Ikaruga is treasured amongst shmup fans. Creator Hiroshi Iuchi has a new game in the works, and it's coming soon to America. Kokuga is a 3DS eShop download, and it combines many shmup elements with a card battling system.

As with Iuchi's other games, you'll have to dodge an assault of bullets as you take down dozens of robotic enemy foes. However, Kokuga gives players a deck of 20 cards at the beginning of each level that gives your ship different abilities. These attack and support cards add a more tactical twist to the typical shmup formula.

There's also four-player co-op play via Local and Download Play. Publisher G.rev promises it will hit the eShop some time before the end of July. You can watch this Japanese tutorial and read up more on the game's English website.