The retro shoot'em up Earthion is about to get its own arcade stick. Games Care, already known for its FPGA recreation of the Sega Neptune (the GF1 Neptune, the Genesis/32X hybrid that Sega cancelled back in the 90s), is teaming up with Brazilian publisher Versao Ltda to launch a dedicated arcade controller for Mega Drive / Genesis.

A controller inspired by the game's cockpit

Named the YK-IIA Arcade Controller, this accessory draws directly from the cockpit of the YK-IIA fighter piloted by Earthion's heroine. It comes as a 1-stick, 6-button arcade stick, wrapped in vinyl to match the game's aesthetic. According to Games Care, each unit will be hand-built, one at a time, using pro-grade components (though we have no idea about the brand of the stick or buttons). No release date or price has been announced yet, but a waitlist is already open.

As a reminder, Earthion, the shoot'em up developed by Ancient Corporation and scored by Yuzo Koshiro, has already been available on PC and modern consoles since last year. Its native Mega Drive/Genesis version, however, is still pending: Koshiro recently indicated that PCB board testing was nearly complete, with the production quantity of cartridges still under consideration.

Worth highlighting is the game's quality, with some genuinely stunning 3D visuals for the Mega Drive.

A promo video that raises eyebrows

The controller's launch didn't go off without a hitch. The promotional video released by Games Care visibly relies on AI-generated imagery: the Earthion logo (and some of the text) appears distorted in certain shots (at 00:31 in the video below), and the controller's design shifts noticeably from one moment to the next throughout the video, something Retro Dodo and Time Extension were quick to point out. A bit ironic, given that the video's voiceover insists on the finished product's precision, "down to the last detail."

On that note, Yuzo Koshiro himself isn't opposed to using generative AI on his personal social media accounts, but has always been careful to point out that it plays no part in the development of his games.

Personally, I think the photo of the controller was animated in 3D by an AI engine that didn't handle the text properly — the still photo (at the top of this article) clearly shows the logo and text without any distortion.

Sources: Retro Dodo, Time Extension, Retro News

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