It gives me so much joy to announce that our Azure Striker Gunvolt series is making its long-awaited debut on PS4 this April!

After the release of Azure Striker Gunvolt in 2014 and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 in 2016, I had always hoped that one day we would be able to bring the series over to the PlayStation. This way, all of the people who love the kind of 2D side-scrolling action games we’ve been making for over 20 years can finally experience a series that is bursting at the seams with everything we love in a video game.

While it’s true that the Gunvolt series features the 2D action gameplay that has become synonymous with Inti Creates over the years, it’s all of the other features that weave it all together that make the Gunvolt games our pride and joy.

Anime-style Characters and World Created in High-Quality Pixel Art

It’s not a part of the game I work on personally, so I don’t have to hold back when I say that I believe we have some of the best pixel artists in the entire industry working on our titles. The detailed characters, jaw-dropping backgrounds, and fluid animations that my comrades make never cease to blow my mind. Combined with series character artist Yoshiktaka Hatakeyama’s masterfully crafted character art, key art, and more, it’s no small wonder that Gunvolt and the gang became the faces of our company.

OK, I’ll stop gushing about our artists now :)

Classic-Style Action Game Elements Woven Into a Deep Storyline

I feel like this was especially true back in the day and even when the Gunvolt games originally released, but 2D action games weren’t necessarily known for having very deep storylines. That was something we wanted to change with the Gunvolt series, and with a motley cast that includes more than 30 developed, fully-voiced characters spread over the two games, the stage was set for Gunvolt’s sci-fi narrative to unfold. There are lots of character interactions in the game, and I’m not just talking about the dialogue that happens between stages or during encounters with boss characters. A lot of dialogue happens live during stage playthroughs (called Story Mode+), which gives the characters a lot more time to interact with each other and share details about who they are that you would otherwise never have a chance to learn.

Songs Performed By the Games’ Heroines Ramp up the Action

The heroines of the game have a special ability known as “The Muse,” and the power of song is an integral part of their characters. When players reach a certain score, referred to in-game as “Kudos” points, the heroines Lumen and Lola will appear and the soundtrack turns into an electric, vocal-filled J-pop performance for as long as the player can maintain the necessary Kudos. With over 20 vocal tracks in total, including a new one made exclusively for the PlayStation release of the Striker Pack, I challenge you to do your best so you can hear these wonderful ladies sing their hearts out!

Gameplay That’s Welcoming for New Players and Veterans

We want everyone to be able to enjoy the story of the Gunvolt games, so we put systems in place that allow players of all skill levels to customize their experience to increase the challenge or give Gunvolt and Copen an extra edge against those particularly tough bosses.

With the other improvements we put in place like overhauling the graphics and UI, increasing the frame rate to 60fps from its original 30fps and more, the PlayStation version is the ultimate way to experience the original Azure Striker Gunvolt games, and I hope you all have an absolute blast with them on April 23!