A mysterious title appeared on Microsoft's Tokyo Game Show release list yesterday, then quickly disappeared. Whatever "Gal Gun" was, it was obvious that publisher Alchemist didn't want it announced.

Until today, that is. Alchemist formally announced Gun Gal today as an original Xbox 360 "shooter" developed by Mega Man Zero maker Inti Creates.

Xbox 360 shooters are usually vertical shmups -- you know, Cave stuff. This is Gal Gun:

You play as Tenzou. An apprentice angel named Patako is in the middle of her graduation exams and accidentally shoots you with Cupid's Arrow. This turns you into a stud for a day.

Sounds neat, right? The problem is that once the arrow's effect wears out, you'll live the rest of your life unable to get a girl.

There's only one way for Tenzou to avoid a life of loneliness. He'll need to find his dream girl today and confess his love.

As best as I can figure out from Alchemist's announcement, the game plays like a first person light gun shooter (without the gun). Instead of zombies, you're blasting away at little anime chicks who come at you spilling hearts and shouting out things like "I love you!" The girls can't resist your charms, so they'll come at you from all directions and attempt to confess their love (in some of the screenshots, you can see the girls reading their confessions to you).

This is a problem for Tenzou, as he's out to create a true girlfriend -- not someone who's just taken by his sudden studliness. Tenzou has his sights set on a particular girl, one of the game's four heroines (introduced below). You'll have to make sure the other girls don't get in the way, by keeping them at bay with your "Pheromone Shot."

Fulfill certain conditions during your shooting, and you'll enter into "Doki Doki Mode" with one of the attacking girls. In this mode, you'll be locked into a one-on-one encounter with the girl, allowing you to shoot her from whatever angle you please. You'll want to use the left analogue stick to search for the girl's weak point.

In between the shooting stages, you'll be able to enjoy a story part where you converse with the heroines. The content of these story sequences will change depending on your performance during the shooting segments.

The story actually plays out during the shooting stages as well. In some screens, we see the heroines being attacked by giant mutant plant bosses.

You can get a first look at Gal Gun in motion through this first promotional video:

Alchemist has some majorly hot voice actresses doing the girls. Patako is voiced by Yukari Tamura. Tenzou's target heroines include Aoi Uno, voiced by Nozomi Yamamoto, Kaoruko Sakurazaki, voiced by Maya Uchida, Akira Hibuki, voiced by Fumiko Uchimura, and Kaname Nonomiya, voiced by Yukika Teramoto.

The four heroines will sing and dance during the game's opening sequence, as shown here:

The heroines aren't the only well defined girls in Gal Gun. The shooting part has over 60 girl enemies. Each girl has a name and settings for her three sizes.

There's also the possibility for more attacking girls to come. Alchemist says it's planning download content for Gal Gun.

Gal Gun will be be playable at this week's Tokyo Game Show, in both Microsoft and Alchemist's booths. A release is planned for Winter.