Akai Katana

NESiCAxLive (Shin) Akai Katana[c] is a bullet hell shooter video game developed by Cave that was released on August 20, 2010 in arcades.

On February 17, 2022, an enhanced definitive version titled Akai Katana EXA Label was released in arcades on exA-Arcadia.

City Connection re-released the game as Akai Katana Shin for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on December 15, 2022.

[4] Set in a parallel world resembling Japan's Taishō period, the people have discovered the powerful Blood Swords, the titular Akai Katana.

"[8] Mean Machines described it as a "must-have blaster" for the Xbox 360, praising the gameplay, the "masterpiece" 2D graphics, and the "fantastic" hard rock soundtrack.

[16] Crunchyroll praised the challenging gameplay as well as Umemoto's "insane guitar" music as possibly "soundtrack of the year," concluding that "anyone interested in the genre should pick this one up and reward said risk with a small swirling bundle of gold.

Arcade version screenshot.