An expanded game of Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
Overcome despair with ketsui—determination. Originally released in 2003 at the cutting edge of hardcore shoot 'em ups, Ketsui -Kizuna Jigoku Tachi- returns as the fourth entry in the M2 Shot Triggers series! Features seven modes, the most in series history! Arcade Mode: The ultimate recreation of the arcade game. Super Easy Mode: An enjoyable entryway into the world of Ketsui. Arcade Challenge: Practice stages in bite-sized chunks. A handy rewind function guides you from total beginner to grand master! Bonds of Growth: Practice your weakest areas, gathered from your actual play data! Deathtiny Mode: A new, remixed version of Ketsui with hyper-destructive gameplay. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned veteran, there's a mode for everyone! M2 Gadgets make their triumphant return! Lay bare the inner workings of the game to help your skills reach the next level. From total beginners to grand masters, this is a Ketsui for the entire human race.
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Pretty fun shmup. Basic, but fun.
I'm not remotely skilled at or knowledgeable about shmups, but I do know that Ketsui is one I like a whole lot, and this is a real good version of it. These M2 ShotTriggers releases seem pretty cool! The Super Easy Mode and the Arcade Challenge training mode are great inclusions to break players in to the game and slowly build them up to taking on the crushing whirlwind of Normal Difficulty, and the Bonds of Growth mode that records your deaths and lets you practice those moments is something I want in every shmup going forward. As a package, this is pretty flawless!
A good side effect of having these modes that increased my familiarity with the game: now that I'm not in a constant state of desperation (most of the time), I was able to appreciate the game as an artistic endeavour beyond the insane gameplay a lot more on these repeated playthroughs. Little moments like the first stage music properly kicking in right as you pick up your first powerup and come up against the first tougher enemy type. The part right after Black Draft in stage 4 where you slow right down as you hit the cliffside and mop up a couple of ground mooks feels like taking one deep breath before you descend into the absolute hell corridor that is the horizontal section. The inverse of that, right after Trafalgar in stage 5 where you're immediately beset by a rush of smaller enemies - no rest this time, we're in the endgame. Speaking of stage 5, how good is that music, that melancholic rendition of the first stage's theme, driving home that this whole thing is a suicide mission? What a game. What a game!
(Marked this as Mastered because I got the plat, but please understand I have in no way, shape or form mastered Ketsui. Please don't ask me to prove that I've mastered Ketsui)
A good side effect of having these modes that increased my familiarity with the game: now that I'm not in a constant state of desperation (most of the time), I was able to appreciate the game as an artistic endeavour beyond the insane gameplay a lot more on these repeated playthroughs. Little moments like the first stage music properly kicking in right as you pick up your first powerup and come up against the first tougher enemy type. The part right after Black Draft in stage 4 where you slow right down as you hit the cliffside and mop up a couple of ground mooks feels like taking one deep breath before you descend into the absolute hell corridor that is the horizontal section. The inverse of that, right after Trafalgar in stage 5 where you're immediately beset by a rush of smaller enemies - no rest this time, we're in the endgame. Speaking of stage 5, how good is that music, that melancholic rendition of the first stage's theme, driving home that this whole thing is a suicide mission? What a game. What a game!
(Marked this as Mastered because I got the plat, but please understand I have in no way, shape or form mastered Ketsui. Please don't ask me to prove that I've mastered Ketsui)
Picked this up immediately after getting my PS5, then went on to immediately 1cc Super Easy mode? Maybe I am godlike at games??
Ketsui is shmup perfection - Cave firing at all cylinders. On its face its quite accessible - one button to fire, one button to auto-fire, one button for limited use bombs (which clear the screen of any bullet patterns and do damage to enemies) and the option to hold the fire button to shoot homing fire with an extra laser beam (at the expense of shot spread and speed). From the simple controls, Ketsui shines through its excellent enemy arrangements, bullet patterns, and upgrade/scoring mechanics. The art is incredible, pulling inspiration from mecha anime like NGE mixed with a sort of Metal Slug-esque military vibe that looks great in pixel art form. Paired with some really excellent techno / d'n'b in the score, Ketsui just feels really satisfying to look at and fall into.
I joked about being super good at games at the top after 1cc'ing Super Easy mode but I have to say Super Easy mode is really accessible and surprisingly clearable for newcomers - the biggest two draws here are more reasonable bullet patterns and the auto-bomb feature. On super-easy you start with six bombs per life (and three lives) - auto-bombs will automatically deploy one of these bombs if you are hit - meaning that you essentially have seven hits per life, with six of those clearing the board for you. Paired with additional bombs on stages and extra lives stemming from score rollover and hidden in stages, you can easily take 20-30 hits in one credit. Compared to arcade mode with no auto-bombs where you have 3 hits per credit, it feels like a great way to begin your journey into shmups without feeling like you need to enter the matrix.
M2 did a sublime job with this remastered port - adding some great additional modes (super easy as well as a rearranged "Deathtiny mode), challenge modes where you practice stages in chunks, and Bonds of Growth where you can practice areas you specifically have struggled with (based on your gameplay data). The packaging of all of this is really clean and accessible with some great art and additional stats and resources.
I can't wait to see how the DoDonPachi DaiOuJou remaster turns out later this year - M2 has shown that they're well equipped to knock it out of the park.
Ketsui is shmup perfection - Cave firing at all cylinders. On its face its quite accessible - one button to fire, one button to auto-fire, one button for limited use bombs (which clear the screen of any bullet patterns and do damage to enemies) and the option to hold the fire button to shoot homing fire with an extra laser beam (at the expense of shot spread and speed). From the simple controls, Ketsui shines through its excellent enemy arrangements, bullet patterns, and upgrade/scoring mechanics. The art is incredible, pulling inspiration from mecha anime like NGE mixed with a sort of Metal Slug-esque military vibe that looks great in pixel art form. Paired with some really excellent techno / d'n'b in the score, Ketsui just feels really satisfying to look at and fall into.
I joked about being super good at games at the top after 1cc'ing Super Easy mode but I have to say Super Easy mode is really accessible and surprisingly clearable for newcomers - the biggest two draws here are more reasonable bullet patterns and the auto-bomb feature. On super-easy you start with six bombs per life (and three lives) - auto-bombs will automatically deploy one of these bombs if you are hit - meaning that you essentially have seven hits per life, with six of those clearing the board for you. Paired with additional bombs on stages and extra lives stemming from score rollover and hidden in stages, you can easily take 20-30 hits in one credit. Compared to arcade mode with no auto-bombs where you have 3 hits per credit, it feels like a great way to begin your journey into shmups without feeling like you need to enter the matrix.
M2 did a sublime job with this remastered port - adding some great additional modes (super easy as well as a rearranged "Deathtiny mode), challenge modes where you practice stages in chunks, and Bonds of Growth where you can practice areas you specifically have struggled with (based on your gameplay data). The packaging of all of this is really clean and accessible with some great art and additional stats and resources.
I can't wait to see how the DoDonPachi DaiOuJou remaster turns out later this year - M2 has shown that they're well equipped to knock it out of the park.
I consider completing this game getting the ura 2 loop, so I will never complete it.
Incredible shooter.
Incredible shooter.
Obligatory 5 star rating for Cave.
Almost 1cc'd Super Easy Mode while my gf was watching but had to continue once at Evacaneer Doom lol. Anyway game fucks and is basically perfect, def gonna get that SEM 1cc next time.