The original Truxton was released for arcade, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, Android, iOS, Linux, Macintosh, Blacknut, Anstream, and Evercade. The 1992 sequel was released for arcade, FM Town, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Antstream.

Here’s the press release for Truxton Extreme:

Take Aim at 30th July: Truxton Extreme is Coming to PlayStation®5, Xbox, Nintendo® Switch2 and PC this Summer!

Original Mastermind Masahiro Yuge Returns to the Truxton Series with a Reimagined Soundtrack, Plus Comicbook Storytelling by Junya Inoue

Karlstad, Sweden – March 30, 2026 – Clear River Games, a video game publisher specialising in classic and retro games, in partnership with development studio Tatsujin, today announced that Truxton Extreme will be coming to PlayStation®5, Nintendo® Switch2, Xbox and PC (Steam and GOG) on 30th July, 2026. The launch will include standard and deluxe editions available in both digital and physical formats, plus a limited bonus gift for the speediest of shmup fans.

Truxton Extreme is the 2026 return to the legendary Truxton series, a new entry for the first time in 38 years. Originally debuting in the arcade halls of 1988, Truxton earned its place amongst gaming’s most iconic franchises thanks to the thrill of its gameplay, impactful soundtrack and classic design. This summer Clear River Games, together with original Truxton mastermind Masahiro Yuge, presents a modern evolution of the shoot ‘em up genre with a game that retains and builds upon the legend.

Fans of explosive shmups should buckle up for Truxton Extreme as this vertical-scroller is packed with excitement and atmosphere. The series’ iconic design is now fully rendered in 3D, while Yuge has reimagined tracks from the 1988 title to create brand-new music for Truxton Extreme. The result is an experience that transports players to a world of nightmares, and the exhilaration of blowing them to pieces.

18 chapters of arcade action are accompanied by beautiful comic book storytelling by artist Junya Inoue, formerly of TOAPLAN and known for his manga such as BTOOM, as a digital comic adds narrative depth, interwoven through the game. For the first time in the series players will follow an epic storyline with human drama as they take on the roles of three TATSUJIN, Ash, Bergamot and Cyrilla, to defend Earth.

Far from a simple shoot ‘em up, Truxton Extreme features multiple game modes for players to work their way through:

• Story – Combining action and comics, Story Mode takes players through the main game of Truxton Extreme to unlock episodes, read comics and clear shmup stages.
• Arcade – In true arcade style Arcade Mode is pure unrelenting action in which players clear all stages in sequence.
• Heart Starter – A more forgiving mode, Heart Starter is recommended for beginners to get used to the game. Players will recover from enemy hits in a few seconds and won’t lose lives, even if they make mistakes.
• Team – Take on the Geranium invasion together! Team Mode allows two-player co-op, sharing their bombs, their lives and their scores. Players can rescue each other too.
• Arena – A 2-minute time trial, Arena Mode sets the challenge of defeating as many enemies as possible to get the highest score.
• Pipiruville – Defeat enemies during the game to rescue Pipiru aliens, keep at it and players will unlock Pipiruville and develop their village. Check in and see them!

Quick reflexes will help players venturing into the world of Truxton Extreme, but they will also help fans looking to purchase the game too. Truxton Extreme Thunder Master Edition will include a special box, an O-sleeve, an A5 hardcover art book, an A5 manga style soft cover manga, original soundtrack on a 2-disc CD jewelcase and a lenticular card showing skull-bomb. Moreover, Clear River Games has a little treat for early birds picking up the Thunder Master Edition, a Pipiru Plushie, while stocks last!

Truxton Extreme will be available on 30th July, 2026, via digital download on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox and PC (Steam and GOG). The standard digital edition with an MSRP of $24.99/€22.99, and the deluxe digital edition with an MSRP of $29.99/€27.99.

Truxton Extreme will also have a physical release on 30th July, 2026. The standard physical edition will be available with an MSRP of $49.99/€44.99 for Nintendo Switch 2 and $39.99/€34.99 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox.

For more information on Truxton Extreme please visit Clear River Games’ social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, or the Truxton Extreme website here.

Press Contact:
Overload PR on behalf of Clear River Games
team@overloadpr.com

All copyrights, trademarks, logos and brands are property of their respective owners.

***

About TATSUJIN
TATSUJIN Co., Ltd. is a Japanese studio led by veteran developer Masahiro Yuge, one of the founders of the iconic arcade games studio Toaplan, who played a leading role in that company’s development, known for their shoot ‘em up games. TATSUJIN continues the heritage and manages the Toaplan catalog of classic games such as Truxton, Snow Bros., Flying Shark, and Zero Wing, known for the meme “All your bases belong to us.” For more information, please visit https://www.tatsujin.tokyo/.

Follow TATSUJIN on X.

About Clear River Games

Clear River Games is a publisher with love for classic retro games. We are a small team in Karlstad, Sweden, founded by the Freemode Group (part of Embracer Group). Our vision is to bring the joy of experiencing vintage retro games and revived classic game franchises to players all over the world. We focus on publishing high-quality classic game franchises, modern retro and pixel art games and indie games that inspire gamers and bring back great memories of the past or discover new great games. With physical editions distributed online and in retail stores, we want to make great and unique games accessible to retro game fans around the world.

©Clear River Games.

The post The Legendary Shmup Returns: Truxton Extreme Arrives July 30th appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

• A new analysis of player data has revealed the Nintendo Switch 2 has had the best-received new game releases in 2025 so far.
• Player stats were pulled for 100 games released this year: number of people playing, backlogs, replays, percentage retired, and rating.  
• The Switch 2 scored best across every category, with the lowest retired rate and highest player rating for games available on the platform. 
• Xbox Series X/S ranked second and the PlayStation 5 was third, while Xbox One performed the worst across all consoles analyzed. 

A new analysis of player data has identified which games consoles have released the best-received new games this year so far – and which have let fans down.

The analysis came from video game asset marketplace Chicks Gold, which analyzed the following metrics from HowLongToBeat across 100 games released in 2025: number of people currently playing, number of backlogs, number of replays, percentage of players who retired the game, and percentage rating.

The results for these games were then grouped and averaged based on which platforms the games are available on, with each console given a final score out of 100 to indicate which has released the best content this year. 

Games analyzed included Hollow Knight: Silksong, Borderlands 4, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Monster Hunter: Wilds. Consoles considered were the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 and 5, the Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X/S. 

On average, the typical game saw the following: An average of 79 people currently playing it, added to 260 backlogs, 2.6 replays, 3% retired, and a rating of 78%.

The Nintendo Switch 2 led by a landslide, scoring a perfect 100 out of 100 for average game reception this year. Of the 2025 games released on this console, each sees an average of 127 current players and appears in 328 backlogs, suggesting many more intend to play even if they haven’t gotten around to it yet.

The typical game released on the Switch 2 this year is replayed 3.9 times, and holds a retired rate of just 1.9% – the lowest of any console in the study. It also holds an average player rating of 82% – 5% above the study average (78%). 

Among the best-received games on the console this year is Hollow Knight: Silksong, despite a fairly high retired rate of 1.5%, Hades II, and Donkey Kong Bananza. 

Second is the Xbox Series X/S – which struggled to catch up to the Nintendo Switch 2 – scoring 39 out of 100 for new game reception. The typical game released on the X/S sees 80 people playing it at any given time, with 318 adding it to their backlogs.

The typical game also sees 4.2% of players retiring it, which is the highest rate of any console analyzed. It’s also 40% above the study average (3% retired). The average X/S game is replayed 3.2 times, and holds a 76% player rating.

Of the games that scored the best across the same metrics, the fan favorite Xbox Series X/S releases were found to be: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Split Fiction. 

Rounding out the top three consoles for new content this year is the PlayStation 5, scoring 36 out of 100. The typical new game attracts 77 current players, sits in 285 backlogs, and holds an average player rating of 77%. It’s also replayed 2.9 times, and is retired at a rate of 2.9%. 

The top-performing newly-released games available on the console also included Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Split Fiction, as well as Monster Hunter: Wilds and Deltarune. 

Consoles ranked by average reception for a new game released in 2025

At the bottom of the ranking is the Xbox One, scoring just 14 out of 100 for new game reception. Across the 100 games analyzed, just one-quarter (25%) were available on the console, with the typical game holding a player rating of 76%. 

The platform was largely let down by a high retired rate of 3.2%, and the number of replays at 1.6 – the lowest in the study. The typical game is added to 212 backlogs, and is being played through by 68 players at any given time.

Although the platform sees the least enthusiastic reception for a new game release, it does still offer some of the best-received games this year, including Hollow Knight: Silksong and Elden Ring: Nightreign. 

Overall, the game that saw the best reception across the metrics (number of people currently playing, number of backlogs, number of replays, percentage of players who retired the game, and percentage rating) was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, scoring 97 out of 100, followed by Hollow Knight: Silksong at 63.4, and Hades II at 57.4. 

The 10 best games released in 2025, based on player reception

The worst-received game of the 100 analyzed was FBC Firebreak, scoring just two out of 100. The game sees 23 current players, is in 48 backlogs, has seen no replays so far, holds an exceptionally high retired rate of 21.9%, and a low player rating of 51%. The game is available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. 

Discussing the study findings, Al Alof, CEO of Chicks Gold, said:

“There’s a lot of discussion about which game releases fans are most eagerly anticipating throughout the year, but not much on how a game is actually received once players access it. And while some consoles are generally considered better investments than others at the moment, it’s clear that game reception differs drastically by platform and that the Nintendo Switch 2 is the best at the moment when it comes to actual gaming experience.

“It’s impressive that such a new console has dominated the ranking, and it suggests that Nintendo are well aware of which titles to prioritize on their new platform in order to offer players the best value for money. Meanwhile, the Xbox One isn’t really providing that much value in terms of new content this year so far.

“It remains to be seen how upcoming game releases affect the ranking, as the long-awaited GTA VI is rumored to be ‘the largest game launch in history’ and will be on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The Switch 2’s domination could be rocked by that – unless the games they release in the meantime continue to impress.”

Methodology: Player data was analyzed via howlongtobeat.com, which allows players to catalog their games collection and share data. The following metrics were pulled for 100 games released in 2025:

• Playing (current players)
• Backlogs
• Replays
• Retired %
• Rating %

Each metric was scored out of 10, added and doubled, to calculate a final reception score out of 100. Games were grouped based on the consoles they’re available on and then averaged across the metrics, to reveal the average reception per console.

The post Nintendo Switch 2 named console with best game releases this year – where does your favorite rank? appeared first on Armchair Arcade.