Shoot Em Up — Michael CavaciniMichael Cavacini

If you told me at the start of the year that one of my favorite Xbox gaming experiences of 2026 would be a sequel to a niche, Japanese arcade shoot-’em-up (SHMUP) that hasn’t seen a mainline entry in over two decades, I probably would have laughed. Yet, here I am, completely hooked on Psyvariar 3.

Developed by Banana Bytes (the team behind Sophstar) and published by Red Art Games, this vertical shooter is an absolute masterclass in high-risk, high-reward gameplay. For $19.99, it offers an incredible amount of content that both honors its arcade roots and modernizes the genre for today’s controllers.

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If you followed my preview post back in January, you know how excited I was for the release of R-Type Dimensions III. ININ Games promised a definitive modern rebuild of the iconic sci-fi shoot-’em-up, and after spending significant time blasting through the Bydo Empire on Xbox Series X, I’m thrilled to report that it completely delivers.

For the uninitiated, R-Type is royalty in the side-scrolling shmup genre. It’s legendary for its precision gameplay, atmospheric bio-mechanical horror, and an unforgiving-but-fair difficulty curve. Dimensions III takes the foundational DNA of the arcade classics and masterfully elevates it for a modern generation of pilots.

Here is why this package is an absolute triumph for retro purists and newcomers alike.