Cult Shmup Air Gallet's Remake Hits Arcades This Month

Today, the name CAVE is synonymous with amazing arcade shooters, but the company can trace its lineage back through time to other companies, with Toaplan being perhaps the most notable.

When Toaplan declared bankruptcy in 1994, its staff splintered off to establish their own studios, one of which was the aforementioned CAVE. Junya Inoue, one of CAVE's most famous staffers, worked at Toaplan before its closure and actually joined another offshoot, known as Gazelle, before arriving at CAVE shortly afterwards.

Inoue's only contribution whilst working at Gazelle was 1996's vertical shooter Air Gallet, which has now been remade for the exA-Arcadia coin-op system.

The existence of a remake was announced in 2024, and the game will be available in amusement arcades from April 15th, 2025. The remake will feature input from Inoue, who served as the original game's graphic designer.

According to Game Watch, there are two game modes. The original mimics the 1996 original, while a new mode is a "complete remake" with new elements exclusive to this version. These include different craft, a new opening, a new story and a "completely new game system".