TATSUJIN EXTREME, the first completely new TATSUJIN game in 38 years, launched on July 30, 2026, for PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with physical editions on PS5 and Switch 2. Reviews are solid, with Metascores of 76 on PS5 and 78 on Switch 2.
TATSUJIN EXTREME is the first completely new entry in the TATSUJIN series in 38 years, inheriting the lineage of Toaplan's 1988 arcade shooter TATSUJIN and its sequel Tatsujin Oh. The game launched on July 30, 2026, with digital versions rolling out across PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, while physical editions arrived on PS5 and Switch 2. A free demo had been released on July 22 across all platforms, offering four modes including HEART STARTER, which removes the game over threat, and STORY, which opens with a prologue comic by Junya Inoue.
The game modernizes the classic shooter with 3D graphics, newly composed music by series composer Masatoshi Yuge, and a story told through in-game comics. Players choose from five weapon types: returning Power Shot, Tatsujin Beam, and Thunder Laser, plus new Homing Shot and Starmine Shot. The standard physical edition costs 4,950 yen on PS5 and 5,940 yen on Switch 2, with a PREMIUM BOX edition at 19,800 yen and 20,790 yen respectively, including a 2-disc gold soundtrack, a metal ship figure, a 112-page art book, a 128-page comic, and DLC with BGM and ship skins from TATSUJIN, Tatsujin Oh, and BATSUGUN.
Reviews are solid, with a Metascore of 76 on PS5 and 78 on Nintendo Switch 2. Critics praise the classic design, visuals, and soundtrack, while noting high difficulty and story pacing issues. The development team brings together Masatoshi Yuge, creator of TATSUJIN, and Takayuki Saito, designer of the Raiden Fighters series, who began collaborating at TATSUJIN Inc. after Saito joined in 2021. The game also appeared in a weekly release roundup alongside other major titles, and a follow-and-repost campaign on the official X account ran until August 6, giving away 10 Pipiru Alien plushies.
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TATSUJIN EXTREME, a vertical-scrolling shooter released on July 30, 2026, for PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, has earned a Metascore of 76 on PS5 and 78 on Nintendo Switch 2. Critics praise the classic design, visuals, and soundtrack, while noting high difficulty and story pacing issues.
Bandai Namco announced that the arcade version of Taiko no Tatsujin will update some of its in-game fonts on August 19. The reason was not given, but observers suspect a connection to the recent pricing overhaul of the font subscription service LETS. Similar changes are appearing in Monster Strike's upcoming UI update.
Masatoshi Yuge, creator of TATSUJIN, and Takayuki Saito, designer of the Raiden Fighters series, have joined forces at TATSUJIN Inc. for the new game TATSUJIN EXTREME. In an interview with Denfaminicogamer, the two veterans discussed their first collaboration and their decades-long careers in vertical shooters.
THQ Nordic Japan and TATSUJIN Co., Ltd. released the physical versions of "TATSUJIN EXTREME" for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 on July 30, 2026. The digital versions for PS5, Switch 2, Steam, and Xbox Series X|S began rolling out from 10:00 PM JST the same day. The game is a completely new title inheriting the lineage of Toaplan's 1988 arcade shooter "TATSUJIN" and its sequel "Tatsujin Oh." It uses 3D graphics, newly composed music by series composer Masatoshi Yuge, and a story presented through in-game comics. Players use five weapon types including returning weapons Power Shot, Tatsujin Beam, and Thunder Laser, plus new additions Homing Shot and Starmine Shot. The standard physical edition costs 4,950 yen on PS5 and 5,940 yen on Switch 2. A PREMIUM BOX edition is also available, priced at 19,800 yen for PS5 and 20,790 yen for Switch 2, containing a 2-disc gold soundtrack with 78 tracks, a metal ship figure, a 112-page art book, a 128-page comic, and a special box. Both editions include DLC with BGM and ship skins from "TATSUJIN," "Tatsujin Oh," and "BATSUGUN." A free demo is available across all platforms, featuring four modes: TUTORIAL, HEART STARTER, STORY, and TEAM. A follow-and-repost campaign on the official X account runs until August 6, 2026, giving away 10 non-sale Pipiru Alien plushies.
The week of July 27 to August 2, 2026, sees a slate of major releases across platforms. Leading the lineup is 'Halo: Campaign Evolved', a Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original 2001 campaign, launching July 29 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S at 7,900 yen. It includes 10 original missions plus three new ones, 4-player online co-op with cross-play, and a Campaign Remix mode with randomized modifiers. Early reviews are positive, with Metascores of 81 on PS5 and 84 on Xbox Series X as of July 26, though the lack of competitive multiplayer drew some criticism. Also releasing July 30 is 'Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition', an enhanced version for the new console. The same day sees the extraction shooter 'Mistfall Hunter' on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, along with 'BLUE REFLECTION Quartet: The Miracle of the Girls' (7,480 yen), 'Culdcept the First', 'Volcano Princess', 'TATSUJIN EXTREME', and 'Honoboshi no Niwa'. On July 31, dark fantasy action RPG 'The Relic: First Guardian' arrives on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The week's releases span genres from FPS and RPG to puzzle and simulation, with several titles also available on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
THQ Nordic Japan and TATSUJIN Co., Ltd. released a demo for TATSUJIN EXTREME on July 22, 2026, across PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The full game is scheduled for release on July 30. TATSUJIN EXTREME is a completely new entry in the TATSUJIN series, which originated as an arcade vertical-scrolling shooter from Toaplan in the 1980s. The demo includes four modes: TUTORIAL for learning basic controls, HEART STARTER which allows players to continue without game over, STORY which begins with a prologue comic by Junya Inoue, and TEAM for two-player cooperative play. In STORY and TEAM, players can experience the first stage, SUCCESSION. The demo does not support save functionality or online rankings. Alongside the demo, a making-of PV showing development footage and in-game screens set to the game's music was released on the TATSUJIN Official Channel. An in-person trial event and autograph session by Junya Inoue are scheduled for August 2 at BEEP Akihabara store in Tokyo.
Bandai Namco Entertainment released a paid downloadable content collaboration pack for Taiko no Tatsujin: Don Don Festival on June 25, themed around the anime adaptation of Nagano's manga Chiikawa. The pack makes the song "Hitorigotsu ~Band Ver.~" playable and includes limited in-game items such as Chiikawa characters' puchi characters, collaboration name plates, and titles. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Alongside the DLC, a free update added the new song "Shanimuni Hanabi" as the second installment of the Taiko no Tatsujin 25th anniversary commemorative song project, a four-part plan to release new songs fulfilling Don-chan's dream of becoming a music producer. The song is described as conveying passion for immersing oneself in activities like Taiko no Tatsujin to overcome real-world hardships.