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Press release:
TOKYO – May 18, 2023.
The Tokyo-based (Japan) indie games developer Phoenixx and Yokohama-based (Japan) indie games developer Neotro Inc, are today very happy and excited to announce that their nightmarish twin-stick shooter “NeverAwake”, is coming to Xbox consoles (Xbox Series X/S and the Xbox One) via the Microsoft Store on June 29th, 2023.

After earning several awards including an entry to the Famitsu Golden Hall of Fame in January 2023, the Tokyo Game Show 2022 First Selection designation, best game of BitSummit 2022, and a Metacritic score of 84 overall, securing a spot in the top 40 best reviewed PC games of 2022, the award-winning SHMUP continues it acclaimed journey onto all major consoles.

Guide Rem on a quest to wake up from a neverending nightmare. Wade through the subconscious thoughts of a young schoolgirl as everyday experiences turn into frightening face-offs against her fears. Fight against Rem’s biggest phobias including evil dentists, vicious vegetables, dangerous dogs and other adolescent annoyances.

Bob and weave through bad dreams and mow down Rem’s inner demons with fast-paced twin-stick SHMUP combat. Stick and move with multiple attack patterns that lend to different movement styles, and clear waves of enemies with surreal specials like 360-degree explosions and shotgun-esque directional blasts. Purchase and upgrade items to improve passives and armor, and create the ultimate build to topple dozens of terrifying bosses.

Unravel a touching narrative across more than 80 levels in a hand-drawn bizarre bullet hell. How fast can Rem awaken? Demonstrate dreamlike mastery in the all-new speedrun mode, and manifest five new weapons from fellow shoot-em-up favorites including “Emerald Vajra” from fantasy shooter VRITRA HEXA. Enjoy the latest that NeverAwake has to offer with the latest 1.1 content update featuring new battle accessories and the secret HIMITSU CHALLENGE after clearing world 8.

Tap into the source of Rem’s subconscious with the official NeverAwake “Nightmare World Art” digital artbook and soundtrack featuring the lo-fi lullaby “AWAKE,” by DJ, singer-songwriter, and producer YonYon, streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

“It is very satisfying to see NeverAwake’s positive reception and that it continues to receive awards,” said Azusa Kawamura, Producer at Phoenixx.

“Our dream of launching on all consoles is almost a reality, and we can’t wait for Xbox users to try out NeverAwake in a few short weeks!”

NeverAwake arrives on Xbox Series X|S on Thursday, June 29th, 2023 and is now available on PC via Steam for $19.99 and on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 for $24.99 with support for English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese language text. The emotional “Nightmare World Art” digital artbook is also for sale on Steam for $7.99, as well as the NeverAwake soundtrack also for $7.99. A bundle with the game, artbook, and soundtrack is available for a 15% discount.

To learn more, visit the Phoenixx official website, Phoenixx Facebook page, and follow @Phoenixx_inc on Twitter.

About Neotro Inc.
Neotro Inc. is a Japanese independent game development company based in Yokohama with a particular affection for arcade games and has previously released the 2D fantasy side-scrolling shooters VRITRA Complete Edition and VRITRA HEXA for exA-Arcadia. By bringing two words “Neo” and “Retro” together, Neotro Inc. chose their name to follow the saying “OnkoShuin”（温故知新, which translates to “learning from the past” and “carrying old wisdom to create new.”)

About Phoenixx
Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game, and one community at a time.