Nintendo Switch 2 Revives Six Classic Toaplan Shooters

Toaplan Arcade Garage: Flying Fire Shark brings six classic shoot-’em-up games to the Nintendo Switch 2. The collection includes Flying Shark, Fire Shark, and Same! Same! Same!, along with regional variants. Among these, players can revisit old-school ’80s shooters from the Japanese developer Toaplan, known for their vertically scrolling action and World War II-era biplane gameplay.

The base game costs $48.95 NZD on the New Zealand eShop. A DLC pack adds more titles, including console versions and additional arcade games like Wardner. The DLC expands the collection with Fire Shark (SEGA Genesis version 1990), Wardner (Worldwide arcade version 1987), Wardner no Mori (JP arcade version 1987), and Wardner no Mori (FDS version 1988, JP language only), offering a broader range of experiences for fans of retro gaming.

Revisiting Classic Shooters

Flying Shark, released in 1987, lets players pilot a World War II-era biplane through vertically scrolling levels. Armed with a machine gun and bombs, players must dodge enemy fire and destroy military vehicles. Collecting S icons upgrades the machine gun, while B icons provide more bombs. The game’s design emphasizes quick reflexes and strategic use of weapons, with the biplane’s controls feeling responsive yet challenging as the levels progress.

The game features five levels and can be completed in under 20 minutes. Despite its short length, it lacks large boss battles, focusing instead on smaller enemies like ships and planes. This design choice keeps the pace fast and the action continuous, though some players might miss the spectacle of a final boss showdown.

Enhanced Features and Gameplay

Fire Shark, the 1989 sequel, introduces a red biplane and new weapons, including a heavy flame spreader and wide-beam lasers. Same! Same! Same! offers a two-player mode, allowing friends to join in. The addition of these weapons and the multiplayer option adds depth to the gameplay, making Fire Shark feel like a natural evolution of its predecessor while maintaining the series’ core appeal.

The collection’s interface divides the screen into three sections. The left side displays lives, bombs, high scores, and difficulty settings. The middle shows the game itself, optimized for the Switch’s 10-inch screen. The right side features a map indicating enemy locations and power-ups. This layout enhances the overall experience by providing players with essential information without cluttering the main gameplay area.

Modern Conveniences and Challenges

Players struggling with the difficulty can switch to Super Easy Mode, which reduces enemy aggression and makes bombs detonate automatically upon taking damage. The game also includes quick save and quick load features, preventing players from losing progress. These modern conveniences make the games more accessible to newcomers while preserving the challenge for seasoned players.

Online leaderboards allow players to compare high scores globally. However, the collection’s high price and limited variety—with only two core games and regional variants—make it a hard sell unless it goes on sale. While the inclusion of a puzzle game, Teki Paki, adds some variety, it doesn’t significantly offset the overall cost or the repetition in the main games.