Earthion Preview - A New Game for the SEGA Genesis?!

No one is talking about Earthion, but I'm going to do my best to throw it into your line of sight. Consider this: a brand new shoot 'em up (SHUMP) is releasing for the SEGA Gensis, a console that debuted over three decades ago. This SHUMP is retro to the core, rad as hell, and I can't wait to see more: Remember the name Earthion.

Developed by Japanese studio Ancient and published by Limited Run Games, you'll be able to boot up this banger on a physical cartridge and enjoy it the way God intended on that dusty old SEGA Genesis sitting in your closet. Well, it's time to give that bad boy a dusting so you can see why Earthion is so special.

From the show floor of PAX West, we checked out Earthion, so read on to learn more.

Earthion's a New Game Running on Old Hardware

Brand new games running on cartridges designed for long-dead consoles is nothing new; outside of fan-made creations, Limited Run has released certain games with this idea in mind. Knowing this, Earthion has to contend with the limitations of old hardware, but that doesn't stop it from going hard.

SHUMPs put me in an adrenaline-fueled frenzy, and Earthion is no different in that regard. It's about as authentic as it gets, from the visuals and audio down to the gameplay. Its gameplay is simple but elegant and refined, making for a fantastic time.

Take control of a spaceship and blast through space with your standard lasers, or various secondary weapons. You can arm this ship with rockets, extra machine guns, or even a flamethrower. Dodge and weave your way through enemies and avoid getting hit, else you'll lose a precious life.

Sounds like most other SHUMPs, but again, it does exactly what it needs to do. Visually, though, it's outstanding and richly detailed. The spritework is animated to perfection and colors pop, creating one of the best looking SEGA Genesis games (which might be unfair to say as a game coming out in ~2025).

I played the demo twice since it was pretty short, but it was fun enough that it merited even more plays. During the one level I played, a giant ship flies into the screen, presumably an ally, and explodes. This creates a debris field players then need to dodge around as enemy ships come flying in.

Soon enough, I arrive at the boss, this strange, robotic ship. It exposes its weak point after shooting some perilous projectiles at me. Shooting this weak spot requires some precision, especially when contending with the projectiles it shoots at you, so it's the perfect challenge for what is presumably an early level of Earthion. Be sure to use the rockets or extra machine guns for extra oomph!

There's only so much one can say about a demo that lasts roughly 5 minutes, but it was enough time for me to know I'm going to love the hell out of Earthion when it releases. For a brand new SHUMP with an undeniably old-school feel, Earthion is one you're going to want to keep an eye on.

Earthion was previewed on the floor of PAX West 2024.