Xexex finally gets a console port as Hamster Corporation is at it again with yet another ultra-rare shoot ’em up port, via their Arcade Archives label.

The news that Xexex finally gets a console port comes via a press release, as well as the new store pages for its Switch (via the eShop) and PlayStation 4 (via the PlayStation Store) ports. A price point is set at $7.99, quite a discount compared to having to buy a literal arcade cabinet of the game for a few decades.

Released back in 1991 by publisher and developer Konami, Xexex (released in the United States as Orius) and took inspiration from Irem’s iconic R-Type series and Konami’s other shmup’s like Gradius. The game technically got a console release as part of the Salamander Portable compilation for the PSP, but that never got released outside of Japan.

Gameplay is similar to R-Type and related shmup games where the player ship, the Flintlock, has a detachable orb component called the Flint, which behaves like R-Type’s force device. Various power ups can be obtained that strengthen the Flint’s power, speed, and even change the main weapon type.

The original overseas arcade release had numerous changes from its Japanese release, chiefly the removal of all upgradable weapons except for one, the Proton Laser. Power ups will let you increase the speed of the laser. Enemy patterns were also slightly changed for the overseas release.

As for story, while shoot ’em ups aren’t really known for their grandiose storytelling the protagonist gets into the Flintlock to save the princess Elaine, as the evil lord Klaus has kidnapped her to the planet E-Square. Each level has a cutscene of the princess crying out to the player for help.