Credit Feed 7: Tigers, Sharks, Cobras, Men in Tights, Robots, Aliens
Review for the Toaplan Arcade Collection Volume 1 (on Nintendo Switch)
Background
In January (2026) I answered some questions for Hyde’s Over/Under series. One of the questions was about retrogaming, which I decided was overrated (at this moment). I did concede that:
There is lots to love about [retro games]: the aesthetics, the challenge, the music, the lore and history of making the games…
Today I’ll be talking about a collection of games, that happen to be retro and have the aesthetics, challenge, and history that I love. The games included in this collection are all shooting games (or variations thereof) released between 1985 and 1993.
I cannot talk about these games without dedicating a few words to the company that made them, Toaplan. Since September 2024, I’ve had a little obsession when it comes to games: shooting games, shmups, shoot’em ups, STGs. Poking around on this blog, you might come across posts about Radiant Silvergun, shmups in general, Psikyo, and Evercade games. That post about Evercade was in April 2025. I got a taste of what Toaplan was about, and I’ve been waiting to play more ever since. Shortly after writing the post on Evercade, I sold it all because I read the announcement for the Toaplan Arcade Collections.
Before giving my opinion on these 8 great games, it is important to quickly talk about the history of Toaplan. Toaplan was a developer that made a number of well-received shooting games between 1985 and 1994. The history of this company is enough to warrant a soon-to-be-finished documentary and plenty of ports over the years.
I find it interesting to learn that, despite bankruptcies and disbandings, we can still have these games on modern consoles today. Game preservation and good ports are important, even if it means paying for a 40-year-old game that can be emulated on an Android phone.
Toaplan was formed by members of two other bankrupt companies, Orca and Crux, but then went bankrupt too. The members of Toaplan went on to found or work with other companies, like Eighting (known for Battle Garegga), CAVE (known for the DoDonPachi series), Gazelle, Takumi (Giga Wing), and Tamsoft. One of the six founding members of Toaplan, Masahiro Yuge, formed the company Tatsujin, which owns the rights to the Toaplan shooting games. Tatsujin was acquired by the Embracer Group. Embracer also owns the other Freemode subsidiaries including Bitwave Games (the developer of this collection) and Clear River Games (the publisher).
Part of me wants to complain about this situation, but in this instance I cannot. I am very content with the collection, I just regret not purchasing the physical editions. The presentation is great, the games are well-ported (some funky sound stuff happening here and there), they didn’t lock any versions behind pricey DLCs (some M2 games do this), there are DIP switches, sound options, save states, fast-forward, slow-motion, and rewind functions along with leaderboards. Quite frankly, Bitwave did such a fabulous job that I didn’t hesitate in buying Volume 2 a week later.
Reviews
Initially, I thought that I’d just play Batsugun, because that was the game I enjoyed the most on Evercade. As great as Batsugun is, though, the other games are extremely addictive and have insane reply value. Playing the games in chronological order showcases a studio getting better at their craft and taking advantage of new technology; a studio that deserves known today as one of the masters of shooting games.
TL;DR
The Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 is a solid B collection with an overall score of 15/20.
I like all the games. Despite scoring Batusugun higher (it does deserve it), the four older games are strong entries too. I spend the bulk of my time dying again and again playing those games, but enjoying every minute of it.
Tiger-Heli (1985)
aka タイガーヘリ
This is the first Toaplan shooting game. You play as a helicopter across four levels (not as easy as it sounds, even on easy mode). If you’ve played any type of game in the genre, you might be familiar with bombs. Bombs are used in many shooting games as a way to clear the screen, or as a shield to absorb enemy attack. Tiger-Heli was the first shooting game to incorporate bombs. Another detail in this game is that you see your bombs on the helicopter rather than as a counter somewhere on the screen, and these bombs have their own hit-boxes meaning that if they are hit by enemy fire they explode automatically.
There are three things you will notice about this game immediately:
- The speed of the helicopter
- The distance your bullets travel
- The graphics
Your movement speed is slow and deliberate. This adds to the challenge and was a way to adapt to the technology (two Zilog Z80 8-bit microprocessors, which is the same processor used in the Sega Game Gear). After getting past the speed issue, there is the shooting issue: your shot only overs about a third of the screen. These quirks make Tiger-Heli is game about routing, memorizing, and strategy.
Finally, the graphics. They are fine for 1985, and if you read enough reviews about this game you will see multiple people comment on the patterns used to represent forests and oceans. The forests are abstract geometric shapes made with a palette of five shades of green. It works and it reminds me of papercraft artwork. The oceans don’t move at all, they are blue with a repeating motif of white squiggles to represent waves. They remind me of soap running down the window of a vehicle going through the car wash.
The simplicity of the graphics and plodding speed of your helicopter belie the challenge and addictive nature of the game. I can only assume that this thing ate coins at the arcades. Even on the easiest difficulty with the extends set to 5 I cannot make it to the third area (NB: The collection does have settings and quality of life features to make it “very easy”, of course I can finish the game using those options). Even as I write this, I’m looking forward to playing it again.
I give Tiger-Heli a C.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 2 |
| Sound | 2 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 3 |
| Challenge | 3 |
| TOTAL | 13 |
As a postscript, I wanted to note that the American arcade installation manual for Tiger-Heli has a “Recommended Tools and Supplies” section that includes items like:
- Enthusiastic attitude
- Glass of Water and a Snack
- Patience
- Common Sense
- A Good Night’s Sleep
Flying Shark (1987)
aka Sky Shark, 飛翔鮫 (Hishou Same)
Two years after Tiger-Heli, Toaplan released Flying Shark. Your helicopter has been swapped out for a slightly faster plane (that even banks when moving left or right) and the hardware upgraded to a Motorola 68000 (found in lots of arcade hardware at the time, and also at home in consoles like the Sega Genesis). Inspired by Thailand (and the film Apocalypse Now), the terrain is more varied and there is life on the ground.
Your plane now operates using power-ups obtained by destroying certain waves of ships. This will upgrade your shot from a basic forward-facing canon to a spread-shot. Your vehicle is smaller than in Tiger-Heli (with a smaller hit-box), and so are the enemies which are also airborne which means collisions. Shooting planes once will cause them to crash and destroy targets on the ground, which is rather satisfying.
The improvements over the previous entry are notable, however, I am scoring Flying Shark the same as Tiger-Heli. This should be seen as a compliment to the latter rather than a slight against the former. Flying Shark scores a C.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 2 |
| Sound | 2 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 3 |
| Challenge | 3 |
| TOTAL | 13 |
Twin Cobra (1987)
aka Ultimate Tiger, 究極タイガー (Kyukyoku Tiger)
Released seven months after Flying Shark as the sequel to Tiger-Heli. Twin Cobra adds weapon types and other power-ups to the formula resulting in slightly more strategic gameplay. Over 10 stages, the player deals with other helicopters, tanks, fixed cannons, boats, and various aircraft.
As of writing, this is the game that I enjoy replaying the most in the collection. I am just as horrible at it as the others, and it is more difficult than the first two games mentioned, but the artwork and music along with the gameplay mechanics hit that sweet spot for me. Having only played a handful of shooting games, the influence of this game is felt. As mentioned, you can upgrade your shot via power-ups (floating S icons) as well as change your weapon type (forward-facing missiles, dispersed shot, laser, and four-way—I like them all except 4-way). In other words, exactly what we expect in shooting games.
Graphically, it is similar to Flying Shark, with finer details and better sprite proportions than those in Tiger-Heli. The track for the first level (Break a Leg!) is still excellent after hearing it so many dozens of times again and again.
Twin-Cobra is an addictive B- game that even casual shooting game fans need to play.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 2 |
| Sound | 2 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 4 |
| Challenge | 4 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
Fire Shark (1989)
aka 鮫!鮫!鮫! (Same! Same! Same!)
This game adds features to the Flying Shark formula similar to how Twin Cobra added features to Tiger-Heli. You’re back in a plane again, though now you can collect different weapon types (which can be powered-up). You have the spread shot, the fire shot, and the beam.
Fire Shark is a very challenging game. As you progress the enemy bullets are faster and more plentiful, and the more power-ups you collect the faster certain enemies react. Still, it remains replayable. It is a memory/route game, so the enemies will always be at the same spots (this is the case for all the games in the collection). My first time playing I used all of my credits on the first three waves of enemies. Now I can make it to the third level.
Graphically, things are nice and detailed. There are occasions where I cannot see the enemy fire because of these details, and the number of enemies and bullets on screen. The fire shot hides enemy bullets. The controls are tight, and the tunes are good. Fire Shark is a C+ game that needs the difficulty turned down ever-so-slightly.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 2 |
| Sound | 2 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 3 |
| Challenge | 4 |
| TOTAL | 14 |
Out Zone (1990)
aka アウトゾーン
This is one of the games that I had actually played before on Evercade (along with FixEight and Batsugun). The difference here is that I can play it on a larger screen, and that changes so much. It is not one of the games that I play the most in the collection, but that isn’t because of its quality. I just happen to enjoy the shooting games with flying ships a little more.
From the moment the game starts, it is HIGH-OCTANE. The music is banging, the sprites are big, and you got to move! This game doesn’t scroll like other shooting games, you need to move in order to collect energy tanks. No energy? Game over. Somehow, despite the stress of keeping an eye on your energy gauge, this game feels a tad more approachable than some of the others in the collection.
In terms of gameplay, there is some strategy to keep in mind. You collect power-ups as you play, and are also offered chances to swap your weapon firing style. The fixed spread shot seems like a solid choice, but is a little weaker than the somewhat harder to manage directional shot. And if you pick up and of the special weapons, it is very satisfying, especially the “Super Ball.”
Out Zone is a B+ game that I only came to appreciate after playing it on a larger screen.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 4 |
| Sound | 4 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 3 |
| Challenge | 3 |
| TOTAL | 17 |
FixEight (1992)
aka フィグゼイト －地獄の英雄伝説－ (FixEight -Legend of the Heroes of Hell-)
FixEight is the successor to Out Zone. Some reviewers and fans rate this game higher than its predecessor. I admit, it is an improvement. The action is still fast-paced, plus there are more characters and the energy collecting mechanic has been removed. It is easy to imagine this game being a hit in arcades. It also works great as a couch co-op credit feeding game.
Visually and musically, I find the game less punchy than Out Zone. The colours seem washed-out, and the music didn’t stay in my head like with the other games.
Even if this is my least favourite game in the collection, I can’t score it lower than B-.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 3 |
| Sound | 3 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 3 |
| Challenge | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
Dogyuun (1992)
aka ドギューン!!
This game…
This game is hard as f-ck. But it is so good-looking. You just want to press your face against the screen to look at those pixels. It has a great atmosphere: like science fiction’s best-of space, water, robots, aliens, and weird weapons.
It is just full of surprises. From enemies blasting out of nowhere, to rock’em sock’em sequences and mechanics that are unique to this game. Once again, you have weapon types and power-ups, but bombs are fewer. You can occasionally pick up a boost thruster or even use a tractor beam (fun when playing with a friend).
The only thing stopping me from giving it a higher score is the replayability factor. It is perfectly fun to credit feed this game, but in the end I find it very challenging, and I don’t find the weapons that balanced. I suppose hype had an impact here too. This was a game that I was looking forward to trying (I refrained from watching videos or even emulation before buying the collection).
Nonetheless, it is still a gorgeous B-tier shooting game if you’re into endurance gaming that destroys your thumbs.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 4 |
| Sound | 3 |
| Controls | 3 |
| Replayability | 2 |
| Challenge | 4 |
| TOTAL | 16 |
Batsugun (1993)
This game is epic. That isn’t hyperbole. It is accessible for newcomers, looks and sounds great, has different ships to use, and is the ideal length for a shooting game.
If you have never played a shooting game before, it is my opinion that this game is a good start.
Toaplan’s swan song represents an evolutionary step in the genre by presenting us with the foundations of bullet hell. It has one foot in the past, and another in the future. That is probably why it is so well-known and has received its own Special Version (included here) and separate releases starting with the Saturn in 1996 and even a manga.
Playing is ridiculous fun. You power up your shot and never really power down. Even if you die, your ship will respawn at the same power. You can very quickly reach full power and rain death upon your enemies in such a satisfactory manner that death won’t bother you in the least because doing it again is a joy. The three ship types have different shot styles, but they are all equally fun to play as.
Graphically, you have refined environments that are sometimes destroyable. You start underwater and burst out to fly over beaches and waterfalls before taking to the sky and beyond as a member of the Skull Hornets. Yes, that is the name of your team of elite pilots which includes Schneider, the pilot from Flying Shark who was cryogenically frozen and brought back for this mission. This game oozes 90s coolness.
You can play for score, for survival, or just credit feed for fun with a friend. Batsugun is a brilliant A- game. The fault I have with the port on this collection is with the sound, which seems to sound off on occasions. Maybe that is just me, it is something I’ll need to look into. Either way, go play this game.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 4 |
| Sound | 3 |
| Controls | 4 |
| Replayability | 4 |
| Challenge | 3 |
| TOTAL | 18 |
Conclusion
The numbers I’m attributing to these games do not reflect which ones are my favourites in this collection.
If that were the case, it would look something like this:
Batusugun > Twin Cobra > Flying Shark > Fire Shark > Tiger-Heli > Out Zone > Dogyuun > FixEight
The games on this collection are certainly worth preserving and making available on modern consoles. The presentation is great, so I’ll repeat myself: Bitwave did a fabulous job. The one small addition that I would add to the presentation is a “game information” option on the selection screen. Not a museum, just something that states the release date, a short description, and perhaps a few tips for scoring or playing. I was right to want to play these games, my only regret is not buying the physical edition.
Links/References
- TOAPLAN Arcade Collection – Clear River Games
- Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 (2025) - MobyGames
- Posters retrieved from the Internet Archive and The Arcade Flyer Archive
- Toaplan STG Chronicle – 2012 Developer Interviews
- Toaplan Music – Composer Interviews (1987-1992)
- Toaplan (Satsuma Femur) – 2012 Developer Interview
- Toaplan STG Chronicle Q&A (2012)
- Toaplan Hardware
- Toaplan - Wikipedia
- Toaplan - Shmups Wiki
- Toaplan Wiki - Fandom
If you want to support my video game habits, I won’t object. You can toss me some spare change on Ko-fi or Liberapay. Feel free to add me on Switch too (SW-1969-8135-5396).