Truxton Extreme

When Toaplan went into liquidation in 1994, one of the most influential companies in the shoot 'em up genre disappeared. The studio never reached the same scale as Capcom or Konami, despite making its mark in the late 1980s and early 1990s with games such as Truxton, Fire Shark, Hellfire and Zero Wing. However, its legacy lived on through developers who later went on to form companies such as Cave. That's why Truxton Extreme feels less like a sequel and more like a love letter to an era when every coin in the arcade counted.

My own relationship with the series has been sporadic. A few rounds on the Mega Drive, a couple of hours with Truxton Classic on my mobile, and a general appreciation for Toaplan's significance in gaming history. That's why it was particularly enjoyable to see just how well Truxton Extreme captures the spirit of the original. The game feels instantly familiar, whilst at the same time having been given a modern make-over without losing sight of its roots.

The graphics are stylish and detailed without, however, attempting to alter the series' identity. The explosions fill the screen with colour and light, whilst the music builds a pleasant rhythm throughout the adventure. It never takes centre stage, yet is constantly present, enhancing the experience. The fact that the original composer, Masahiro Yuge, has returned to give the classic arcade tracks a modern makeover sends a huge wave of nostalgic goosebumps down your spine. It also softens the blow of the game now being played in widescreen rather than the classic vertical 'TATE' mode - a shift that works surprisingly well thanks to the stylish 3D environments.

The game also offers considerably more content than I initially expected. For those who want to learn the basics, there's an instructional tutorial and the more forgiving Heart Starter mode, where an unlimited number of lives means the focus is on learning the game's mechanics rather than constantly having to start over. Heart Starter is more or less the first level on Easy mode, and I see it more as an extended tutorial rather than a standalone game mode.

Story Mode feels like that caring grandparent who always has a kind word to say and is happy to slip a little present into your pocket before you head home. The animated manga sequences and the narrative give the game a calmer pace and a sense of context. Here, you get to follow Ash, Bergamot or Cyrilla through their respective stories. That said, I would have liked to see greater variety between the campaigns. The levels and ships feel largely identical, which means it's primarily the plot that sets them apart.

If Story Mode is the kind-hearted grandparent, Arcade is the older relative who's been through the rough and tumble of life. It takes you up into the mountains, teaches you how to light a fire and build a generator out of a couple of pine cones, and expects you to fend for yourself when darkness falls. This is where Truxton's true spirit lies. This is where every mistake is punished and every victory feels well-earned.

For the competitive player, there's also Arena, where the focus is on scoring points and achieving high scores. If you want to share the experience with someone else, there's also a local Team Mode, which feels like a lovely nod to the days when arcades were still social hubs.

The controls feel precise and the challenge strikes a fine balance. Truxton Extreme isn't easy, but it's never brutally difficult either. It requires skill, good reflexes and a certain amount of patience. When I failed, I almost always felt it was down to my own mistake rather than the game feeling unfair.

I soon spotted a pattern in my own gameplay. I rarely used the bombs out on the levels; I saved them for the bosses. There, a barrage of lasers, projectiles and attacks awaited, putting both my reaction times and my patience to the test. When a boss finally exploded, it never felt like a fluke. The victory was well-deserved.

The power-up system works well too. My favourite quickly became the homing weapon, which provided a nice sense of flow during the most intense sections. This choice of favourite upsets the game's balance, as the white laser's overwhelming potential essentially eliminates the need to even experiment with the game's other weapons. Another annoying aspect is that the upgrades sometimes blend into the background. On several occasions, I accidentally picked up a weapon other than the one I'd built my playstyle around. This caused more frustration than challenge.

The only real objection I have to the pace of the game is the length of the levels. Most of them last somewhere between five and eight minutes. It's no disaster, more a matter of habit. I'm more used to shorter, more intense levels in this type of game, where the next boss is waiting just round the corner. At the same time, there's an advantage to this structure. Six longer levels allow for larger environments and more elaborate boss fights than if the game had consisted of a dozen shorter missions. The checkpoint system, however, feels oddly placed at times and makes the journey back a bit unnecessarily frustrating, especially when important upgrades have been lost.

Truxton Extreme never attempts to reinvent the shoot 'em up genre. Nor does it need to. The game builds on what once made Toaplan a force to be reckoned with, whilst managing to feel relevant to a modern audience. For my part, this is a game I know I'll be returning to. Every time an enemy ship explodes, it almost feels as though that old arcade hall is coming back to life. The scent of warm circuit boards, sweaty summer days and Coca-Cola in glass bottles made with real sugar lingers somewhere in the back of my mind. Sometimes that feeling is enough to make you want to pop in another coin.