Vintage shmup action on Switch.

M2’s Shot Triggers range has a track record of bringing rare and refined arcade shmups home, either making them available on consoles for the first time ever or at the very least making them affordable for the first time in decades. The titles M2 work hard to preserve for future generations are often so incredible their reputations precede them; everyone from long-term genre fans to casual shmup players being well aware of their general importance and great mechanical depths within these extraordinary releases – and then there’s Aleste Collection, a gaggle of Master System and Game Gear games that were mostly already available at home and in English decades ago. It’s easy when faced with this latest release to wonder why M2 bothered creating this instead of going for something like Progear no Arashi, Batsugun, or any number of other shmups that would easily fit in with the style and status of previous Shot Triggers ports.

Easy, but wrong. In spite of the apparent ordinariness of the games within, this collection couldn’t be more M2 if it tried; it’s the perfect showcase of the company’s love for the genre and an honest desire to see good old games remain relevant, remain played. As such, it’s actually business as usual for gaming’s premier retro wranglers, with the Shot Triggers logo acting as a seal of quality – a promise of fun times with a carefully-curated selection of games. You’ve just got to trust them on this one.

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