M2 Co. Ltd officially launched Night Striker Gear, its revival of Taito's 1989 vehicular-based arcade shoot 'em up Night Striker, across Nintendo Switch & Steam.
First announced in November 2024, Night Striker Gear, much like the original game, sees players take control of a flying, transforming car called the Inter Gray, and features a similar perspective to classic Sega Super Scaler arcade titles, such as Space Harrier and Out Run.
The story of the game takes place in the year 2059 AD, at an AI amusement park in the Middle East named Lotus Layer, where a group of important dignitaries has gathered for its opening. Soon after their arrival, things get out of control, however, and the attractions mysteriously begin to revolt. This leads the United Nations to send the player in to get to the bottom of the unfolding conspiracy, where they will face off against the various killer machines that have gone rogue.
Here's a description of what you expect, courtesy of the developer on Steam:
-Long-awaited sequel to the classic arcade 3D shoot-'em-up NIGHT STRIKER (1989)
-Designed and created by M2, the Operation Night Strikers collection developer (published by Taito)
-All-new levels and a glamorous array of enemies presented in breathtaking graphics, utilizing the modern aspect ratio of 16:9 while staying true to the sprite scaling pseudo-3D style of the original NIGHT STRIKER.
-New GEAR System that adds fresh and distinct tactical depth.
-Brand new, stylish soundtrack that further accentuate the hallmark sense of rushing forward
-Supports Micomsoft's Cyber Stick (reissued) USB controller
The game currently costs £14.01 on both Steam and Nintendo Switch, with the option being available on Steam to purchase a digital copy of the soundtrack for £8.05 or as part of a bundle with the game for £19.85.
You can watch a trailer to get a look at it in action: