You heard right. Treasure have combined forces with Hori to make an arcade stick specifically designed (but perhaps not exclusively) for the upcoming release of Radiant Silvergun on XBLA.

Not only is this good news unto itself, but it also signals that Radiant Silvergun may not be too far away. All we've got so far is a TBA 2011, but considering they've already announced (and possibly released) this totally awesome bit of gear, the game itself could only be a few months away. Personally I'm hoping for the first half of 2011.

Oh, and pics



As you can see, it's a really great looking piece of hardware. They've certainly put quite a bit of effort into the presentation, and it shows. If you're familiar with the gameplay of Radiant Silvergun, you'll know exactly what all those buttons are for. If not, I'll give you a quick rundown. Every button has it's own attack, which you level up as you kill more ships. Unlike in other shmups, however, your experience is kept and saved, so an experienced player who's put countless hours into the game will be able to have highly upgraded weapons right from the get go.



The player is also equipped with a sword, which can swipe away certain types of bullets. As these bullets are swiped away, a bar on-screen fills up. When the bar is full and the sword is used, it clears the screen of enemies and causes huge damage: it's basically the game's bomb, but it's so well done because it makes you work for your invincibility and huge damage output.



So, how much will this fine object of pure win cost you? Naturally, these will be in extremely high demand, and unfortunately, Treasure and Hori both know it. It'll set you back about $161 USD (as of December 23). It's 13500 Yen. Though if you are the collector type, love Radiant Silvergun (that's basically all of us), hate the 360 d-pad (also all of us) and have a bit of spare cash lying about then you should by all means find yourself one of these. How much actual awesome will you be getting with your purchase? About this much:



2.6 frickin' KG's of actual awesome, in fact. No doubt it'll feel solid, and be a absolute blast to play with. It's also a decent size, coming in at 16.2 inches long, 9.5 wide and 4.9 high. Expect prices to skyrocket after they're all sold out (which'll happen FAST), so if you want your piece of the action at a reasonable price, get in QUICK!



EDIT: All images sourced from the Hori website, linked to directly from the Treasure homepage