Earthion

Earthion is widely celebrated as a remarkable homage to classic 16-bit shmups, expertly blending nostalgia with modern polish. Developed by Ancient and featuring a soundtrack by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, the game impresses with its vibrant pixel art, smooth gameplay, and extensive customization options. It faithfully captures the spirit of Sega Genesis-era shooters like Thunder Force and Gaiares, while offering a balanced challenge across multiple difficulty levels. The inclusion of a unique upgrade system and secrets adds depth and replayability. Many players praise the game's technical achievement of running on original Mega Drive hardware and anticipate the physical cartridge release.

While overwhelmingly positive, some players noted initial visibility issues with enemy projectiles, which were addressed in subsequent patches, improving the experience. A few critiques mention the password-based save system as somewhat outdated and express a desire for widescreen support or additional innovations beyond classic mechanics. Overall, Earthion is hailed as a masterpiece of retro game design, appealing to both longtime shmup fans and newcomers.

Highlights

Players highly praise Earthion's gameplay mechanics, highlighting its smooth, frantic, yet fair shoot-'em-up action reminiscent of classic titles. The upgrade and adaptation pod systems introduce engaging risk-reward dynamics. Visually, the game boasts stunning, detailed pixel art with vibrant colors and authentic CRT filter options that enhance the retro aesthetic. The soundtrack, composed by Yuzo Koshiro, receives universal acclaim for its energetic, memorable tracks that perfectly complement the gameplay. The game's faithful recreation of Sega Genesis-era design combined with modern polish and multiple difficulty modes provides both accessibility and depth, ensuring broad appeal.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on initial visibility challenges with enemy bullets, which some found hard to discern against backgrounds, though later patches improved this. The password save system is viewed as outdated, with some players wishing for a modern save feature. A few found the difficulty curve unbalanced—easy mode being too simple and normal already quite tough. Some reviewers desired widescreen support and enhanced PC-specific features. A minority felt the game lacked innovation beyond classic shmup formulas and wished for more exploration or varied gameplay elements. A few also noted occasional input lag or control stick sensitivity issues.