Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.1 launches February 14
Today we’re pumped to announce that Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.1 hits Steam on February 14, 2023. Forget the flowers this Valentine's Day - start building the ultimate library of classic arcade shmups with your beloved one instead!
Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.1 consists of a well-curated selection of classic shmups; Zero Wing, Out Zone, Twin Cobra, and Truxton, all enhanced with Quality of Life features, Achievements, Online Leaderboards, and much more. We can’t wait to hear what you think! 😄
Remember to follow us on Twitter and join our Discord for the latest updates. See you all on the battlefield! 🚀
Introducing: Community Challenges on Discord
Hi shmupers! We're introducing Community Challenges on our Discord!🚀
The rules are simple:
1️⃣ A new challenge every week
2️⃣ One lucky winner for each challenge
3️⃣ The winner gets cool Toaplan stickers
Zero Wing, Out Zone, Twin Cobra and Truxton hits Steam in 2023
Hey shmupers! While trying to pinpoint a release date, we looked at all the content we want to include, and decided to push the release of Out Zone, Truxton, Twin Cobra, and Zero Wing till early 2023.
However, the extra development time will help us make these ports as true to the original as possible while also adding Quality of Life features such as instrument panels with extra gameplay information and artwork, Quick Save, Very Easy Mode, Achievements, and much more.
Thank you for your support and understanding! We can't wait to see you all enjoying these arcade cult classics when they hit Steam 2023.
Till next time, watch our previous announcement videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0w9v2-DpxY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evlB47kaqRU
The Toaplan Project: An in-depth update
Dearest Bullet Wave Surfers, My name is Carl-Henrik Skårstedt, the developer on the PC Toaplan Shoot 'em up Collection here at Bitwave Games.
Developer Carl-Henrik Skårstedt and Community Manager Andréas Göransson
Today I would like to share more information after the announcement video. I hope you've already watched it, but if not, please check it out below before you continue reading.
This iteration of the project started one year ago. I had lunch with my friend Martin Lindell, who hinted I could help make PC versions of the classic Toaplan arcade games. I replied that I had already completed it!
I was talking about The Flying Shark Emulator, later renamed the Shark Emulator. It was a project that Magnus Danielsson and I created nearly 25 years ago and the first emulator for many of the Toaplan games.
What made working on that emulator so special was the community we interacted with. All the fans helped us by requesting more features, sourcing new games to emulate, and so on. We also had a great line of communication with other emulator creators like RAINE and MAME, where everyone helped each other. Check out the list of acknowledgments on the Toaplan Museum website.
To document the games featured in the emulator, I also set up Toaplan.com. The website grew quickly thanks to the community, and I am grateful for all the support. Today the website has been renamed Toaplan Museum and is hosted by Jerker Hedlund, as I lost the original domain many years ago.
The reason why we're announcing the games now is to be able to hear your thoughts and collect valuable feedback. The best way to get your voice heard is by joining the official Bitwave Games Discord server.
But we're not the only ones working on Toaplan-related projects. Don't miss out on "All your base are belong to Toaplan", a feature-length documentary that celebrates the history of Toaplan, scheduled to be available mid-2023.
Also, check out ShmupJunkie on Youtube or visit the Shumps.com forums, both with active Discord communities. Shmups.com is a fantastic but inactive site with reviews of some of the games from the Shark emulator.
I am thrilled to work directly with some of the original Toaplan staff through Tatsujin Co, Ltd., including the CEO Masahiro Yuge. Masahiro Yuge worked as a designer, composer, and programmer on many of the games we are currently emulating, and he's a true legend.
Ps: If you're wondering about the shirt in the video, I accidentally wore one of my favorite t-shirts that day instead of a Bitwave Games shirt. I develop Commodore 64 games in my spare time. One could say it was a happy accident :)
Toaplan’s classic shoot 'em ups are coming to PC!
Greetings, folks! Today we´re pumped to announce that we´re dipping our toes into the era of classic arcade gaming, and publishing a number of classic titles from iconic Japanese developer Toaplan on PC! 🚀
This a project that started 25 years ago, and also the first time that the games are available on personal computers. The release comes with a broad range of quality-of-life enhancements, such as stunning pixel-perfect graphics, rewind, achievements, online leaderboards, sidebar indicators, and a brand new Very Easy mode!
We´re starting with a wave that will include Truxton, Twin Cobra, Out Zone, and the legendary Zero Wing, where the “All your base are belong to us” meme came from. They will all be available later this year in a bundle of 4 or sold separately.
Oh, and by the way. You can wishlist Out Zone and Zero Wing on Steam today!
Which title are you looking forward to the most? Comment below or join our Discord!
