A Look At Vasara Collection

This is the first time that I have heard of Vasara and most likely yours too and now thanks to QUByte Interactive we can finally try it on our Console of choice.

The Vasara games used to be Arcade exclusives and on top of that only available in Japan and therefore not all that known, funny thing though is that they ain’t all that old either as both of these Vertical Shoot Em Up’s are less than 20 years old.

Strictly Limited released this boxed collector’s editions a while back and to be honest I never thought it was a shoot ’em up when I saw the pre-order campaign and therefore missed out on this one as it sold out quickly and there won’t be any reprints as usual.

There’s probably lots to say about the game but the features listed are:

• Contains the games VASARA 1 and VASARA 2
• Remade with various enhancements, improvements and more content!
• Timeless mode (Nintendo Switch, PS4)
• Up to 4-Player Co-Op (Nintendo Switch, PS4)
• Up to 2-Player Co-OP (PS Vita TV)
• Tate / Vertical Mode
• Multiple Endings
• Easy Mode

The best part here is that you got the wonderful option to play in TATE mode, this basically means flip the TV vertically to get a fullscreen mode, even better is that this mode is on both PS4 and Vita/PS TV.

The biggest disappointment, though, is that the excellent Timeless Mode is completely missing from the Vita version. Timeless Mode is a 3D‑style reimagining of both games, and it’s easily the version I’ve spent the most time with on PS4. Losing that mode on the handheld really stings, especially since it adds so much modern flair and accessibility to the original titles.

Timeless Mode also supports up to four players in local multiplayer, which is a great addition for a game like this. Even better, it works perfectly with PlayShare (as with all PS4 titles), so you can invite your online friends to jump into a two‑player co‑op session whenever you feel like it.

And yes — this is an invite, Roar. Let’s see if you catch it.

The original games definitely show their age, especially when you compare them to the updated Timeless Mode. Still, the classics come with a proper story, extra lives, and more continues to help balance things out. They’re tough — no doubt about it — but far from impossible. What really stands out is just how old‑school they feel in both visuals and gameplay. It’s honestly wild to think these titles came out in the early 2000s, because they look and play more like something from the mid‑’90s arcade era.

The visuals might show their age, but the gameplay absolutely holds up. At first, the enemy spawns feel completely random, almost like the game is just throwing everything at you without a plan. But stick with it long enough, and you’ll start to notice the underlying patterns. There is a system at work — it just takes a bit of time (and a few retries) before it clicks.

If you’re wondering whether Vasara Collection turns into full-on bullet hell chaos — well, yes, at times it absolutely does. But surprisingly, not nearly as much as you might expect from an early‑2000s Japan‑exclusive shoot ’em up.

For under ten euros/dollars in digital form, it’s a genuinely solid pickup if you’re into classic arcade shooters. A strong sales performance could easily pave the way for more niche gems to make a comeback. And judging by the quality of this collection, Brazilian developer QUByte Interactive seems more than capable of tackling something like a Raiden Classic Collection or similar projects in the future.