The Mega Drive port of Toaplan's V-V, a vertical shooter with organic atmosphere. Demanding, a genre classic.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
V-V ships battle enemy formations in this Compile vertical shoot'em up for Mega Drive. Published by Compile, released in Japan in January 1995. Vertical shoot'em up with two playable ships with varied armaments, spectacular bosses and intense Compile gameplay.
V-V review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Toaplan wraps its vertical shooter in matter at once organic and metallic: ribbed hulls, turrets grafted on like limbs, backgrounds of rock and circuitry. Short, fat explosions punctuate a dark palette in which the player's fire cuts through bright. A dense style, recognisable among all the machine's shmups.
Tatsuya Uemura signs a soundtrack typical of Toaplan: stubborn bass lines, metallic melodies climbing in tension and dry percussion cut for the FM chip. Every stage sets down a short, nagging motif the player ends up humming from memory. The music holds the cadence of the shooting as much as it feeds it.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
V-V is the original Japanese edition of the Toaplan shooter, distributed by Toaplan in Japan under the Japanese title V-V specific to the local market (Grind Stormer in the West). Its collector value is exceptional: a very limited local print run, a rare Toaplan configuration in Japan and a unique naming before the Western Grind Stormer port.
Is V-V still worth playing in 2026?
A vertical shooter by Toaplan, Grind Stormer offers a classic vertical shoot with a varied weapon system and compact difficulty. The polished art direction, readable patterns and energetic soundtrack make this title a solid showcase of Toaplan craft. Without being revolutionary, the title keeps real effectiveness and pleases fans of classic vertical shoots. For anyone collecting Toaplan shoots or fond of old school aggressive scoring, a valid recommendation today still on Mega Drive without hesitation here indeed.
