Save/Load - allowing you to create up to 6 save slots per title
For players wishing for a physical copy of the game, there are a number of first-print bonuses up for grabs:
- Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 - includes an exclusive sleeve made to house both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
- Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 2 - includes an “Instruction Card Gallery Book” containing arcade-style instruction cards for each game, including those in Vol. 1.
For more information on Toaplan Arcade Shoot 'em up Collection Vol 1 & 2, please visit the Clear River Games website:
Press Contact:
Overload PR on behalf of TATSUJIN©
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About TATSUJIN
TATSUJIN Co., Ltd. is a Japanese studio led by veteran Masahiro Yuge, one of the founders of the iconic arcade games studio Toaplan, known for their shoot ‘em up games. Tatsujin continues the heritage and manages the Toaplan catalog of classic games such as Truxton, Snow Bros., Flying Shark, and Zero Wing, known for the meme “All your bases belong to us.” For more information, please visit https://www.tatsujin.tokyo/.
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About Bitwave Games
Founded as Retroid Interactive in Gothenburg, Sweden, Bitwave Games is a developer and publisher of polished, high-quality, accessible, and fun video games mixing the best of the past, present, and future that anyone can enjoy. Bitwave joined Embracer Group’s Freemode operating group in August 2022.
About Embracer Freemode
Embracer Freemode (“Freemode”) is Embracer Group`s 11th Operating Group. Freemode is a global ecosystem of independently run companies led by passionate creators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders with decades of combined experience in gaming and entertainment. Freemode supports its businesses with strategic, operational, and financial support, helping its businesses accelerate growth with a long-term mindset.
Freemode is part of the Embracer Group AB family of companies, which is publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker EMBRAC B. (EMBRAC B).