Wow, this is easily the most interesting game concepts I’ve ever heard of and, by far, the most interesting shmup I’ve ever seen. Retro/Grade is doing things that I’ve never before seen done in a game. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Retro/Grade is going to do for shmups, what Braid did for platformers.

I know the title might seem a little confusing at the moment and it’s because it’s actually a pretty confusing concept. Imagine, if you will, that you’re playing a typical side-scrolling shmup. You’ve just completed the game and everybody is happy at the end. Now imagine playing through a rewind version the exact same game. Every shot you take, every move you make (bet that song is playing in your head now), and every enemy and boss you’ve destroyed you are now rewinding to play again backwards. This is what Retro/Grade is all about.

Here’s the story:

Rick Rocket has just saved the universe! Unfortunately, the massive destruction he left in his wake has caused a temporal anomaly that has reversed the flow of time. The player must assume control of Rick’s spacecraft and fight through the epic space battle… in reverse! Retro/Grade is an innovative game that fuses the white knuckle thrills and over the top visuals of a shooter with the broad appeal of a rhythm game. Players are forced to dodge enemy projectiles while positioning the ship to be in the correct place to fire their lasers when their shots come back to them.

The game is not due for a release until sometime in 2011 on the PSN, so, unfortunately, you’ll have some waiting to do until you can actually get your hands on it. However, the game will be on hand at PAX and we plan on getting a lengthy preview together for you to enjoy.

If you have any particular questions you want asked about the game, now’s the time to ask before we sit down with the developer tomorrow.

Trailer