My favorite shmup game is coming to a retro console I still can't remotely afford

Now and then, I remember that the Polymega exists, usually through eye-catching game announcements. This time, it's caught my eye by way of a compilation featuring my favorite Sega Mega Drive shmup, Truxton, its sequel, and a bunch of other terrific hits by the iconic Japanese arcade publisher.

Polymega Collection Vol. 20 specifically features Truxton (Tatsujin), Truxton II (Tatsujin OU), Alcon (Slap Fight), and Grind Stormer (V‑V) (cheers, Time Extension). FYI, the bracketed aliases are the Japanese names for each release, and all four are vertical shooters that represent what Toaplan was all about back in the '90s.

The last time I caught wind of a Polymega release was when Body Harvest, an N64 precursor to GTA, arrived as part of Volume 15. Since then, the emulation-based best retro console contender has continued to receive proprietary CDs that ditch original cartridge formats for something that'll work on the machine's $549 base unit or the Polymega PC app.

To this day, I still play Truxton on a Sega Mega Drive hooked up to a CRT TV. It's a gruelling shooter that cares not for your feelings, and it'll easily knock your confidence for weeks via revenge bullets and sneaky flanking ships. I know, I'm not remotely making this classic shmup sound fun, but learning the patterns, collecting power-ups to amass the right kind fire power, and getting those alien dorks before they get you is phenomenally rewarding.

The draw with Truxton also lies in its simplicity. Unlike many other shooters after, Toaplan's arcade caper sticks to dogfight basics. You'll collect speed power-ups and have access to red, blue, and green weapons all with their own range and patterns, yes, but other than that, there are no gimmicks getting in the way of your deep space mission.

The first game is considered a "bullet-hell" experience, but Truxton II really takes the biscuit. It butters you up with incredible FM synth tracks before subjecting you to pure shmup sadism, and it's certainly one for those of you who've mastered the comparatively tame first romp.

I really love the idea of one CD featuring some of Toaplan's staple shmups, but the Evercade already beat Polymega to the punch with this complication. At least, it almost did, thanks to its Toaplan Arcade 1 and 2 collections, which pack a bunch more of the developer's hits onto two cartridges.

I don't want to start ranting on about how you can already play Truxton and its accompanying shmups for less in HD using something like the Evercade VS-R, or even on the go with the ridiculously affordable Super Pocket. If anything, I'm just pleased to see a bunch of great arcade capers officially land on more modern retro consoles, and the Polymega does have the fact that it supports Mega Drive controllers via its optional cartridge and gamepad port module (yes, I know these are arcade machine ROMs, but I'm a '90s console baby).

Ultimately, I'm just happy the Polymega player base is getting a nice steady supply of game releases. Volume 20 isn't even the latest releases sequentially, as Volumes 21 and 22 have been announced with respective Fixeight and Snow Bros headliners, and each is packed with other outings by Toaplan.

Swing by the best retro controllers for new buttons for your old systems.