Panorama Cotton revival hits on October 29th, has a full Genesis release

Bobby Mills October 25, 2021

Now wait just a Cotton-pickin’ minute here. A new SEGA Genesis game? In the year 2021! Say it ain’t so! Well, believe me when I tell you I’d love to do so, but I can’t – ’cause it is so. A real, bonafide Genesis cartridge (or Mega Drive, to everyone not susceptible to brutal Americanisation) is headed our way in a mere few days’ time, and it comes courtesy of Strictly Limited Games. Something about that name suggests to me that if you’re wanting one, you might want to be pretty quick about it. Not sure what’s giving me that vibe.

The game actually on the cartridge – I know, what a concept – is Panorama Cotton, an entry in the renowned series of shmups that originally saw the light of day on SEGA’s system in the 90s. Only in Japan, though, so all this business marks the first time it’s hitting Western shores. It’s being brought back in glorious, erm, 16-bit (so more of a port than a remaster, it seems) for the PS4 and Switch, with the aforementioned physical release being the dangling, pixelated carrot hoping to entice fans of the franchise to double dip.

Ah, the isometric view. The eternal bane of those who suffer from motion sickness.

Panorama Cotton puts you in the role of, well, Cotton, a bungling amateur witch who zips about on her broom, gathering a material named Willow, and shoots stuff; to distill the barebones plot to its goofy essence. Along the way you’ll encounter a variety of equally powerful – and increasingly scantily clad – witches, some of whom will join your cause and others who’ll, well, queue up to be whacked three times before depositing a score bonus. It’s all very rote stuff, but for fans of the genre it’s addicting, and this entry pioneered an ‘into-the-screen’ perspective that was rather novel at the time.

Wait… the lass in the lower right. Red hair… purple seashell bra… Ariel?

As Destructoid reports, the regular release is “limited to 2,500 copies on Switch and 1,500 copies on PS4.” Additionally, a Collector’s Edition “will include a copy of Panorama Cotton alongside a slew of colorful merchandise, including lenticular cards, a soundtrack CD, a wall scroll, a poster, and more. This edition will be limited to 1,500 copies for Switch and 800 copies on PS4.” The cartridge version is faring even worse, at a paltry 600-900 units. So, yeah. Better get on that, Willow-heads.

The various editions of the game will be hitting the high gaming seas on the 29th. Will you be picking up this re-release? Let us know!

Via, Destructoid.