One of Japan’s elusive “Cute-Em-Ups”, the original Trouble Witches is getting an upgraded PC release on Steam.
From developer Studio SiestA, Trouble Witches is what some consider to be a “Cute-Em-Up” shooter; still shooters at their core, Cute-Em-Ups often have a much friendlier, almost storybook art style compared to their space and aviation-based Shmup counterparts. The series debuted for PC in Japan in 2007 with Trouble Witches Episode 1 ~Daughters of Amalgam~. The original game featured three magical girls to choose from, each with her own personal story arc; a staple for multi-character Shmups, each character also had her own attack pattern. Trouble Witches expanded on traditional gameplay mechanics with a risk/reward “Magic Barrier” system: Each character could summon a Magic Barrier to slow enemy bullets; if the enemy was destroyed, bullets trapped within the Barrier would transform into gold coins, however if an enemy left the screen, said bullets would then return to their normal speed and lock onto the player.
An updated version of Episode 1, Trouble Witches AC-was due to release for PC two years later, however it was scrapped and ported to arcades under publisher Taito. The series finally saw a worldwide release in 2011 with Trouble Witches NEO! on XBLA. Published under SNK Playmore, NEO! was an enhanced version of AC, with new characters and artwork updated for widescreen displays, additional Boss Rush and Score Attack modes, local and online co-op, and the ability to share gameplay replays online. This was also the first time Trouble Witches would be presented in English; an English version of Episode 1 titled “The Tomboyish Witches ~With Amalgam’s Cutie Girls~” was in development, but was cancelled shortly after its reveal.
After 7 years, the original Trouble Witches will finally release for PC in North America. Under publisher Rocket Engine, Trouble Witches Origin is the “lost” English version of the original game, Episode 1 ~Daughters of Amalgam~. The updated release includes re-worked stages presented in 720p, additional character “Fuminoimiki Kozakura”, and a Challenge Mode to be presented as future DLC. System requirements are as follows courtesy of Steam:
- OS: Windows 7/8/8.1
- Processor: Intel Core i3 or Higher
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Support to DirectX11 Graphics
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- Sound Card: Support to DirectSound Soundcard
A release date has not been announced, however the Steam page for Trouble Witches Origin is already live.
ThePlatformer 