Update #6 [Thu 23rd Nov, 2023 14:55 GMT]: Yuzo Koshiro has just given us our best look yet at his upcoming Shmup, Earthion. The footage showcases a fight with a mothership so large it can't even fit on the screen.
Update #5 [Sat 23rd Sep, 2023 09:45 BST]: Yuzo Koshiro has confirmed at TGS 2023 that Earthion will launch in 2024, and that it is coming to both the Mega Drive / Genesis and current-gen consoles.
It has also been confirmed that Superdeluxe will be distributing the game in Japan, while Limited Run Games is involved in distributing it in the West.
Update #4 [Fri 16th Jun, 2023 17:20 BST]: Yuzo Koshiro has revealed that his new shmup, Earthion, will be shown off at the forthcoming Tokyo Game Show 2023:
Update #3 [Fri 16th Jun, 2023 17:20 BST]: We now have a tile for Yuzo Koshiro's new Mega Drive shmup:
Update #2 [Thu 2nd Mar, 2023 16:00 GMT]: Koshiro has just shared some more footage of the game, and it's looking amazing:
Update #1 [Tue 24th Jan, 2023 15:30 GMT]: Yuzo Koshiro has shared some gameplay footage of his company's forthcoming shmup:
Original Story [Wed 30th Nov, 2022 10:00 GMT]: Legendary Japanese composer, game design and studio head Yuzo Koshiro has announced that he is working on a new Mega Drive / Genesis game at Ancient, the company he established back in 1990.
The as-yet-unnamed title is a horizontal shooter, and is the first Mega Drive game Koshiro has worked on since Beyond Oasis / Story of Thor (which, incidentally, could be getting some kind of remake soon).
"Looking at these pictures, you probably don't think this game will be a bullet-hell," Koshiro said on Twitter. "We respect games of the days we love and will make this a fun game to shoot with a new system, fascinating graphics, characters, and a soundtrack."
He adds that "the soundtrack and sound effects will definitely go with a native YM2608 driver," and that there won't be any CD audio streaming. "It's about the first time in 30 years that I've worked on MD/Gen since I made all the songs for the Beyond Oasis."
Koshiro – who recently contributed to the Streets of Rage 4 soundtrack – also says that Ancient is exploring the possibility of making this a physical release. He also says that other platforms might be considered in the future, including Switch, but the focus is on making the game for the Mega Drive at the moment.