Sturmwind

Dreamcast version screenshot.

Sturmwind uses a mix of pre-rendered sprites and backgrounds with elements in 3D.[3] The game is a horizontally scrolling shoot'em up, but there are also section where the scrolling is vertical. The game has 16 levels, with more than 20 bosses.[4] Three different levels of difficulty are available.

Gameplay screenshot from the demo of Native for the Atari Jaguar and Jaguar CD.

Sturmwind has been in development since 1997.[5] It first surfaced under the name Native an Atari Jaguar CD demo featuring just one playable level.[6] The graphics were regarded as impressive for Jaguar standards, but the demo had no audio.[7] Development was eventually resumed and shifted for Dreamcast.[8]

Sturmwind was first unveiled on December 5, 2010 on 3sat's television show neues, as part of RedSpotGames' upcoming plans of reporting news through each sunday of the month.[9][10] The game's reveal received coverage from gaming publications in the United States,[11] Europe,[12][13][14] and Japan for being on a discontinued console,[15] with German online publication Chip calling its graphical effects as "very amazing" in relation to the Dreamcast's age.[16] In March 2011, Sega of America member Fabian Döhla promoted the title by playing a work-in-progress build on Destructoid's online show Mash Tactics.[17][18][19] On December 19, RedSpotGames announced that the game had been delayed indefinitely due to the disc pressing plant they had contracted to manufacture copies filed for bankruptcy, while a deal was made with a new pressing plant but the release date had then been set as 'TBA'.[20]

During an official press release issued on March 14, 2013, RedSpotGames confirmed that Sturmwind would be launched on April 24.[21] It is the first original game released for Dreamcast since 2009's Rush Rush Rally Racing and IRiDES: Master of Blocks, as other more recent releases have all been ports.[22] In 2017, the title was re-released by JoshProd and RushOnGame, without the original RedSpotGames branding.[23][24][25] On September 30, 2019, a remastered version titled Sturmwind EX was released for Microsoft Windows via Steam by B-Alive Entertainment Software.[26] The remastered version was later ported to Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on November 8.[26] In 2021, publisher Pix'n Love also made the Switch version available as a physical release in two editions; a regular edition and a collector's edition limited to 2000 units.[27]

Sturmwind garnered critical acclaim from reviewers since its release on Dreamcast. According to VentureBeat's Dan Crawley, both the regular and limited editions were sold out at the official websites of RedSpotGames and PlayAsia.[17] Maximiliano Baldo of Argentinian website Malditos Nerds ranked the original Dreamcast version as number six on their top ten games for discontinued consoles.[36]

Hardcore Gaming 101's Sam Derboo praised the pre-rendered pseudo-3D visuals, accessibility, weapon system, boss fights and techno music but criticized its prolonged length in Normal Mode.[3] Jeuxvideo.com's Dominique Cavallo highly commended visual presentation compared to other homebrew releases on Dreamcast with its use of special graphical effects and background animations, stage and enemy variety, accessible gameplay and unlockable secrets but criticized the uninspired soundtrack and redability of patterns.[30] IGN Italia's Vincenzo Ercole gave high remarks to the presentation reminiscent of Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network titles, backgrounds, gameplay structure and longevity but criticized the visibility of stage and boss elements on-screen, as well as sound design.[29] Carlos Oliveiros of Spanish magazine GamesTribune commented positively in regards to its design, technical quality, amount of gameplay content and techno soundtrack but criticized the occasional difficulty to distinguish harmful elements on-screen.[33] 4Players's Michael Krosta regarded Sturmwind as a throwback to titles like R-Type and X-Out, praising the varied backgrounds, weapon system, challenging bosses and level design but criticized its technical performance.[28]

Retro Gamer's Darran Jones praised the gameplay mechanics, detailed graphics, imaginative boss encounters and its avoidance of European shoot 'em up tropes but noted that the Euro-style soundtrack does not match the gameplay and occasional difficulty to distinguish stage hazards on-screen.[31] David Borrachero of Spanish magazine RetroManiac commended its Axelay-esque weapon system, use of pre-rendered and polygon graphics, responsive controls, numerous secrets and gameplay content but criticized the sound design.[34] A reviewer of German publication Chip Power Play stated that it was "simply impressive what Duranik conjures up out of a 15-year-old console", giving high remarks to the backdrops and balanced difficulty.[32] Classic Game Room's Mark Bussler praised the game's music, level design and presentation, eventually naming it the 2013 Game of the Year.[37][38] Reviewing the Xbox One version of Sturmwind EX, Video Chums' A.J. Maciejewski commented in a positive light about the weapon and scoring systems, detailed visuals, energetic music and length but criticized the generic sound effects, lack of multiplayer mode and online leaderboards, as well as the difficulty to distinguish hazards and obstacles.[35]

• Official website