Horizon Shift '81 (Nintendo Switch)

I had a double dose of nostalgia today going into the playthrough for this review. On one hand I was once again able to play, and review a game from an old XBLIG developer favorite. That developer being Flump Studios. On the other hand I got to experience an oldschool style shmup which encompassed all the classics of old. From Space Invaders to Centipede, and even Asteroids the game at hand had it all going on. Not in a way as to be a copycat shooter, but one that actually had it's own core gimmick with the classic mechanics included on the side, and collectively so. When it comes to the experience that is, "Horizon Shift '81", it is a retro themed shmup that gets it's name from it's horizon baseline. A line centered in the middle of the screen in which the controlled ship can face or rather flip north or south while dodging, shooting, and jumping among a wide assortment of approaching and stationary lesser or greater enemy threats. It is with this grounded line that you must deal with each enemy type differently on their respective sides, and collect what can be collected according to the sides the collectibles are on. The asteroids, for example, are an enemy threat that will knock holes into the horizon creating a pitfall for your ship. A gap that can be jumped, or avoided altogether. Other enemy types like the space invaders style enemies will land on either side of the horizon line, and can only be defeated by a side dash to the left or right using the Switch's shoulder buttons once they land. Ultimately leading to score combo opportunities. Needless to say with each enemy type comes it's own set of rules. In turn making the challenge at hand all the more challenging.

With the horizon being your baseline, and the base objective being defending said baseline from enemies you'll have your hands full with that alone. Those aren't the only things to mind though as you play. You will also find yourself trying to rescue falling aliens on either side of the horizon while facing off against giant bosses in a bullet hell scenario at the end of each 5 stage run as well. The stages each progress via a bar that fills up as the alien spacecraft descend, and ascend upon you. Regardless of whether or not you actually defeat all the enemies in a given stage. Survival, in the midst of all this, is done by maintaining the allocated lives (not getting hit & not falling), collecting power-ups that effect shot type, dashing and scoring as well as dodging both enemy impact and bullet hell spray.

As far as modes go there are several modes of play within "Horizon Shift '81", but most are variants of the main classic arcade experience. You'll find the main mode called, 'Arcade Classic' in which you are given three lives, and can find checkpoints after each boss fight. Along with that mode comes "Arcade Arranged" in which you have one life, no checkpoints, and can find a hidden bonus mode after saving 5 aliens from their free fall. As additional challenge modes you'll also find two speed oriented modes. One mode being, "Hyper Mode" in which your ship speed is increased 150%. In this mode you have only one life, and no checkpoints. The alternative to this is "Speed Up Mode" in which the enemies move more quickly. Unlockable, in the way of extra modes, are "Free Mode" and "Boss Rush". Free Mode is fairly much unlimited play whereas Boss Rush is a pure boss fight only playthrough. The selection of modes is actually more generous in offering than most shmups I've played, and definitely more inclusive. Worth noting is the end score tally which takes in account power-ups collected, aliens saved, stages progressed, and time spent.

When it comes to settings, "Horizon Shift '81" does have it's fair share of tweaks. There are Hori scan lines that can be applied, star field/fancy backgrounds, screen rotation, and wallpapers to give the game that oldschool arcade cabinet appeal. Visually the game is presented in a way that is smaller than the width of Switch's screen. Probably in such a way as to keep that arcade facade intact. It can however be made full screen flipped on it's side, and played using the special NS controller adapter that allows for a taller screen orientation. On the soundtrack side of things there is a couple options that are also worth noting which allow you to experience something retro or something newer. The soundtrack, for what it's worth, was good. It certainly had that nostalgic quality about it. All together it's a nice simple yet impressive package deal with a replay factor that's not to be shrugged at. It is the type of game a gamer can pick up, and play in short bursts, casually.

The Verdict ...

This game is a shmup cornucopia. It is the rainbow of shmups. While I don't know if it is a completely new game or one picked up, and ported from the 80's arcade scene I still feel it has earned a respectable place on the Nintendo Switch under the Flump Studios brand. It has a polished presentation, a nice retro feel, and offers something different for shmup enthusiasts. The game plays super smoothly on the handheld NS mode, and no doubt will play equally as well on the docked NS mode. I do suggest picking this one up if you haven't already, especially if you consider yourself to be a shmup fan.