As far as the formula goes, it hasn’t really changed. It’s a modernising of Sky Force, a 2004 mobile-focused shmup that saw a re-release of sorts a few years ago in Sky Force Anniversary. Playing the newly released Sky Force Reloaded made me yearn for those halcyon days, sure – but it also made me wonder if modernising those sorts of games is a good idea.Īs its name implies Sky Force Reloaded isn’t an entirely new game, but a riff on an older one. Though there have been quite a few fantastic shmups in modern times, it’s a genre that’s neglected. It’s a genre I’ve sorely missed one that nearly disappeared along with the arcades that once housed its best examples. Back before the genre become flooded with bullet-hell games that requires the dexterity of caffeine-addled ninjas, they were great for a being challenging, but not too challenging.
One of my favourite ways to spend time in the arcades (before Street Fighter II came along and stole years of my life) was playing vertically scrolling shoot-em-ups like 1942, Raiden and Sky Shark.