Sakura Stars
When hordes of Youkai threaten the world, the Tanukis send a messenger to choose human girls to receive magical powers to defend humanity. They are known as SAKURA STARS. This is a horizontal shmup made on Pico-8, a retro fantasy console with purposeful limitations to simulate an 8-bit era console.
Developer
Publisher
Release
May 21, 2020
6 years and 73 days ago
Steam Reviews
Positive10 reviews90.0%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
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Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game. | ||
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Media
14 itemsAbout the Game
Description
When hordes of Youkai threaten the world, the Tanukis send a messenger to choose human girls to receive magical powers to defend humanity. They are known as SAKURA STARS.Take on hordes of youkai in this 8bit horizontal shmup and defend humanity from supernatural beings.
Sakura Stars is a game made on Pico-8, a retro fantasy console with purposeful limitations and low-resolution to simulate an 8-bit era console.
But like modern shmups, the player has a small hitbox, indicated for a circle, allowing a greater number of enemy shots on the screen, as well as patterns with closer shots.
The characters have an artistic style of Japanese anime, purposely made in low resolution to create, together with the music, a more casual and relaxed atmosphere.
Features:
- Three characters, each with a different shooting pattern, and different speed. Choose the one that best fits your playing style.
- Enemy waves have a fixed pattern, encouraging them to be memorized to facilitate gameplay. Just like old arcade games.
- Four levels in retro style. Face Youkai girls at the end of each one.
- Soundtrack by authors of classical music, in chiptune style
- Made on Pico-8, a fictional virtual console, created to impose the limitations and low-resolution of the 8bit era and simulate the sensation of playing a game from that time.
- Anime like pixel art style. Drawn pixel by pixel, in a 16-color palette.
