'90s-Style Shoot-em-Up With Music From Famous Japanese Composers Starts Crowdfunding Today

Indie developer Breaking Bytes is turning to Kickstarter to fund its '90s-style 2D shoot-em-up Xydonia. The crowdfunding effort is kicking off today, June 27, asking for €20,000 ($22,000) to help make the project a reality.

Xydonia aims to be a "love letter" to Japanese arcade classics such as Gradius, R-Type, Darius, and Thunder Force, and is also inspired by the wonderful and challenging Spelunky. It's a "return to the golden age of the shmup genre," containing "hardcore" arcade-like gameplay and a unique cast of characters.

Another compelling element is that Breaking Bytes has brought on famous Japanese composers Shinji Hosoe (Dragon Spirit, Under Defeat, Otomedius) and Keishi Yonao (Mad Stalker, Strania) to write music for Xydonia. If funding reaches €32,000 ($35,000), Ayako Saso (Tekken series) and Yosuke Yasui (Custom Robo) series will provide guest tracks.

Expect to hear Genesis/Mega Drive-like "chip" sounds. You can watch the trailer above to get an idea for what to expect from the gameplay and music.

In another nod to '90s arcade games, there will be an option to play Xydonia in "CRT mode" by way of an emulation shader and border overlay. Overall, the game's technical specifics and presentation style are "carefully crafted to recreate the look and feel of the era."

Breaking Bytes art director Walter Samperi said it's been "great to see" the shmup genre take off on Steam, and that he hopes Xydonia (which is also on Steam Greenlight) can keep that trend going.

"Xydonia aims to bring the hardcore arcade experience, both in gameplay and style, to modern standards, while keeping it genuine," he said. "Spelunky is one of the most balanced modern arcade experiences, and Xydonia takes inspiration from this philosophy, emphasizing the same short-burst type of play from R-Type, Darius, or Thunder Force and mixing that with Spelunky's long-term replayability and secrets."

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In terms of story, Xydonia takes place in the year 30XX, a time when the rise of technology means everyone is traveling by space like it's no big thing. However, there is a dangerous journey that none have returned from--you'll be the first, if you're successful.

"The legacy of planet Xydonia's inhabitants still remains a mystery to this day," reads a line from the game's description. "Countless adventurers and opportunists have ventured in search of the remains of this ancient civilization and its homeworld, but none of them have returned. Now, it's time to uncover Xydonia's coordinates and discover its darkest secrets for yourself."

You can get a copy of Xydonia for pledging at least €10 ($11), which Breaking Bytes says will represent a 33 percent discount from its retail price.

Higher-tier rewards include things like the soundtrack, your personal likeness put in the game, and the ability to work with the developer on enemy, boss, and character design. Xydonia is scheduled to launch in October 2017 for PC, but there are also stretch goals for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and 3DS versions.

A snapshot of the Xydonia stretch goals can be seen below. All of the details about these and the rest of the campaign can be seen on the Kickstarter when it goes live at 9 AM PST today.

Xydonia Stretch Goals:

• €25,000 ($27,500) - Mac/Linux30000€ - Additional paths/stages
• €32,000 ($35,000) - SuperSweep Team (Ayako Saso & Yousuke Yasui guest tracks)
• €40,000 ($44,000) - Arrange Mode (16:9 mode, arranged music and stages)
• €45,000 ($49,500) - Online Co-op
• €60,000 ($66,000) - PS4
• €70,000 ($77,000) - Xbox One
• €80,000 (88,000) - Nintendo 3DS