History VideoGame / Eschatos

''ESCHATOS'' is a {{vertical|ScrollingShooter}}ly-scrolling {{shoot|EmUp}}er developed by Qute Corporation and released on UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} in 2011. It is the {{spiritual successor}} to ''VideoGame/JudgementSilversword''.

Although the original release is [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]], it is region-free, so the game can be played on any Xbox 360 regardless of its region code. The game was also bundled with ''Judgement Silversword'' and its {{gaiden game}} ''Cardinal Sins'', giving players the ability to play its [[UsefulNotes/WonderSwan WonderSwan Color]] spiritual ancestors on a home console. In 2012, Qute released the arrange soundtrack for use with the game in the form of DLC. Another spiritual successor, ''VideoGame/GingaForce'', was released in February 14th, 2013, followed by a CompilationRerelease four months later bundled with ''ESCHATOS'' and the games' soundtrack.

Another ''ESCHATOS''-''JSS''-''CS'' bundle was released on UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on November 18, 2021 in Japan to mark the game's 10th anniversary and in North America and Europe on January 13, 2022, with a UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version released on April 7. It removes the loading times between stages and features the arrange soundtrack as part of the base game, as well as a remastered version of the original soundtrack. Notably, the Japanese version features an English translation.

* MythologyGag: The Wonder Witches are secret items you can collect whose point value are based off of your multiplier, much like VideoGame/DonPachi's bee items. The [[http://wonderwitch.qute.co.jp/ Wonder Witch]], in real life, is a UsefulNotes/WonderSwan homebrew development kit which was used to make VideoGame/JudgementSilversword and ''Cardinal Sins'' in the early 2000s.

** Like in ''Judgement Silversword'', these tend to come at a mildly generous pace.
** In Time Attack, 1-ups will restore your time limit by 15 seconds.

* DiscardAndDraw: In Advanced mode, collecting power-ups to increase your shot power also decreases your shield capacity. You can regain shield capacity by collecting 'F' icons, but doing so will lower your shot power by one level and reduce your multiplier by one.
* DroughtLevelOfDoom: The game is usually fairly generous with 1-ups, but Stage 3 (Areas 12-15) has no 1-ups at all.

* HardModePerks: Your maximum score multiplier increases with higher difficulties. The max multiplier is x10 on Easy, x20 on Normal, x50 on Hard, and on Hardest there is no maximum multiplier.

* SmartBomb: The "F" powerups, which wipe all bullets from the screen and do slight damage to all on-screen enemies.

Another ''ESCHATOS''-''JSS''-''CS'' bundle was released on UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on November 18, 2021 in Japan to mark the game's 10th anniversary and in North America and Europe on January 13, 2022, with a UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version to come at a later date. It removes the loading times between stages and features the arrange soundtrack as part of the base game, as well as a remastered version of the original soundtrack. Notably, the Japanese version features an English translation.

** A much more subtler version of this trope, bordering on ShoutOut, come in the form of Wonder Witches, secret items you can collect whose point value are based off of your multiplier, much like VideoGame/DonPachi's bee items. The [[http://wonderwitch.qute.co.jp/ Wonder Witch]], in real life, is a UsefulNotes/WonderSwan homebrew development kit which was used to make VideoGame/JudgementSilversword and ''Cardinal Sins'' in the early 2000s.

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''ESCHATOS'' is one to ''Judgement Silversword'' and ''Cardinal Sins'', while the former gained one with ''VideoGame/GingaForce''. Its save file for the PC has the abbreviation of "jss3", likely referring to ''ESCHATOS'' as "''Judgement Silversword 3''".

* ChainReactionDestruction: In Stage 3, when you defeat the second phase of the boss (a space station), it goes up in a chain of explosions that lasts for ''35 seconds'' before the core of it breaks free of the exploding wreck to engage you in a final battle.

Another ''ESCHATOS''-''JSS''-''CS'' bundle was released on UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on November 18, 2021 in Japan to mark the game's 10th anniversary, with an international release scheduled for January 13, 2022 and a UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version to come at a later date. It removes the loading times between stages and features the arrange soundtrack as part of the base game, as well as a remastered version of the original soundtrack. Notably, the Japanese version features an English translation.