All Shoot Em Ups Coming to the Astro City V

All Shoot Em Ups Coming to the Astro City V! Arcade exclusive shmups never before released finally coming home thanks to Sega and the upcoming Astro City Mini V. I preview every shoot em up including Raizing's Armed Police Batrider and Battle Bakraid. Toaplan's Truxton II, Dogyuun and Outzone, a total of seven from the developer. Shmups from Psikyo like Gunbird and Strikers 1945. And popular classics like the original Raiden. Some of the games have had home ports on Mega Drive, PC Engine, Sega Saturn and Playstation, while others remain arcade and emulation only. It's an all-star shooting lineup for the ages. See them all previewed here!
#sega #astrocitymini #shootemups
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Arcade Exclusive Shmups
01:45 - RAIZING from the Ashes
12:27 - PSIKYO
16:34 - Old School Shooters, RAIDEN and more
20:30 - TOAPLAN Shmup Machine
► Recommended Links:
Armed Police Batrider 1CC by PEARL
kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKevanhrf5qFfck
Battle Bakraid Showcase IcarusFW
kzbin.info/www/bejne/moGWgJ2JebKAadE
Kingdom Grand Prix 1CC Clears by Chinopolis
kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWK6op2PiZd9edU
Raiden 2-All by Jaimers
kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHuym3x4hKdrgK8
Cresta Series History by ShmupsBR
kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4Cxg2yflrdsq5o
Sonic Wings 2-All by PEG
kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpOYpHt6e9aqps0
Gunbird 2-All by Jaimers
kzbin.info/www/bejne/imK2Ymh3erl5opo
Zaxxon Arcade Gameplay
kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2ascn-Qer12itU

[@bryndaldwyre3099]

Moon Kresta was one of my first experiences with a shemup. Very tough but always had me coming back for more.

[@heiner5945]

Top quality as always. I'm not even interested on the Astro City Mini, but Junkie's videos are always a joy to watch!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And let's hope many of these games get some console releases down the road after the mini is out. The more ways to play some of these rare exclusive shmups the better.

[@gilavalos2400]

You're review of the egret and astro mini v inspired me to buy both systems for myself as a birthday gift.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I hope you enjoy them. The Egret Review was really in depth and I think you'll find it pretty accurate. For the Astro it was just a preview of the games and I never got to testing it in depth in the same way. The games are awesome even if the performance seems to be hit and miss depending on the game. I've got one of each as well for myself.

[@arronetchells4363]

Outstanding video man! You really gave all the included exclusives the love they deserved and went in to the detail I always expect from you, truly brilliant!! You’re 100% right about the current availability of these titles in emulation form but the fact they are being ported to a mini is testament to how much the genre is loved now, more than ever and why I will be showing my support by getting this day 1!! Sega have made an amazing move by releasing this and I hope every fan of the genre also shows it the support it deserves!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks my friend, and for sharing around as you always do. I'm with you on the support. I can play these games all kinds of ways, but I am going to show support for something like this even existing. And I hope to see these games on other console releases in the future. On a related note, shouldn't be much longer than those signed Kyu Tiger games ship back me. Just waiting on some last pieces to get signed and my Hishouzame copy as well once it's out.

[@arronetchells4363]

@@ShmupJunkie You are more than welcome my friend and brilliant, thanks for keeping me updated on the prize. Can’t tell you how excited I am to get a signed copy of Kyukyoku Tiger, thanks for making this happen 🤩

[@francescosmith7859]

Very cool video SJ. I really feel like I missed out on a gem here. That lineup is incredible but unfortunately I didn't know enough of these games to really consider this when it came out. I still keep hoping Toaplan gems Batsugin, Grind Stormer and Outzone will get another release (Evercade, Antstream, anything please). I am glad I finally realized what good shooters are made by Psikyo. Nine of them are on Antstream Arcade and I can't stop playing them with Gunbird and Samurai Aces being two absolute favorites. I should pull out my Pandora Arcade to see if I can find the others.

[@ianswift3521]

just found out about this. just ordered it 15 minutes later. these are almost all of my favorite early 90s shooters. glad to add this alongside my turbografx16 mini, the only other mini have.

[@mcorleonep]

I have a soft spot for Moon Cresta (aka Eagle; published by Centuri with different sprites) as I was around during the golden age of arcades in the early 80’s.

[@OGPimpin]

The games on this little arcade machines are kicking my azz from here to Mars, but I love 'em!

[@sonicmania9993]

So many great shmups on this mini, and as always I can't express how much I enjoy your videos like this. Really gets me hyped!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And I really enjoy games focused videos. No hardware to test or lag to complain or mull about. Just talking about the kickass games and what makes them cool. It's more timeless as these games will come out for various consoles sooner or later, or I hope so. So it just brings them to people's attention and can be watched years from now, when the hardware is long done and old news. The games never go out of style.

[@ChrisSmith-cd7uw]

The Japanese translation of “Truxton II” must be “Tatsujin Ohhhh Shhhhhhiiiiit!” Man, I have never considered buying one of these, but this thing looks ABSOLUTELY insane!

[@ShmupJunkie]

We've been calling it Tatsujin No on the discord haha. Yeah man, the lineup is completely nuts. I can't NOT support something like this.

[@CrimRui]

Man, what a superb collection. Everything looks top notch. Yeah, you can play them on emulator, but having it on real mini console is much more unique experience. Is it stupid for me to wish that every game would be re-packed and sold as a physical game for modern consoles? Lol

[@ShmupJunkie]

Not stupid at all and I would expect to see many of these games show up on consoles sooner or later. We are already seeing it with some of the Taito games.

[@S1eeperServ1ce]

@@ShmupJunkie Got my Dariusburst CS during the PS4 store sales. £14.99 😃 I love it, it's bonkers! Andro Dunos II next on payday....

[@CrimRui]

@@S1eeperServ1ce Got Andro Dunos II myself and it's freaking awesome, highly recommended. I'm currently thinking of getting ether Psikyo Collection or Aleste Collection with next paycheck.

[@abrslam]

I'm not really a mini console guy, but this one, as well as the egret II mini have me reconsidering. What a great lineup for the astro city!

[@ShmupJunkie]

The Egret II is cool for that crazy screen. This one is cool for the crazy lineup of games. Hard to choose!

[@luisreyes1963]

Huge fan of Psikyo shmups & that device delivers!

[@KingLizzardsGameLounge]

Not sure why I couldn't leave a comment when I watched launch weekend. Astro City V just took the front seat for me over the Egret Mini II, which I'd love as well. This is Shmup heaven and there so many I haven't played for years or at all (Batsugun and Tatsujin). Excellent and informative video dude, as always. Saving my pennies...

[@chrisr529]

It's almost here !

[@DieselJT]

This is a day one pick up for me. I already have the 1st Astro City Mini with 2 extra controllers and the arcade stick. So u know I need this in my life!!!!! Great review!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Makes you wish they baked an SD slot into the original like the Egret, so they could expand it for owners of the original too. Sure you don't get a tate screen, but at least via HDMI you could enjoy them all without new hardware.

[@DieselJT]

@@ShmupJunkie In a perfect world! Right!? Speaking of the Egret Mini, I just ordered the trackball controller yesterday too. So now I have that complete set too! Your channel rocks, you rock, End of story.

[@tom11zz884]

Still kicking myself for missing out the Arcade Stick, thought it was too expensive at the time. Now it is sold out everywhere.

[@DieselJT]

@@tom11zz884 maybe they will re-release it with this version of the astro city mini.

[@mrtangent0081]

With all these games, the Astro City V might be my first mini console/arcade cabinet.

[@francescosmith7859]

Your video library is just a gold mine of shooter information. Psikyo seems like a really interesting developer I never really acknowledged until recently and I see several of their games here and Strikers 2 came up on Saturn hardest shooters video. Any chance you'll do a Psikyo video similar to your Toaplan or Konami one?

[@dr_ubo]

This is without a doubt the best selection of shmups ever. I just hope they interest in this release will prove enough interest so that we receive other ports for these games. Really loved the lineup on Taito's Egret II Mini, but this one just kills it. Really glad both things have come out, it shows an interest from IP holders to license out their repertoire. Batrider is my favorite Yagawa and one of the few I've really spent some time on. The whole Battle trilogy is amazing though (Battle Garegga, Battle Bakraid, Bat(tle)rider). Great reviews and nice shout-outs to Pearl, Chino, Jaimers, ShmupsBR and everyone else. I also really like Great Mahou Daisakusen/Gran Prix... I find the idea genius, they're basically making you okay aggressive if you want to score (so you go to the top of the screen or defensively to the bottom). Out of the Psikyo games, I have a history with OG Sonic Wings, alongside Life Force it is one of the games that made me a shmup fan. I'm not as much of a Toaplam player outside of historic relevance and sheer fun of some of their games. Batsugun in particular as well as Outzone are fun highlights for me. Great vid Junkie!

[@MagmaMKII]

Nice to see all those sprite rips being put to good use! Also a good reminder that I should get back and update some stuff on the Raizing Wiki.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I wish it was easier to get good info on Raizing/Eighting, but it's a very closed loop there and they don't want others discussing their games. No idea why or who is running it. I can only say that the Toaplan wikis will have MAJOR updating and fixing to do after the doc comes out lol. I'm so enjoying watching the first translated interview. And there's much more to come.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

The line up of games is crazy! Shame they ll be stuck on a mini console, but hopefully this boosts interest in console releases of these bad boys. It s still frustrating M2 have not released a shottrigger batrider port

[@ShmupJunkie]

I do see this collection as a gateway to some of the games coming to console next, yeah. Just like you said. Already the Taito Egret II games are being promised of which you already did a video on Rayforce. So let's hope the same happens here and this is just a first step to seeing them elsewhere too. We know the Toaplan stuff will come from M2, but someone good has to do the Raizing ports!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

@@ShmupJunkie No kidding, here's to hoping we get them from the shottriggers team, it just wouldn't feel as right if they didn't do it, their garegga port is one of the greatest of all time and I feel like Batrider really needs that same level of love and attention ha

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@TheElectricUnderground Yeah if there’s two games that need the gadget treatment and customization like what was done for Garegga, it’s Batrider and Bakraid.

[@0supermoose804]

@@ShmupJunkie TRILOGY PORT! TRILOGY PORT!

[@wayofthekodiak3118]

DAMN that's a helluva line up! Several masterpieces in this collection. I love the convenience of having them all in one place. Now I'm tempted buy the astro city V. Also, you really LOVE Toaplan 😂. I ain't mad at you. I'm partial to Treasure and Cave myself.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You bet, Toaplan made some sick games. I love them enough to help make the documentary for them! But I love many old devs, like Compile that I did a history video for. I wasn't into danmaku style games at all until just a few years ago approx, so I knew Cave but rarely played them. I've definitely learned to enjoy them much more now and have gotten much better at them, even if I'll always love my old school shooters.

[@Chinopolis]

What a great line-up of games, you really did them justice too. I hope this video helps get the word and and it sells well. Also your love of Toaplan is infectious! I'm gonna have to pick another one to play soon despite how painful they can be lol

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hahaha, just try to pick one not so painful. You did great with V-V, so maybe Dogyuun if you haven't already. I think you already know which ones to stay away from based on my commentary lol. At least stay away from trying to 1CC it.

[@Covnam]

Great video. Thanks for the overview, I'm even more hyped up now lol Loved the intro on this one too =)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Making those cool intros is possibly my favorite part for the videos. I start out that way whenever it makes sense.

[@davidmartin3280]

Admittingly, I've only played these games either via emulation or my brother's awesome video game collection! Most on emulation though. The oppertunity to play these on such an amazing unit such as the Astro City V (which I just learned of thanks to your amazing as always video), is an oppertunity that is very welcome! Money is tight these days for me but I will take the plunge on this unit when it becomes available. I just made an account on Play Asia's website and turned on notifictions relating to this product. Hopefully, later down the line I can get my hands on one. Not the end of the world if I can't but my fingers are crossed! So many bangers in this game line up and the hardware looks amazing to me! Thank you Shump Junkie for the amazing content that both entertains and educates me about this genre of game that I've recently become obsessed with thanks to your channel and the passion/love you have for them! You do have a way with words, presentation and makings fantastic videos! Once I get ahead on finances I would love to support you either on Patreon or my buying merch from you! Keep being you brother! Your passion for this is infectious and welcome!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks for the really thoughtful comment, very cool of you to say. I know how it goes and prioritize yourself as KZbin is not my source of income but just a hobby and some extra pocket change if I'm lucky. So while I appreciate any support, just watching and enjoying the videos. Dropping a like and a comment is already super helpful and lets me know my work is making a difference for a lot of folks. So thank you.

[@davidmartin3280]

@@ShmupJunkie You are a gentleman and honestly someone I admire greatly. I just checked out your Patreon to see what the damage yearly would be and I was delighted to see that you keep it so affordable! So as soon as I get my tax refund in, I'll jump on that Patreon of yours and happily enjoy the benefits of doing so. I look forward in the future to joining your Discord community and getting to know you and your amazing community better! Likewise, thank you for your thoughtful and kind responses to little old me. It truly goes a long way to make my day brighter! Keep being you brother! You're an amazing and inspirational person!

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@davidmartin3280 As before, thank you. And anytime you want to join the discord please feel free. My about page has a link there. But if it doesn’t work just hit me up here and I’ll get you an updated one. We have a great chill community and it’s a good place to either hang out or ask questions. I always have a topic live of the video I’m currently working on and plenty of others contribute and help make the videos what they are. It’s always a group effort!

[@drivelikej9962]

Toaplan forever! You’d think we’d be OD-ing on content, but no - I still watch like I’m a kid reading a hot new magazine preview. You could literally put out a video on the new Toaplan M2 ports next week and I wouldn’t bat an eye.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Lol, well that collection is coming up fast! I won't have it any earlier than everyone else, but once I do I wouldn't mind putting something together on it. In the meantime I watching interviews from the documentary and loving what I'm seeing so far.

[@fredyboomboom]

Some dope games in this collection. You did a great job showcasing them. Hopefully they'll have some units for sale after the launch, I missed out on the pre-order.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I hope so too. I did still see them on Amazon JP, only Play Asia seemed to be stocked out. But that was a few days ago. I'd imagine they'll have more. I was hoping they may release some more of the arcade stick too.

[@its_elser]

amazing video, i cant wait to get one of these bad boys!!

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

Armed Police Batrider is the best game most people will not be able to finish or experience most of its content. You need to have a monk's patience, a Gasparof strategy and a Steve Vai execution. Cannot get much better than that.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Depends who you ask I guess! Haha. Not everyone wants that level of commitment to a game. But yes, Batrider is special and a travesty it's not once been ported. So I know why it's so anticipated. This may be a step toward seeing it on digital or consoles someday soon too.

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

@@ShmupJunkie I never managed to get past the third level in a single credit. But boy is this game a masterpiece.

[@minimalmaster8489]

Superb selection of shmup although I do not know them all and beautiful presentation of these.

[@neilsunderland7691]

Thank you awesome as always! I am so glad I pre-ordered one! One interesting note, IIRCADE offers both grind stormer, outzone, fixeight, and batsugun, the biggest drawback is the screen not being tate.

[@ShmupJunkie]

iiRCADE has a great lineup of shmups. I love what they are doing and the build quality is there. My only hangup on it is the cost vs performance, as last I tested one, it didn't perform much better than a mini console if at all. So paying the premium plus per game was a bit of an issue. I did give them my feedback so hoping someday they can make improvements in that area. As otherwise they've got the right idea! I so wanted to review it, but chose to hold off until that gets ironed out.

[@elkaro5]

I remember outzone!! Really cool!

[@retrogamesuperhyper9962]

Can't wait to add the V to my mini collection. This game lineup is insane!!

[@djangofett4879]

I was already pretty hyped but now i'm super hyped. Just waiting for it to ship from Limited Run Games

[@QF_Dan72]

those lineups of games are already good enough for me to get Astro City Mini. You described Batrider ,Bakraid and Outzone very well. Now, i just need to wait for them to restock.

[@michaelhoule2134]

V-5 is amazing. Love this game so much.

[@dahnilama1417]

Hell Yeah I'm pretty excited for this mini arcade cabinet . I bought the arcade stick for it already, just waiting In anticipation for the astro v to be released. Cool video 😎

[@ShmupJunkie]

Where did you get the stick? I think they've been long sold out. Really cool piece though expensive. I wouldn't mind seeing another run of them.

[@dahnilama1417]

@@ShmupJunkie I managed to get one from funstock uk. They also had the player 2 pink buttons stick.

[@menhirmike]

I sadly expect the input lag to be a real issue for actually playing, but the Astro City Mini V is an interactive Altar of Shmup legends.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It'll be OK just nothing spectacular, likely in the 6-7 range if we are lucky. Typical mini territory. But I will certainly test to find out when I get one!

[@Christian-wr4ge]

@@ShmupJunkie I can't find a preorder anywhere :(. Where did you get yours?

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@Christian-wr4ge Amazon Japan. Only place I saw them in stock for preorder.

[@jesusromanleal2587]

@@Christian-wr4ge Havent check for this one but I got the first one from amiami. Just heads up that they send you a email when it releases and then you go to your account or click on their link to pay for it for pre orders. Cant pay upfront for them. Could be good or bad depending on how the Yen is doing at the time.

[@Christian-wr4ge]

@@jesusromanleal2587 Hoooo thank you :)

[@CHEMP0P]

Whoa, happy to see all these unreleased classics. Shmup never die!!!

[@wizardexemplar5240]

Because of this video, I learned Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata composed Kingdom Grand Prix. So, I go looking for the soundtrack. There is a Mahou Daisakusen Original Soundtrack that has the music from all three games in that trilogy. It was published in 2013, so it is out of print. Ugh. Thanks for the video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Ha! Sometimes I look on ebay for some old soundtracks if I want them bad enough. Sometimes it's not so bad and other times too rare to justify. I did get some of mine that way though.

[@johnsmith-xx6rl]

finally an astro city that I will probably omitting to buying

[@32_bit_gamer]

I pre-ordered the astro city mini V the day it was annocmuced. super hyped!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Same here tbh. Just seeing a shmup centric device like this exist was too much to resist 😅

[@therealquinnzack1819]

This looks AWESOME, I gotta play some of these

[@ShmupJunkie]

You'll get your chance! If you can manage to snag one. They sold out quick initially but I'm sure more are coming.

[@andrewbutler9533]

Awesome! Imaginery gif now playing in my head of Junkie praying to the alter of his amazing shmup collection 🙏 🙌 😎👍

[@ShmupJunkie]

haha, no imagination needed! I actually did that in a really old video of mine lol. One of my original PC Engine mini reviews at the end, though now I am not recalling which one that was.

[@andrewbutler9533]

@@ShmupJunkie yes indeed! Seen it a couple of times 👍

[@Randhrick]

Oh man, I was already stoked to get this but now I really can't wait ! The first Astro City Mini was pretty well done overall I'm sure this one will be great too.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I do think they will take the same care with the games here as they did on the first yes. Aside from typical mini limitations, I expect them to do the emulation right and give the games justice. I look forward to being able to test it.

[@BigJuffer]

This looks amazing with some of my favourite games, especially Batrider! I've only 1cc'd normal on that once so need to go back. Love the selection of games with barely a dud on there :) 😃

[@ShmupJunkie]

Congrats for getting that 1CC it's not an easy game. Sucks they make you play on advanced just to see all 7 stages. I've not played Batrider enough to get through Advanced yet but now that I recently grabbed the PCB I just may. Would love to see a great M2 port as it could really use all the extras and gadgets like they did for Garegga.

[@bernkastel7245]

This line up is quite stacked! If the input lag on this isn't bad it'll be a really great option to play these games. I actually kind of want this one and could see myself using it since a lot of the games found in here are quite expensive pcb wise. There is of course always the pc emulation like you said as an alternative. Really great video

[@ShmupJunkie]

We gotta expect 6-7 frames, no way they pull off less on a mini. Which should be OK for casual play and many to experience what the games are like that haven't played them, but not ideal for scoring or advanced players. It's good to see on here though. FYI you were SO close to winning the Egret II, came in as the second backup winner. I just made a community post, so if the first person doesn't claim their prize after a couple weeks or so, you're next in line!

[@bernkastel7245]

@@ShmupJunkie Damn that's my luck alright lol well hopefully they claim the prize but if not I would love to have it! Appreciate letting me know. It's really great you do these giveaways for the community! On the Astro City V, 6-7 frames is definitely reasonable enough for me. I'm not going to be a god on any of those games without a lot of practice. I'd love to play them and see what they are all about. I honestly haven't played most of the games on it and I know I'm missing out big time...

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@bernkastel7245 I’ll definitely keep you posted as I haven’t heard back yet. But I’ll give it a couple weeks to be fair and reply to their Egret comment too.

[@bernkastel7245]

@@ShmupJunkie Oh yeah that's totally fine. They did win after all lol they deserve some time to answer.

[@MiiDev69]

This video got uploaded right on time!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Same bat time, same bat channel. Or is it bat-rider time...

[@mikem7005]

Great video as always Junkie! Now I just have to convince my wife to let me buy one of these!

[@Gridseeker]

I love Tatsujin Oh/ Truxton 2, by far one of my favorites arcade games along The house of the dead series and Street Fighter EX series too and yes, the music ROCKS, in particular the bgm of stage 4 ("no delusion") and boy, reaching that stage and watching the futuristic city landscape while doing dog fight was one of the most impressive experiences I had in my gaming life. Still, one day I hope M2 would port most of Toaplan games to Steam, in particular the Truxton games, it would be day one purchase.

[@retroremy]

Astro City V is something you'd see in a dream and to see it became a reality is unreal. This is the definition of true magic. Great work showing off its content bud, cheers 🍺

[@ShmupJunkie]

Right? Not even in our wildest did I imagine a dedicated shmup mini from Sega. I’m curious how limited it will be and how it sells. Will be an indicator to them on whether to pursue other ways to release these games further for consoles too.

[@djangofett4879]

I did have dreams when i was a kid about going to a mall and seeing all kinds of futuristic hardware for sale (that isn't even futuristic compared to what we have now 😆) and there was a lot of stuff like this.

[@retroremy]

@@djangofett4879 Lets just say I've had plenty of those dreams whenever I obsess over a new toy :)

[@demonsty]

so many pretty colors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i would get this for outzone. it looks awesome!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I adore Outzone, one of my absolute favs!

[@billcook4768]

Man, would love to see this come out on, say, the Switch for those of us who aren’t interest in the Astro Mini form factor.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I completely agree with you on that. And think seeing these on the mini is a precursor of potential console ports.

[@ShmupsBR]

Thanks for the shoutout and congrats for the great video! Also thanks for making me £200 poorer, since now I discovered I NEED an Astro City Mini V! :D

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm told I'm good at making people poorer buying stuff they otherwise normally wouldn't haha. And thanks for letting me use some of your moon and terra cresta footage. Your history video helped fill in some blanks for me on the series back when you made it as I was never in the know. Only having played the PCE sequel.

[@ShmupsBR]

@@ShmupJunkie No problem man! I'm happy I somehow helped you doing a video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@ShmupsBR You’ve helped in many my friend. Going way back to the first Cotton video and the Sharp x68000!

[@mistwalker1985]

Considering buying this one. Line up is sick.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yeah it is, I think many of us were shocked to hear the announcement. It was very unexpected and welcome imo.

[@AHaro-lk1dm]

Fantastic

[@striderpak]

Great video man !

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks, I enjoy making these game previews. Always fun to hype killer games.

[@parrishharris3008]

Great review as usual dude, i own every game on emulation and i love all of them even though some games are much harder than others 👍✌.

[@ShmupJunkie]

No kidding. Tatsujin Ou is the epitome of brutality, even next to the Yagawa games. Some have taken to calling it Tatsujin No haha. Yet it's such a kick ass game to play for a while.

[@shinramiddlemanager7949]

Glad I went all in last time and got the Astro Mini JP unit, arcade stick and awesome controller. I got secondary use out of the stick as it became my main MAME stick (which was my justication for the £120 it cost) but now I really will get mileage out of it. Batsugun is easily one of my favourite game ever.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I have been kicking myself for not grabbing the Astro stick when I could as it's a really nice unit. Now long sold out. I'd love to see another run since they are putting out another unit.

[@dangunheadachron1603]

It's gonna be very much worth it for Batsugun, Dogyuun, and V-Five alone. Best games on that thing IMHO :)

[@ShmupJunkie]

You know how I feel about V-V, I'm stoked to see it on there!

[@Neobelmont1]

That's one heck of an intro. really set's the tone you know?

[@ShmupJunkie]

I love making those sizzle reel intros haha. It's the first thing I do once I start editing.

[@RodrigoGarciaCarmona]

I had the pleasure of playing both V-V and Batsugun Special in an arcade last year and I came out totally impressed. I loved the Gradius and the checkpoints of V-V and was amazed at how Batsugun Special let's you play instead of just obliterating you. Both are great games that not many people know. However, I'm going to pass on this mini. I have the Egret II Mini and I think a smaller screen would make impossible for me to see the bullets, specially in games made by Psikyo or in Raiden. It's a shame but, for me, that is the deciding factor, more than the input lag. Of course, I could play with the thing connected to the TV, but in my mind that defeats the purpose. I'll wait for the inevitable M2 versions of some of this games for current consoles. Anyway, thanks again for another great video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I totally agree on the screen size, it's really small for many shmups and especially these kinds of games. It's a novelty. It's what I liked about the Egret and it's larger screen. I'll end up using this one on my TV like I do all the minis I have, but the Egret was the first mini cab where I felt like I could use it desktop and still enjoy it.

[@GAz0Line]

Out zone , raider , twin cobra are my best shootem up 😻😻

[@ShmupJunkie]

2 out of 3 here on the Astro V! Not bad.

[@GAz0Line]

@@ShmupJunkie got ass kicked more than once from Raiden 😂

[@jacobbaranowski]

coming soon cool

[@fazares]

i'll buy it for sure....it wont be a bargain though..ahah...fantastic video, btw...as usual, mate

[@freon22]

Truxton 2 and Dogyuun were the last arcade shooters I spent all of my time on. This was an insta-buy if only one of them were on there, but both? Just take all my money dude.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Lol right. I know others feel the same about Batrider and Bakraid. And plus the Toaplan stuff too. Take my money indeed. Yeah I can play it all kinds of ways, but I'm going to support a shmup machine like this.

[@shaggymcdaniel3216]

I preordered the second I found out. I don’t feel quite so bad for buying the controllers, stand, and arcade stick anymore. This is going to be amazing. I wish they used usb C for power this time. I hate micro usb.

[@entertainmentwizard2703]

Cannot wait!

[@Psych0boost]

Can't wait for this bad boy to drop

[@ShmupJunkie]

End of July comin' up!

[@skykid4000]

I’d buy this just for battle bakraid! Looking forward to this.

[@shiningphantasy1393]

It is definitely a nicely assembled shooter lineup; I probably shouldn't ask for more than what is presented here but implementing the Taito Egret screen switching mechanism and adding some horizontal shooters would have really iced the cake. Sega could have put Thunder Force AC on there for starters and plenty of other arcade candidates for selection I'm sure. As long as the games perform well on the unit I'll definitely consider it for purchase.

[@sonicmania9993]

Sega has separated them hori & vert into two mini consoles instead. The first Astro City Mini (which released in Dec 2020 in JP) had a horizontal screen, and only a few shmups (Thunder Force AC & Cotton being the highlights). I'm glad that for this second (vertical) Mini, they decided to go with mostly shmups ... hope that won't hurt their sales!

[@shiningphantasy1393]

@@sonicmania9993 Well it is definitely a niche market although there is more reception and potential interest now than a couple of decades ago; likely to have a better chance to succeed in Japan than getting significant sales from other territories. I guess I forgot that the horizontal shooters had a token presence on that earlier Astro Mini.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I do think it's just a matter of them not thinking of doing that rotating screen on the first unit, as it was more of an Egret staple. That and maybe meeting a lower price point. The Egret does cost more though not a ton. With how many awesome shmups are on here I can live with it!

[@southtownplays4787]

Jesus so many good shumups thanks for video again your inthusiason makes your video worth watching plus you know what your talking about pew pew

[@ShmupJunkie]

I do enjoy videos where I can just focus on games and not hardware. Always fun to make these.

[@oOignignoktOo1]

I love the candy cab design. The games look good on this unit I just wish it was a little larger

[@ShmupJunkie]

Agree on size, the Egret II really made the Astro feel too small by comparison. I'll be using it on a TV pretty much all the time when I do.

[@troybujnowski1695]

Your videos are so on point you make me feel like I'm playing them just you talking about them that's hard to do!!! I'd love to grab one of these, what's the price for one an when does it drop? Keep up the great work!!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying them. And you can still preorder one on Amazon JP for about $152. Play Asia is sold out for now. They ship end of July assuming no delays.

[@SandroSensei]

Looking forward to your review. I have red a lot about input lag, but I didnt notive any with mine.

[@ShmupJunkie]

The lag is real but only truly excessive on the later games from Raizing and Psikyo and similar. The earlier games are on par with the first Astro City and Egret. Not unexpected. I’m very backed up and may not get to ever fully reviewing it, but keep an eye on my community posts. As once I do test it at minimum I’ll post my results for everyone to see.

[@SandroSensei]

@@ShmupJunkie I will, love to hear your opinions on this. Why do you think the lag for the later releases was not unexpected? Just wondering. Do you find it still playable?

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@SandroSensei It’s not unexpected because I had similar results testing the later games on the Egret Mini and the original Astro. There were a few that had 9-10+ frames. The hardware hasn’t changed from the last Astro just the screen. So seeing late games that are harder to emulate in that range didn’t surprise me. I think we were all hoping they’d put extra effort into improving that but it’s not surprising it didn’t happen. Mostly what I meant. I haven’t had time to really play any yet so I can’t say on playability. But I’ll say I can personally live with the 6-7 frames on the older games and like the Psikyo Switch collections. It feels a little slippery but you can adjust to it and enjoy as a casual player. But 9-10+ on brutal games like Batrider etc is a lot. That’s a high number for any STG. So I’ll definitely see how it feels to play. Just don’t listen to people saying use hdmi to crt converters and it’s magically better. That’s placebo nonsense and will save you a frame at best.

[@SandroSensei]

@@ShmupJunkie thanks for the reply, love your channel 💓

[@MarquisDeSang]

If they ever release any of them on physical switch, I will buy them all separately.

[@retrojoe85]

Man, I never know about this amazing little thing! Now I need it! You've destroyed my miserable pockets LOL! :D

[@ShmupJunkie]

Doing my duty getting the word out on this crazy lineup of shmups!

[@retrojoe85]

​@@ShmupJunkie you're objectively right Mr.Junkie, this is a superb collection!

[@videogameobsession]

I wish Sega would release these for a home console, or portable, like the Switch. I'd buy them for that, but I just haven't been into the mini cabs. Not since the Game & Watch and Coleco TT's of the 80's anyway.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's a first step and I do think we will start seeing some of these on consoles soon enough.

[@jonzaremba]

Thanks, boss!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You're welcome! Hope you enjoyed it.

[@moandaindesigns]

honestly I am not much for the mini arcade systems but there are some really great games in there. I hope it does well so that we can see more games like this in the future.

[@Galaxy40k]

Man, these games look so sick and I haven't had a chance to play so many of them...but $180 for the mini console plus the cost of a decent controller...it adds up. Especially since I suck at shmups, so most of these will be games I can't put too much time into at this time. I'm hoping that we get these games released digitally or something

[@ShmupJunkie]

They're actually $152 on Amazon JP which isn't bad all things considered. They are compatible with quite a few controllers though not all. Totally get it though. I think seeing some of these games on the mini is a precursor to also seeing some come to console and digital. I'd be surprised if we didn't eventually see some.

[@plaztik767]

Hey, your my age.. 👍🏻 Love this content, I can feel your enthusiasm. And let me tell you it is contagious. After watching this. I’m seeking out all the roms and giving these classics a play..

[@ShmupJunkie]

You mean we are both old farts? lol. I'm mid 40s so likely yeah. I really do love the games and genre though, so I'm glad to hear it's getting you and others excited to play them more. I've loved these games since childhood as well.

[@plaztik767]

@@ShmupJunkie Totally bro.! Mid 40’s old farts 💨 All kidding aside, you did get me hyped for these shmups. And I have been kicking back and enjoying these classics. It’s a rock solid line up of hits in this new Sega Astro mini.. but in the mean Time.. (This will surely keep me busy in Final Burn Neo) again fantastic content always finely produced.. 🙌🏻

[@teddym2808]

Up to the Psikyo portion of the video now as I write this, and watching to the end and adding to the message as the video goes along.. I was interested to see all the points/problems I had with Batrider were brought up by yourself.. You see I played it before I watched your commentary on it. I have ALL the Psikyo games bar 1 (ZG2) on Steam and am very happy with them except for gunbarich which is a broken port, and Zero Gunner 2 which I already have on DC and Switch. The windows version of that is meant to be broken but I digress, the rest , including all the titles here, are awesome ports. This unit is interesting as a portable TATE machine for other roms, but the first Astro Mini was never hacked, so.. not sure....Hopefully the Egret mini will still be an option to do that... The Raizing stuff is ultimately too hard for me, I decided to quit trying to 1cc batrider and I never understood how to play Kingdom GP on Saturn.... I have all the retro titles on arcade archives on Switch and play them in TATE mode with much joy. Well, except Zaxxon, but I hate that game anyway and always did (and yes I detest Viewpoint also). I am a Raiden boy. I love and adore every single game in the series all the way to Raiden V. That's my kind of shmup and that style has stuck with me and never become boring IMO. But out of the included games here, if I was going to say "I am buying this for the games", the only ones that I don't have and like are the Toaplan ones, so it would be for those. I suppose it's worth it just for those. I do prefer Truxton 2 to the original believe it or not. I think it's the music, I just find it so catchy, even though the blue weapon is much weaker in the sequel. By the way, I played Outzone finally after your big Toaplan video, and I got through it on the easiest dip switch setting with 1CC, and I didn't like it. I expected to love it but I know what the issue was, I didn't like the weapons and power ups, at all. I never bothered to get good at it at harder levels as it just didn't gel with me even remotely. Weird how different we all are, but I guess that's what makes the world go around hehe. PS Baguun and Grind Stormer look very interesting indeed. PPS I have Batsugun on the Saturn and LOVE it. Such a long progressive power up system. I bought that before the prices were mental.

[@Christian-wr4ge]

Let's hope this mini lags less, cause the games look amazing.

[@ShmupJunkie]

All minis I’ve ever seen will have minimum 6-7 frames with most games. So that’s what I’m expecting. It’ll be interesting to test when it does release.

[@Phille023]

I think you where right, I might be better holding off the Egrit mini for the Astro City V. I've seen the collection of games that were on it before this video but man I'm hyped now for it. Even the Toaplan games, which I suck at! I've played, well... I tried playing it, Outzone on the MiSTer. It is to brutal for me, just like Truxton. Those 2 games always give me a pounding. But Batsugun I love! I have it on Saturn and Its my favorite Shmup on that system! If its not to overpriced, this little gadget is going to be mine when it releases. My wallet thanks you good Sir!

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's funny I never found Outzone too bad and very doable. Truxton is another story that game is brutal lol, but I just love it. Batsugun is way more accessible especially Special version so I can see why many enjoy it so much. It's on Amazon JP at the moment for $152 but who knows for how long.

[@VirajKathwadia]

This is the one, I loved my original Sega Astro City Mini, it is so far my fav Mini console and I adore how it plays, I'll certainly be interested in getting one to play some fine shooters and I certainy hope they well play better than the likes of Sonic Boom and scramble spirits as the emulation was slightly choppy for those games on that device. I am looking forward to your review for this thats for sure!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm looking forward to getting mine in early August once they ship. And if I can get it on time, I'll do my best to review it. At the least I will test it and let people know what I found.

[@VirajKathwadia]

@@ShmupJunkie I'm a sucker for Sega so i got mine pre ordered with that style kit for display, so looking forward to that too. However if we are talking Sega and minis I've love to see a Master System Mini, that would be grand.

[@wrena79]

Regardless of Saturn/Switch/MD ports, mame and the like this is looking like a must buy for me. Just praying for low lag 🙏

[@ShmupJunkie]

Don't ever expect low lag on a mini. 6-7 frames is the best you'll get on a good day, which is what I'm hoping for. I do hope the emulation is well done though which is also important. It was on the first Astro so hoping for the same here.

[@wrena79]

@@ShmupJunkie yep first astro was solid emulation wise (virtua fighter aside) so I'm confident it will be up to scratch here. I guess 'low lag' should really read 'acceptable' lag lol. Thanks for the amazing content btw 👍

[@Borh7777]

A great line up, but it is strange that Battle Garegga is missing.

[@imsocietysjason]

Just watched - loved it! So excited. Wish I got ahead of ordering this haha :\ Looks like I’m paying up… (Got the first ACM from LRG)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Well, I do see it on Amazon JP still but who knows for how long.

[@Chris-Courage]

Very cool that these games are now available in an actual licensed product for people to enjoy who don't want to mess with putting together an emulation setup. With that being said, I'll stick with my Wii for some good 240P Component Tate CRT use.

[@ShmupJunkie]

And who knows, next step could be seeing some of these digital or on console too. I'd bet it happens.

[@Chris-Courage]

@@ShmupJunkie yeah, I'd love to see more of these in console form. Especially if they did the work to make them more like a traditional port and remove the add a credit button feature like the arcade. When I can just add as many credits as I want, I start to lose interest in a game because it doesn't matter if I stink or not. So no penalty for not getting good.

[@ecco222]

Batrider is the reason I'm buying one

[@ShmupJunkie]

You and many others man. Folks have been waiting forever for that game to show up anywhere.

[@kbxthegamemaster06]

Lol I remember coincidentally playing Strikers 1945 right after credit feeding through Aero Fighters thinking "WAIT THIS LOOKS LIKE AERO FIGHTERS" Also I absolutely love the games offered here unfortunately my experience with some Raizing and Psikyo games was slightly, like 10.6534% hindered by the input lag in Arcade emulators, and unfortunately no device we own right now can run a Saturn game to save its life. 😭😭😭😭😭 Also why is Raiden 1 the only Seibu shmup on here. I mean come on you got Raiden II, and if not II, then DX, the Raiden Fighters trilogy and perhaps the most important, obscure and port-lacking one in their library, Viper Phase 1. I mean COME ON you were sticking on the arcade exclusives so why not put in VP1???? and yeah, Seibu SPI games run like a doofus when I try to emulate them too. I NEED A GAMING PC SO BAD anyways EXCELLENT VIDEO as usual. I love it

[@ShmupJunkie]

I guess they were sticking to the older games for many of these, but I wouldn't have minded Raiden II on there either. Great call on Viper that would've been sweet. But the reason we don't see some may be the reason you mentioned. If they can't get current emulation running them well it's a no go. So that and or licensing could be a barrier too. As it is, they are having Manabu Namiki redo some of the music in Batrider for licensing reasons. They have to be so incredibly careful with these.

[@kbxthegamemaster06]

@@ShmupJunkie oh... I didn't know any of Batrider's music was copyrighted! Edit: oh wait yeah because Sakimoto did some stuff in there an their gonna have to get Basiscape to let them use his music. got it

[@IanWagner-zx4ld]

What’s funny about all these reviews is no one has mentioned the small text above the joystick that says “stereo of the art sound”. I know what they intended to say but it’s funny it goes unnoticed.

[@weebnerdgaming4908]

So many shmups so little time... I'd love to get the Astro City V mini, but the upcoming Flying Fire Shark and Rayforce ports are waiting.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Tell me about it! I can't keep up. In my case probably because I spend way more time making videos than getting to play. The life of a youtuber I suppose. Someday when it's time to hang it up I can just relax and only worry about playing too.

[@davidcarmichael4006]

This channel is so awesome

[@ShmupJunkie]

The games are awesome, makes my job easy!

[@davidcarmichael4006]

@@ShmupJunkie i’m thankful for the amount of info you provide & the way that you visually do it! This art needs to be experienced and YOU help me do that.

[@TMBSlive]

Quality info. Loving those S&M analogies dude. Nice one.

[@makoto4341]

This has Terra Cresta?! i guess i'll have to pick this up, it was one of the first games i played at the arcades back in the day

[@jojolecruchotdugeeklille2681]

Action Fighter (1986) Armed Police Batrider (1998) Batsugun (1993) Battle Bakraid Unlimited Version (1999) Cosmo Police Galivan (1985) Desert Breaker (1992) Dogyuun (1992) Gunbird (1994) Kingdom Grand Prix (1994) Moon Cresta (1980) Out Zone (1990) Raiden (1990) Samurai Aces (1993) Shark Shark Shark (1989) Sonic Wings (1992) Strikers 1945 (1995) Tatsujin (1988) Terra Cresta (1985) Truxton II (1992) VV (1993) Wrestle War (1989) Zaxxon (1982) I love all those games especially Batsugun, Gunbird and Out Zone ....

[@ShmupJunkie]

Crazy lineup right?! Outzone, V-V, Tatsujin are probably my Top 3 all time Toaplan favs. But I really like many others too, very few I don't.

[@Mingodough]

God damn so many good games. Hopefully these come to modern consoles. I feel like they will it’s just a matter of when? M2 is sort of busy porting every toaplan game so who knows about the other games on this list

[@ShmupJunkie]

We could potentially see some from City Connection and the like, similar to Rayforce and other Taito games that are coming out. Which is of course hit and miss depending on the emulation job they do. I would much rather get a Batrider from M2 as you know it would be an amazing package. Which the game deserves.

[@Mingodough]

@@ShmupJunkie I didn’t mind the layer section port too much but I know some people want really good treatment with these games so it’s hard to say what will happen

[@ThatGamingGuyfromthe70s]

The collection of games is superlative but my excitement is tempered until I get reviews of the system. I have these games on a pc hooked up to a crt and they play fantastically well, I will purchase if the emulation holds up.

[@ShmupJunkie]

No way they will perform as fast as on your PC, the mini can only do so much. Usually 6-7 frames. It's more a piece for those who want to own the games officially and not mess around with emulation setup. But if you already have that going, I doubt you'll see better performance here.

[@ThatGamingGuyfromthe70s]

@@ShmupJunkie I'm ok if the performance is stable and not too laggy, 6-7 frames can be tough but OK for casual sessions, I want to own these games officially where possible especially as the big hitters have never been released before. Most of the Toaplan games will hopefully be released by m2 at some point which I will also pick up.