A new release that eluded our latest new release round-up is Changeable Guardian ESTIQUE. As it was only officially announced today (Monday), I think we can be excused.
This horizontal shooter made its debut as a modern NES/Famicom release at the end of 2024, and is now set to grace Steam, PS5, Xbox Series and Switch on 6th August via AMATA Games.
This new version includes the Japanese and International ROMS, which have slightly different visuals in some areas, along with varying storylines. A gallery mode, online rankings, and various quality-of-life features such as a rewind tool and CRT filters are also included.
Changeable Guardian ESTIQUE takes place in 2413 and sees space pirates “Van-De-Raus” attempt to take over five cities, including London and Tokyo. You control either Mary or Kanon, ace pilots who have come to Earth’s rescue, travelling from the far-off planet of Petelgeuse.
Six stages feature, and true to the game’s name, the titular craft can change from Fighter Form with a small vertical hitbox, to Robot Form – which can withstand terrain damage and has a faster recovery rate. Boss fights appear very impressive for the humble NES in regard to both their size and level of detail.
There’s quite a bit of talent associated with the project, with the developer’s past works including Power Strike II, Gun-Nac, Rolling Thunder 2, Galaxian 3, Death Smiles, and more.