We <3 Japanese Indie Games!

Some news for fans of older STGs - soon you'll be able to buy Geppy-X and Muchi Muchi Pork / Pink Sweets on Steam, instead of having to pay an arm and a leg for 2nd hand copies!


https://store.steampowered.com/app/4120310/70sstyle_Robot_Anime_GeppyX/

Yes, "70s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X" is the game's original full title. This one was a Japan-only PS1 game by Aroma, a loving tribute to 70s mecha shows. I personally have owned a copy of the soundtrack on CD for decades but never had a copy of the game because it cost so much to obtain 2nd hand.

For the soundtrack, they brought in actual top anime song vocalists.
- Isao Sasaki - in the 1970s he recorded the theme songs for Getter Robo and Uchuu Senkan Yamato (and loads of other things).
- Hironobu Kageyama - OP themes for Saint Seiya, Dragonball Z, after this soundtrack he co-founded JAM Project
- MIO (now known as MIQ) - known for L-Gaim and Dunbine.
- Yoshizaki from CRYSTAL KING - he's the lower voice of the duo, known in the 70s for their mega-hit Daitokai but later on for the theme song for Hokuto no Ken (Fist Of The North Star).
- Akira Kushida - known for Xabungle, also Kinnikuman and all the Space Sheriff toku.

Great, great soundtrack, hopefully the game is ok too lol.

Secondly, we have an obscure Cave shooter duo -

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4229200/Muchi_Muchi_Pork__PinkSweets_Boosted/

These two games are vertical scrolling shmups from 2006 / 2007 and were previously only available in arcades and on Japanese Xbox 360 on disc (no digital release). It was a weird situation where Cave weren't confident these games would appeal internationally, so they gave them a domestic Japanese release on physical media without region lock, so that people could import it globally. But this scarcity drove prices through the roof on the 2nd hand market. So again, these games getting a digital release is fantastic news, that they can finally reach a wider audience.