Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Gigandes is a horizontally scrolling arcade shoot ’em up developed and published by East Technology in 1990, running on Taito’s X System hardware. It is an obscure entry in the genre, remembered less for its presentation than for an unusually flexible weapon system that gives it a distinct identity.
Rating: 7/10
The story has humanity threatened by an ancient dimensional evil known as Gigandes, which awakens beneath the Earth and summons hostile forces from across the galaxy. Scientists respond by creating the Round-37, a compact spherical fighter sent through eight stages to stop the invasion.
The main attraction is the weapon system. Rather than simply collecting upgrades that strengthen a forward shot, weapon modules attach to different sides of the ship depending on how you approach them. Weapons can be mounted to the front, rear, top, or bottom, allowing you to build a setup capable of covering several directions at once.
A secondary button rotates the firing arrangement in 90-degree increments, while holding it can provide finer directional control for certain weapons. This matters because enemies frequently attack from behind, above, and below. As a result, Gigandes rewards thinking about weapon placement instead of simply chasing the most powerful upgrade available.
Death is also handled unusually generously for an arcade shooter. Losing a life respawns the ship immediately and lets you keep your collected equipment, avoiding the classic problem of being sent into a difficult section nearly powerless. However, finishing a stage clears your weapon setup completely, so every new level begins from basic strength again. It is an odd balance decision, but it prevents the player from carrying an overpowered configuration through the entire game.
The eight stages provide decent environmental variety, moving through futuristic cities, space installations, subterranean areas, temples, and increasingly organic or biomechanical environments. Some of the later scenery clearly recalls shooters such as R-Type, though Gigandes never reaches the same level of visual polish.
Graphics are probably its weakest area. Backgrounds can be detailed and atmospheric, but enemy sprites are often stiff, colors can look washed out, and the Round-37 itself resembles an escape pod more than an intimidating combat craft. Slowdown also appears when the screen becomes crowded. For a 1990 arcade release, it looks functional rather than impressive.
The soundtrack is more successful. The energetic FM-driven music gives the game considerably more personality, with catchy stage themes that complement the strange environments and frantic action. It is easily one of the production’s strongest elements.
Difficulty begins reasonably but rises sharply in the later stages. Level layouts increasingly demand effective use of multidirectional fire, and the final sections can feel significantly more punishing than what comes before. Keeping weapons after death helps, but the late-game enemy placement and boss patterns still require considerable memorization and precision.
The ending is also disappointing. After surviving the eighth stage and defeating the final encounter, there is very little sense of reward, with the game essentially moving toward the score/game-over sequence instead of delivering a substantial ending.
Despite its rough presentation, Gigandes is more interesting than its obscurity might suggest. The directional weapon mounting and rotation mechanics genuinely affect how the game is played, rather than serving as a superficial gimmick. It cannot compete with the refinement of Gradius, R-Type, or Darius, but for shoot ’em up fans looking for something experimental and overlooked, Gigandes is a worthwhile arcade curiosity with a clever core mechanic.
Gigandes is a horizontally scrolling arcade shoot ’em up developed and published by East Technology in 1990, running on Taito’s X System hardware. It is an obscure entry in the genre, remembered less for its presentation than for an unusually flexible weapon system that gives it a distinct identity.
Rating: 7/10
The story has humanity threatened by an ancient dimensional evil known as Gigandes, which awakens beneath the Earth and summons hostile forces from across the galaxy. Scientists respond by creating the Round-37, a compact spherical fighter sent through eight stages to stop the invasion.
The main attraction is the weapon system. Rather than simply collecting upgrades that strengthen a forward shot, weapon modules attach to different sides of the ship depending on how you approach them. Weapons can be mounted to the front, rear, top, or bottom, allowing you to build a setup capable of covering several directions at once.
A secondary button rotates the firing arrangement in 90-degree increments, while holding it can provide finer directional control for certain weapons. This matters because enemies frequently attack from behind, above, and below. As a result, Gigandes rewards thinking about weapon placement instead of simply chasing the most powerful upgrade available.
Death is also handled unusually generously for an arcade shooter. Losing a life respawns the ship immediately and lets you keep your collected equipment, avoiding the classic problem of being sent into a difficult section nearly powerless. However, finishing a stage clears your weapon setup completely, so every new level begins from basic strength again. It is an odd balance decision, but it prevents the player from carrying an overpowered configuration through the entire game.
The eight stages provide decent environmental variety, moving through futuristic cities, space installations, subterranean areas, temples, and increasingly organic or biomechanical environments. Some of the later scenery clearly recalls shooters such as R-Type, though Gigandes never reaches the same level of visual polish.
Graphics are probably its weakest area. Backgrounds can be detailed and atmospheric, but enemy sprites are often stiff, colors can look washed out, and the Round-37 itself resembles an escape pod more than an intimidating combat craft. Slowdown also appears when the screen becomes crowded. For a 1990 arcade release, it looks functional rather than impressive.
The soundtrack is more successful. The energetic FM-driven music gives the game considerably more personality, with catchy stage themes that complement the strange environments and frantic action. It is easily one of the production’s strongest elements.
Difficulty begins reasonably but rises sharply in the later stages. Level layouts increasingly demand effective use of multidirectional fire, and the final sections can feel significantly more punishing than what comes before. Keeping weapons after death helps, but the late-game enemy placement and boss patterns still require considerable memorization and precision.
The ending is also disappointing. After surviving the eighth stage and defeating the final encounter, there is very little sense of reward, with the game essentially moving toward the score/game-over sequence instead of delivering a substantial ending.
Despite its rough presentation, Gigandes is more interesting than its obscurity might suggest. The directional weapon mounting and rotation mechanics genuinely affect how the game is played, rather than serving as a superficial gimmick. It cannot compete with the refinement of Gradius, R-Type, or Darius, but for shoot ’em up fans looking for something experimental and overlooked, Gigandes is a worthwhile arcade curiosity with a clever core mechanic.
