Castle of Shikigami III shoots up Wii next spring

Once upon a time sprite-based shoot-em-ups, or shmups as the kids would say, were all the rage, casting players in the role of spaceships, witches on broomsticks, and even penguins as they blasted away at anything that moved while deftly avoiding a seemingly nonstop stream of bullets. It was a simpler time, and while the industry has long since moved on, those of us with an eye for nostalgia and one foot firmly rooted in the past can jump in excitement at publisher Aksys' plans to bring Castle of Shikigami III, a vertical 'bullet hell'-style shmup to the Wii this coming spring 2008.

Thankfully checking motion sensitivity at the door, the game follows 2004's Castle Shikigami 2 and its hilariously covered prequel Mobile Light Force 2, both of which made it to these shores care of indie pub XS Games. While both of those titles were released at a budget price point, its unclear if Aksys will follow this tradition. What we do know is that Castle of Shikigami III will feature two player co-op and 10 selectable characters, making this certainly one to watch for those of us who refuse to grow up and recognize the polygons as our lords and masters.