Cotton 2 / Boomerang

A witch on a broomstick, swarms of enemies and an obsession with sweets — welcome to the world of cute shooters, ruled over by Cotton. Cotton 2 and its sibling title Cotton Boomerang belong to the so-called "cute 'em up" genre, meaning horizontal shooters that combine demanding shmup gameplay with a mischievous, fairy-tale-colorful presentation. You soar through the world as a little witch and blast your way through waves of foes.

The game draws on everything that makes the shooter genre thrilling: dense enemy formations, powerful spells, bonus collecting and duels with imaginative bosses. Cotton adds its own charm in the form of a playful atmosphere, magical effects and an overall tone that is pleasantly lighthearted, yet in terms of gameplay remains a full-fledged challenge for fans of the genre.

Cotton Boomerang then develops the mechanics further and offers variations on a proven theme, so the pair of titles together delivers a rich experience for anyone who loves 2D shooters. The Saturn proved to be the ideal home for this kind of game — its strength in rendering 2D graphics and sprites suits colorful, action-packed horizontal shmups like few other consoles of its generation.

For collectors these games are prized pieces of the Saturn's Japanese library and proof of why the platform earned a cult reputation among shooter fans. The combination of adorable visuals and honest shmup challenge is a mix that ages slowly and still entertains to this day.

Why play: For a charming yet genuinely demanding horizontal shooter that ranks among the jewels of the Saturn's 2D library and defines the genre of cute shmups.