There’s a storm coming…
Retro publisher Hamster has added another classic coin-op to its expansive Arcade Archives range. Now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, Konami’s great shmup Lightning Fighters is ready to entertain a whole new generation of players.
Originally released in 1990, Lightning Fighters (known in Japan as Trigon) is a sci-fi themed vertically scrolling shmup – very similar in style and gameplay to Tecmo’s Raiden, which launched the same year. One or two players take off to battle waves of aliens over nine stages of non-stop action. As is typical of the genre, multiple power-ups and weapons can be gathered in battle to help even the odds. The titular “Trigon” refers to a rotational orb that can be added to the player’s vessel to provide extra firepower.
Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays:
Notably this is, (to the best of my knowledge) the first time Lightning Fighters has been re-released on a modern platform, having not been featured on any of the Konami arcade compilations over the years. So while the $8 price tag is a little steep, it’s tough not to recommend this curio for shmup completionists.
Lightning Fighters is available to download now on PS4 in Japan and Nintendo Switch worldwide.