If you're a fan of Gradius-style horizontal shooters like I am, you're both excited and a little disturbed by Konami's upcoming Otomedius Excellent, which keeps the old-school gameplay of flying shooting things, options, and lasers but replaced the space ships with flying, dressed-as-you-might-expect anime-inspired girls, one of which is supposedly related to the Castlevania Belmont clan.
The wonderful people at Konami were kind enough to share some information and screenshots with us. They say:
"On the heels of its release in Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced new details and screenshots for Otomedius Excellent, coming to Xbox¨ 360 entertainment system from Microsoft later this year. Sequel to the Japan-exclusive hit Otomedius Gorgeous, Otomedius Excellent brings the side-scrolling shooter action made popular by its predecessor to North America for the first time. Also included are local and online multi-player, new artwork and a pulsating soundtrack. "
The game will also sport three-player multiplayer, nine playable characters, and, presumably, none of the classic Gradius vehicles like the Vic Viper. Ah well. But check out the screenshots below! There is no known official US release date, but Wal-Mart.com, GameStop, Buy.com, and CDUniverse.com have it listed for roughly $39.96 with a June 28, 2011 release date. The game hit Japanese shelves last week and import copies cost about $80-- so we'll be waiting for the American release.
--Adam Pawlus
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