Cave shmup classic Akai Katana to be rereleased this year

You cannot escape Bullet Hell

Among the announcements made during this weekend’s “Shooters FES 2022” presentation, City Connection announced that it will be facilitating a rerelease for Cave shmup classic Akai Katana. Though no strict date nor platforms were officially announced, the arcade hit will return later this year.

Check out the Shooting FES 2022 stream below, with an appearance at the 33:30 mark.

Originally released in 2010, during the latter-day shmup renaissance, Akai Katana is a dazzling bullet hell epic that tells the tale of a small band of resistance fighters, rising up against their own tyrannical rulers who have been sacrificing the people in order to satiate the bloodlust of the titular “Akai Katana” artifact. What follows is button-pounding, adrenaline-pumping mayhem of the highest order, as players fight back against the government and its unbelievably powerful defenses.

Considered one of the better latter-day shmups, Akai Katana found its way to Xbox 360 via a Rising Star Games port in 2011, where it won major acclaim from both critics and fans. This new upcoming release will allow the shmup community to return to battle on modern platforms, while also opening the doors for new audiences yet to experience its dramatic and compelling high-action gameplay.

Akai Katana will launch later in 2022. It is expected to arrive on Nintendo Switch and other platforms.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse