M2, the Japanese studio whose name has become shorthand for meticulous retro ports, used its M2 ShotTriggers label to drop three shoot 'em up announcements in a single burst on October 10. Senxin Aleste finally has a console release date in Japan, a 1998 Raizing arcade cult favourite is being brought back, and the modern PC hit Devil Blade Reboot is heading to consoles. Only one of the three has a date so far, but together they make for a busy autumn for anyone who keeps an arcade stick within reach.
Senxin Aleste lands March 18, 2027 in Japan
The headline item is Senxin Aleste, the vertical shooter that M2 built for Japanese arcades. It is due on PS5, PS4 and Switch on March 18, 2027 in Japan. The PS5 and Switch versions will be sold both physically and digitally, while the PS4 version will be download-only.
Pricing is already set. The physical standard edition costs 7,480 yen, the physical limited edition costs 11,880 yen, and the digital standard edition comes in noticeably cheaper at 4,950 yen. M2 has not announced a western release, so for now this is an import-or-wait situation for players outside Japan.
Senxin Aleste first appeared in Japanese arcades on July 15, 2021, running on Sega's ALL.Net P-ras MULTI Version 3 distribution system, which meant it was only ever playable in the venues that carried it. The console release is the first time the game will be available to play at home.
Two ways to play: ORIGIN and BLADE
The console package is built around two distinct takes on the game. Senxin Aleste ORIGIN is a straight port of the arcade release, layered with M2's usual quality-of-life tools, the M2 Gadgets overlays the studio adds to its ports, and it keeps the arcade's Wallpaper Mode for decorating the empty space on either side of a vertical screen.
Senxin Aleste BLADE is the new part. It is a remixed, faster version of the game built around a fresh weapon called the Blade Missile, which is designed to wipe out enemies and their bullets in one sweep. BLADE also lets players switch between characters on the fly rather than locking in a single pilot, which should change how stages are approached.
A dedicated Training Mode lets players pick any stage and ship type and drill it in isolation. M2 is pitching it squarely at people who want to get good enough to clear the original arcade version, which has a reputation for being tough to see through to the end.
Music and voice work
The soundtrack gets three options. The original arcade score is there, alongside new music written for the BLADE mode by M2 Sound Team composers Sakuoki Kudo and chibi-tech, plus arranged versions of the arcade tracks by Hirokazu Koshio. The opening and ending sequences have also been fully voiced for the console release, with Hana Takeda in the cast.
Armed Police Batrider is coming back
The second announcement will get long-time shooter fans talking. M2 is working on a re-release of Armed Police Batrider, the vertical shooter that Raizing, now known as Eighting, put into arcades in January 1998. The title is tentative and M2 has not named platforms or a release window yet.
Batrider stood out in its day for letting players build a team rather than pick one ship. Each sortie is flown with a combination of aircraft drawn from a roster of 18, which includes the members of a secret government unit called ZERO COP and guest characters pulled in from earlier Raizing shooters. Even the button pressed on the character select screen matters, since it sets the aircraft's performance and the way its weapons power up.
The game has rarely been easy to play legally outside its original arcade boards, which is why a modern re-release from a studio with M2's track record is a notable get.
Devil Blade Reboot heads to consoles
The third reveal is Devil Blade Reboot Consumer Edition, another tentative name, for a console version of the shooter that launched on PC via Steam on May 23, 2024. As with Batrider, M2 has not shared platforms or a release date, only a short teaser and confirmation that work is underway.
Devil Blade Reboot has an unusual history. The original Devil Blade was made in 1996 by Shigatake Games using Dezaemon Plus, a shoot 'em up construction kit released for the original PlayStation. The Reboot rebuilt that hobbyist project as a full modern release, and the Steam version currently sells for $15.99.
What comes next
For now, Senxin Aleste is the only one of the three you can mark on a calendar, and only for Japan. Batrider and Devil Blade Reboot Consumer Edition are both at the "in development" stage, with platforms, prices and dates still to come. Given how M2 usually works, expect each to get its own reveal once it is ready, rather than all three shipping at once.
