It’s no secret that I love arcade games. While fighting games are my first and foremost love, shoot-’em-ups are close to my heart as well. Shmups and bullet hell games give me the same rush that fighting games do, especially when the screen is filled with bullets and you’re hanging on to one life by a thread — there’s nothing like it. Allow me to put a new, retro-inspired shmup on your radar: “ZPF.”

“ZPF,” the latest shmup from MegaCat Studios, brings us back to the days where horizontal side-scrolling shmups of the 90s rule the gaming landscape, complete with classic-style graphics and a soundtrack full of old school-inspired chiptune bangers.

I had a chance to sit down with the game’s new demo that released over the weekend and was thrilled to see there was so much jam-packed into an early preview of the game.

“ZPF” features three playable characters and the demo lets you play three of the game’s promised “six+” stages. The characters harken back to classic shmup characters you’re familiar with.

There’s the Knight, who uses his sword and magic to defeat foes, the Gladius, a sleek and deadly spacecraft, and my personal favorite, Gold, a powerful yellow ship that utilizes lightning streams to vanquish the enemy’s forces.

Speaking of the enemy forces, they’re a unique blend of demonic-looking foes, your typical enemy bogeys, and destructible scenery. They all make for the perfect foil as you progress through various levels like enchanted forests, vibrant cities, and demonic hellscapes.

Naturally, the game features a robust chiptune soundtrack full of bangers that will have your blood pumping as you blast, bomb, shock, and otherwise destroy everything in your path.

You can download the “ZPF” demo on Steam today. The game is slated for a Q2 2025 release date. For more details or to support the developers, visit the “ZPF” page on the Mega Cat Studios website.