News | 9/9/2008 at 9:26 AM

Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer Provides Co-Op Side Scrolling Action, Tongue Twisters

While top down shooters seem to be a dime a dozen these days, fans of side scrolling shooters like the classic game Gradius or the more recent Omega 5 haven't been so lucky.  Enter Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer.  I can't even begin to understand how to pronounce that, but my guess is it sounds something like saying Soldier Him Less Storm with a mouth full of bratwurst and beer.

The game is set for an October release on the PlayStation Network and will feature 2 player co-op play through the entire game.  Joystiq has a video of the game in action.  The PSN version of the game is actually an update to the 2007 PC version.   So what new features do you get?

Visual improvements including y-scrolling, new background animations, newly added effects and more Contains new enemies, incl. newly crafted standard foes and larger sub boss battles Additional boss battle and berserker mode BGM (seven brand new tracks in total!) New sound effects added for an enhanced gaming experience Rebalanced game play with an easier default difficulty Rebalanced high score system, including new victory screens DUALSHOCK®3 and optional SIXAXIS™ support Trophies support

The game looks absolutely gorgeous in motion...I just wish I could pronounce it.  Two additional screenshots are posted after the break.

Further key features:

* 12 stages of beautiful parallax graphics and animations, staged across 4 fantastic world/space settings
* High definition graphics in up to 1080p
* Beautiful weather effects (such as rain, fog and lightning)
* Classic design, yet state-of-the-art shooter technology
* Unique upgrade weapon system with five standard weapon types
* Never before seen tactical elements such as chaining, effectiveness system, ‘berserker’ mode and more
* Plenty of hidden bonus features
* More than 20 extras (with both positive and negative effects!)
* Addictive collection quests
* Over-the-top boss fights
* Features a superb soundtrack and sound effects
* Up to fix modes of difficulty
* Easy to learn, yet tough to master
* Online high score ranking