A group of legendary '80s arcade creators are getting together to bring out a new 2D action game that will flip the action game genre upside down later this year (thanks Famitsu for the spot!).
Saka-Doh: The Reversal Arts is a new title that is expected to hit Steam sometime this Winter and is being developed by a group of industry veterans, which includes several individuals who have worked for the famous arcade developer Taito.
This includes the designer Kenji Kaido (Night Striker, Warrior Blade, and Cameltry); the sound designer and former Zuntata member Nakayama Raiden (Grid Seeker, Densha de GO!, Puzzle Bobble 2); and the pixel artist Kentaro Matsumura (Darius Gaiden, G-Darius, Puzzle Bobble 2), in addition to the programmer M-KAI (Judgement Silversword, Eschatos, Ginga Force) and creative supervisor and 35-year game industry veteran Hiroshi Makabe.
It has players take control of a martial artist student named Masao Sakamaki, who sets off on a perilous quest across the globe to find Misora Isakami, the daughter of his dojo master, who has mysteriously disappeared.
However, in a twist from similarly-themed arcade games, the action isn't presented as your typical belt-scrolling beat 'em up, with the protagonist instead being humorously suspended from a helicopter in mid-air, where they will have to unleash their devastating kicks and punches on their opponents while being dangled upside down (almost like a version of the childhood game of conkers; if conkers had limbs, that is).
According to the Steam page, which seems to have gone live recently, players will be able to "chain [together] rapid strikes" and charge up their "Sen-Qi", which will allow them to take advantage of three levels of super moves to break through the swarm of enemy fighters.
The game will reportedly make its playable debut at Tokyo Game Show 2025, which is scheduled to take place this month, between September 25th to September 28th, in Japan, and has a Steam page available now that you can wishlist.