ININ Games has announced modern ports for classic Japanese shoot ’em up games The Legend of Steel Empire and Over Horizon X Steel Empire.
While The Legend of Steel Empire is getting a retail and digital re-release on Switch and PS4, Over Horizon X Steel Empire is a digital-only release.
Both classic shmups will launch for Nintendo Switch first, in January 2024 and early 2024, respectively, with the PS4 versions coming later.
Here’s a rundown on the games, plus a new trailer:
The Legend of Steel Empire
Known as Empire of Steel in Europe and Koutetsu Teikoku (鋼鉄帝国) in Japan, The Steel Empire is a 1992 shoot-’em-up for the Sega Mega Drive and 2004 for Game Boy Advance developed by HOT-B, recognized for its distinctive diesel-punk aesthetic, combining elements of steampunk and late-19th-century industrial design, setting it apart from other shoot ’em-up games.
In this iconic original, mammoth battleships cruise the skies, and armored locomotives carry cannons the size of railway cars. With invincible fortresses floating in the air, the Motorhead Empire has conquered and enslaved virtually the entire planet… This is the story of Steel Empire, first launched in the golden age of shoot’em ups in the early 90’s for the Sega Mega Drive, it has since then been remade on a few portable consoles. The Legend of Steel Empire marks the latest entry in the series.
The Legend of Steel Empire marks the latest entry in this series. The HD remaster is based on the PC game from a few years back but features some important additions: All graphics have been improved in high definition, the controls have been reworked, and there is a leveling system: the more items you collect, the stronger you get, but also the opponents will get more resilient, and the hordes will get bigger.. Ahem, anyway, enter one of the Striker airplanes or the Zeppelin with an aerial mine launcher and fight your way through seven complex stages full of well-balanced euro-shmup action. In short: A Remaster – Restored with Love!
Over Horizon X Steel Empire
Developed by HOT-B and Steel Empire’s co-director, the previously PAL territories exclusive and Japanese-only Over Horizon could easily be seen as a spiritual successor to Steel Empire.
For this reason, we are proud to make these classic, long-lost shoot ‘em ups available on modern consoles worldwide as a digital download in early 2024 for Nintendo Switch and later on for PlayStation 4.
