#popslinger

Check out Skule Toyama's Original Soundtrack for ‘PopSlinger Vol. 2: Loveless' Available NOW on cassette and digital from Business Casual!

From Gematsu

Publisher Artax Games and developer Funky Can Creative will release side-scrolling shoot ’em up PopSlinger for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the companies announced. A release date was not announced.

PopSlinger first launched for Switch on January 26, 2022, followed by PC via Steam and itch.io on April 14, 2022.

Here is an overview of the game, via Artfax Games:

About

The world is in danger! Hordes of invaders are corrupting the hearts of people! Someone needs to protect the city and fight against the “Corazones,” people whose hearts have been captured by the dark forces from another dimension. Join Ria Carbon along with the former PopSlinger heroine Gin in a whimsical adventure to save their planet from the otherworldly forces using their magical soda-powered guns while grooving to a funky and dynamic original soundtrack that reacts to your performance.

Key Features

-Fight Corazones With Popping Powers!

Discover different soda flavored weapons that shoot their own unique projectiles!

Pop, dodge, run and shoot the enemies to clear this side-scrolling shoot ’em up.

Unlock new abilities for Gin and Ria.

Defeat multiple bosses and common enemies of the same color in a row to get more points.

Get high ranks for each stage to advance through the story!

-Explore a Funky Vibrant World!

Vibrant, colorful, funky aesthetic inspired in the 80s and 90s, new retro style, and Japanese Animation.

Spot tons of pop culture references.

Strong narrative with fully voiced dialogue cut scenes in English.

Over six stages to explore and fight in plus a fully explorable hub world.

-Groove to a Dynamic Soundtrack!

Award winning Original Soundtrack reminiscent of French House, Future Funk, New Jack Swing, City Pop styles, and more!

Hear how the music changes and reacts to your in-game performance in real-time!

Fully voiced cutscenes in English that work like musical videos.

Watch a new trailer below.

PlayStation and Xbox Announce Trailer

Sometimes I can be a sucker for retro-inspired video games. But there in lies the problem: me being a sucker means I’ll be tricked into playing a game that only looks cool. In actuality, half of the time, video games that have a killer look will sadly deliver a hollow experience. Unfortunately, that’s what Funky Can Creative’s PopSlinger have delivered.

Inspired by classic anime, PopSlinger has you taking control of Ria, a spunky twenty-something who is tasked to save the world. With the aid of former heroine Gin, Ria is given soda-powered guns that will take out alien forces that stand in their way. As they fight through each level, Ria and Gin will have to deal with “Corazones”, who are normal folks with corrupted hearts.

As the game goes on, Ria will earn new weaponry, ranging from multi-shooters to bazookas. However, just because you get a better gun doesn’t mean it’ll be effective against every alien. The more closer you get to the truth, the harder the enemies become. Because of this, one will need to quickly switch between weapons and dodge out of the way from any enemy attack.

On the surface, there’s a lot that’s pretty cool about PopSlinger. The soundtrack is incredibly catchy, as it captures the sound of future funk, city pop, and other genres that stay true to the 80s/90s vibe. Visually, the game’s characters bring to mind the works of Korean artist RDR, who also shares a similar taste in the retro vibe. Even its narrative — although very paint-by-numbers — is entertaining thanks to the personalities of Ria and Gin.

Review: PopSlinger

PopSlinger is a tremendous game and one that may not be for everyone, but everyone who plays it will find something to love about it.  The ’80s/’90s retro look has been done a lot, but rarely done better than it is here due to how well it manages to blend keeping the detail level high while also using a VHS-style filter over everything.

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