Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Developer G.Rev may not be all that familiar to those who werent fully immersed in the shoot-'em-up scene of the early noughties. A boutique independent, it was assembled by former Taito employees who previously contributed to the likes of RayStorm and G-Darius. G.Revs most famous work, and the one that put it on the map, is Border Down: a wonderfully original 2003 shooting game for Segas Naomi arcade hardware and Dreamcast console. It was followed in 2006 by Under Defeat, switching from the horizontal to the vertical and trading sci-fi for a grounded militaristic theme.Not to be confused with that other Dreamcast helicopter shoot 'em up, Psikyos Zero Gunner 2, Under Defeat pits pink-haired German soldier girls against the enemy forces of The Union. While any real-world similarities are dispelled by impossibly giant gunships torn from the pages of anime fiction, one of Under Defeats more interesting aspects is how hard-boiled it feels.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)There arent any world-breaking power-ups, barking hidden mascots, or zany thematic intrusions. Its desaturated world of dirt paths and jungle enclaves is peppered with tanks, enemy choppers, and naval destroyers; a landscape of smoking metal and phosphorescent detonations, base encampments and soaring missiles. Graphically, its quite beautiful, especially with the high-definition upscaling and redone textures, and its numerous terrific explosions never get old.Your gunship has one of two movement options, normal and inverted. Your craft cant fully turn back on itself, instead tilting on an invisible pivot with a large diagonal range. Holding the fire button locks it in place, allowing you to strafe. It may sound basic, but these mechanics are what makes Under Defeat so compelling. Tactical positioning is everything, and learning where to camp, where to angle, and where to lock yourself into safe spots will make or break a one-credit clear attempt.While the campaign is relatively short at 30 minutes end to end, its no walk in the park. While not as difficult as Border Down (few are), Under Defeats five stages require real learning. Its angles of fire can take some getting used to, and enemy bullets have a slow, but unusual downward-sloping trajectory that can regularly catch you out if you dont prime your position.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Your ship comes with a set of bombs that should be used with prejudice, as youre regularly granted replenishments; and, while you cant power up your shot, alternating pickups allow you to switch between one of two secondary weapons: a Vulcan cannon that pumps out an additional stream of machine gun fire, or a single, powerful rocket.The only drawback with your secondary weapon deployed by a satellite that pops out, fires, and then detonates is that you need to completely release the fire button for a couple of seconds to have it recharge. For the rocket, this takes a little longer, owing to its heightened power.A major survival strategy, then, is picking the right secondary weapon for the right juncture. An early example would be the giant naval destroyers on stage two, where the heavy-duty rocket will deal more damage to their various gun emplacements - but youll be more frequently dancing with death during recharge windows.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)This particular release of Under Defeat is mostly the same as Under Defeat HD, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2011. As well as completely overhauled graphics many totally redrawn by the original team it features three modes: Arcade; New Order Mode (adapting the action to a full widescreen format and allowing your craft a greater deal of horizontal firing range); and New Order Mode Plus, which is an arrangement that mixes up enemy layouts and firing patterns for a new experience. Practice modes are provided for all, and theyre well worth using, allowing you to modify your starting position by area, as well as configure secondary weapons and rank adjustments.There are now four stellar soundtracks on board that can be applied to any mode, providing plenty of audio variety. Composer Shinji Hosoe (Ridge Racer, Street Fighter EX) is responsible for Original, Arrange, and New Order cuts, while Boosted comes courtesy of Yousuke Yasui, taking things into a techno overdrive, that, while cool, isnt quite matched to the tempo of the action.Swedish publisher Clear River Games has billed this as Under Defeats ultimate release, and were more inclined to agree than not. There is, at least, nothing missing from the package. Its stuffed with modes, galleries, online rankings, and screen and audio configurations; and for the first time the occasional audio chatter between pilots is now subtitled. It also unlocks all the DLC previously behind paywalls, meaning you can choose up to four ship types from the outset, each with varying sizes, speeds, and shot properties.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)The New Order modes also work really nicely in handheld, with bright enough bullets to make the widescreen display fizz, and the whole things runs incredibly smoothly. No doubt, owing to the lag that the Switch seems to produce as a matter of course, purists will be counting the frame digits and publishing them online soon enough, but for us there was no real disabling impediment, especially on a TV with a decent game mode.Most important, however, is the quality of G.Revs original product. While sadly, the studio never quite reached the heights of Under Defeat again, on the upside it remains brilliantly made and eminently playable. It's a game that tortures you with its rank, tightening the screws based on how efficiently you play, but thrillingly rewards any effort to learn your way through the maelstrom. The lock and fire system is perfect, even if it takes some getting used to, and figuring out boss patterns and enemy formations from one step to the next is utterly thrilling.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)It feels boldly hardcore, its warring map of gritty landscapes flourishing under some of the best explosions in the business, with plumes of smoke barrelling in the wind. Theres a depth to it that feels unique, and, while the boss designs are somewhat unremarkable, the opening of stage five remains one of the genre's more poetic moments.ConclusionWhere helicopter gunship-themed video games are concerned, Under Defeat is one of the best ever. It signifies a point in time when the shoot 'em up was being propelled by a new area of creativity, and young development studios like G.Rev were leading the charge. Love it or loathe it, its lock-shot strafe and creeping bullet patterns work terrifically once you get a feel for them, and theres a cinematic scale to it all that feels somehow poignant. Its not the longest game, nor the most visually diverse, but it does what it sets out to do exceptionally well.Looks fantastic, relatively speaking, especially in widescreenRemains unique in its feel, and is a real blast to learnWith all its legacy and newly added content, this is indeed the ultimate Under Defeat packageA tough game to crack, the rank, bullet trajectories, and gameplay mechanics may be difficult to warm to initiallySome may not find its graphical theming particularly varied or interestingGreat 8/10