Cotton Guardian Force Limited Edition pre-orders open October 17

As rare as the rarest of Willow

Physical media purveyor Strictly Limited Games has announced that it will be opening pre-orders for its on October 17. The boxed edition of ININ Games’ retro shmup classics will be limited to a format of 1,000 copies on PS4 and 2,500 copies on Nintendo Switch.

The colorful box set will contain a physical copy of Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute — collating Sega Saturn releases Cotton 2, Cotton Boomerang, and the thematically similar Guardian Force — as well as a treasure trove of booty including a poster, several replication arcade flyers, a CD soundtrack, hardback artbook, a mug and cute “teacup character,” character cards, an enamel pin, and a sticker sheet. How stickers became a thing again, I don’t know. I’m here for it.

The Collector’s Edition (or roughly $81 USD) not including shipping or any potential customs charges. Strictly Limited ships worldwide, so if you’re a die-hard Cotton fan living outside of Europe, you’re in luck. At the same time, the retailer will also open pre-orders on a standard physical edition of Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute, again limited to the format size listed above. This edition will retail for €39.99 (or ♛roughly $46). Both editions are expected to ship in Febru🎀ary 2022.

It bears noting that the three titles included in Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute are already available digitally on both PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Some dedicated shmup-heads have complained that the titles feature input lag, with some claiming the games are “unplayable.” ININ Games has responded to these complaints, promising the release of a patch at some undisclosed point in the future. It’s worth bearing this in mind when considering your purchase of the compendium.