Revive These Pixels - Cannon Spike (Arcade, Dreamcast; 2000)...













Revive These Pixels - Cannon Spike (Arcade, Dreamcast; 2000)

Imagine if Capcom put together a handpicked team of their virtual all-stars to form an Avengers-like supergroup.  Now imagine if those very same Cap-vengers all died in some over-the-top, manga inspired disaster – the Cannon Spike team would be the second best squad for the job.

Featuring a particularly oddball assortment of characters ranging from Street Fighter alumni such as Charlie and Cammy (the latter’s signature attack inspires the Western market title) to dart-on-the-wall selections like Darkstalkers’ B.B. Hood and Ghosts N’ Goblins’ valiant Arthur, Cannon Spike pit up to two players against waves of enemies and bosses in an addictive arcade shooter that sort of recalls Smash TV if it were 3D and somehow made less sense. The title later saw release during the dying throes of the Dreamcast, standing as one of the last games to bookend Sega’s console manufacturing era.

The industry seems to be in the business of gladly selling me the same old shit.  The torrent of HD rehashes and digital ports would be worth it if they would only start reviving arcane gems the likes of Cannon Spike; a masterful game that dared to combine my love of co-op shoot ‘em up’s with my affinity for Cammy’s skintight excuse for an outfit.  Check out footage of the rollerbladed destruction in action.


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