NES classics to return October 28
After a year of low-key teasing, shmup-loving publisher City Connection has finally announced its intention to bring two classic — and utterly bizarre — NES shmups to modern platforms in the form of Abarenbo Tengu & Zombie Nation, The double-pack is currently in development for PC and Nintendo Switch with an expected release date of October 28. Spooky.
Originally released in 1990, Abarenbo Tengu and its western counterpart, Zombie Nation, are among the oddest shmups on the market. The player guides a Tengu mask (or a disembodied samurai head in Zombie Nation) and takes on waves of supernatural and enemies and boss characters, ostensibly intent on enslaving the populace through mind control. Zombie Nation was renowned for its frantic action, colorful visuals, and plain absurdity, which helped the title find a cult audience in the ensuing decades.
As the title denotes, this new rerelease will include both Abarenbo Tengu and Zombie Nation, recreated in all their 8-bit glory. While an announcement trailer, unfortunately, features no footage of the title in action, the double-pack is expected to be a straight replication of the original games, albeit with added features and functionalities such as save states, leaderboards, a rewind option, and auto-fire toggle. A museum mode will feature music, merch, and marketing products taken from the two weird shooters.
Abarenbo Tengu & Zombie Nation will launch digitally on PC and Switch on October 28, with a physical special edition is also in the works at City Connection. You can check out more details on the two titles and their history at the all-new official website.
