Akatori has that Neo Geo look I can't get enough of

Over on the Guerrilla Collective livestream today, a bit of gameplay for upcoming metroidvania Akatori made an appearance, showing off the game's first boss. There' a copy of the trailer embedded above.

Without considering too deeply whether or not I actually feel like playing a new 2D platformer, I'm a fan of Akatori's look. The flat layers and color palette are what I associate with Neo Geo arcade games like Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug, which to me are the height of sprite-art (though obviously Akatori's not so pixely).

Akatori stars Mako, who has the ability to switch between parallel dimensions—it seems like the modern-day scenes may be one of those dimensions, contrasted with the past. "Explore the worlds full of magic and secrets, find friends and allies and try not to let the ancient God awake," demands the Steam page.

A little unusually, Akatori is listed on Steam with a TBA release date, but aside from this trailer, the latest news is that it's looking for more funding. The developers are launching a Kickstarter campaign this summer.

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Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.