I’ve mentioned this before, but every time I’ve said it the statement has become even more true: There’s a tremendous number of well-made old-school arcade-style shooters out on the eShop, and because of that fact the bar for what it takes to compete has continued to get higher. While in theory that’s great news for genre fans, at the same time it muddies the water when you’re trying to figure out what’s worth checking out next. With that in mind, simple overall quality isn’t enough, there’s a need to really stand apart, and include some sort of features or gimmick that feels fresh.

There’s no question that Apidya Special’s overall visual style, with everything being some sort of insect or smaller animal, does at least feel a bit different. Outside of that though, if you’re familiar with the classic Gradius series, or have enjoyed some other indie games on the Switch made in that style, the sense of something fresh begins to diminish pretty quickly. Since I wasn’t expecting it to default to buying my upgrades for me, I was happy to be able to choose them myself, but as you accumulate little flowers you’ll be able to define your power-ups, ranging from simple speed upgrades to bombs and more formidable options. It’s an old mold that may work well, but it would have been nice to see something new thrown in with the familiar as well.

Given the more natural outdoor environment, the backgrounds and there being some areas where you’ll deal with the water at least do feel a bit different, but that can also be a mixed bag since some of the details can make following the action a little tougher as well. Also, while taking on a giant mole as a boss is a bit unexpected, outside of sheer novelty that sort of thing doesn’t do much to truly differentiate the base experience either. In the end I’d say this does a better job of being novel than truly different, and in a very competitive space I’m less inclined to give it a nod than some of its competitors that feel a little more distinctive in meaningful ways.