Castle of Shikigami 3 coming to Switch in late April 2026 in Japan

Cosmo Machia will release Alfa System-developed shoot ’em up Castle of Shikigami 3 for Switch in late April 2026 in Japan, the company announced.

Castle of Shikigami 3 first launched for arcade in February 2006 in Japan, followed by PC on September 29, 2006, and Xbox 360 and Wii on December 13, 2007. The Wii version was the only version to launch in the west, debuting on May 13, 2008 in North America. The PC version launched via Steam on March 13, 2025.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

Castle of Shikigami 3 is a PC port of the third game in the Castle of Shikigami series, which first hit arcades in 2006.

A culmination of character shooting games set in a unique worldview!

A wide variety of newly added playable characters!

Supports online rankings and various achievements!

Controls

Control the character with an 8-way lever and two buttons (shot, bomb).

Character Selection

Players select one of several characters with different normal attacks, shikigami attacks, special attacks, and movement speeds.

You can also choose between the first and second types of attack, which have different performance for each character, allowing for a variety of attack methods.

You can also play with two players. (Supports remote play together! Challenge with shikigami users from around the world!)

Each character has their own backstory, and a story demo is inserted immediately after starting play and before and after the start of the stage.

In addition, when playing with two players, the story and scenario change depending on the combination of characters selected.

Various Attacks

There are three types of attacks: normal attacks, shikigami attacks, and special attacks.

• Normal Attacks (Shots)
  • A rapid-firing attack. Since it can attack a relatively wide area, you can ensure your own safety by focusing on this in battle.
  • Also, when the Tension Bonus System is at its maximum, it becomes a high tension attack, and the firing speed and power increase.
• Shikigami Attack
  • In exchange for a slower movement speed during the attack, this attack automatically collects the coins that appear.
• Special Attack
  • A so-called bomb. You can use as many bullets as you have, and your ship becomes invincible while using it.

Tension Bonus System

A system unique to “Castle of Shikigami,” commonly known as T.B.S.

You can get a bonus if you destroy an enemy when the enemy or enemy bullet is close to the center of your ship (hit detection).

The closer the hit detection is to the enemy bullet, etc., the more bonus you can get, up to a maximum of 8 times. The points you get with a normal attack increase, and the number of coins that appear increases even more with a Shikigami attack.

High Tension MAX System

Equipped with a new function that satisfies your insatiable passion for shooting games!

A system that consumes one special attack to activate. There is a short period of invincibility when activated. A red gauge will be displayed at the top edge of the screen for a certain period of time, and until it runs out, “T.B.S. judgment will always be 8 times (≒ always in a high-tension shot state)” and “the amount of coins appearing will be 1.5 times.”

Watch a trailer below.

Switch Announce Trailer

Japanese