Retro shmup Iro Hero blasts off on Switch June 7th, preload live tomorrow

Hong Kong - May 31, 2018 – Independent developer and publisher, Eastasiasoft Limited, alongside development partner, Artax Games, today announced that its retro-inspired vertical-scrolling shmup Iro Hero will launch worldwide June 7th on Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders will go live on the Nintendo eShop May 31st for $12.99 / €12.99 / £11.69 / ¥1480.

Iro Hero merges the old school pixelated aesthetic of arcade classics with modern gameplay sensibilities such as complex enemy AI, polarity mechanics, and mind-bending puzzle elements. Players will have to shift polarities to avoid color-coded hazards, balance an array of unlockable skills, and make use of reflective surfaces and color areas if they’re to make it through Iro Hero’s 9 action-packed stages intact.

Iro Hero’s story is set in the year 2306, a century after humans learned how to harness their energy to produce electricity. In the intervening years, nefarious enterprises have turned this gift into a curse, with humans reduced to little more than batteries. Following the death of his mother, a teenager named Iro learns that he may be the key to mankind’s freedom.

“Iro Hero takes what I love about classic shmups like Ikaruga and adds a whole new dimension of strategy and complexity,” said Artax Games Lead Game Designer Jesús Luengo Rico. “I’m thrilled to finally let players discover the tight gameplay of Iro Hero.”

Features:

A two-color polarity system, emphasizing risk vs reward gameplay where you charge up your powers in matching colors.
Discover an exciting story that takes place across 9 action-packed levels.
Encounter 10 different types of enemies with more than one hundred different behaviors.
Defeat 10 final bosses in the vein of classic arcades.
Unlock special skills, offering many creative and strategic options.
Acquire upgrades to increase the firepower and capabilities of your spaceship.
Rise to the top of the online leaderboards.