The one game where you didn't just joke ZUN was drunk while working on it, he actually was! But ZUN was not alone on this game, as he collaborated with others on this quick game!
The collaborators were also drunk.
Uwabami Breakers was made in less than 2 weeks, so naturally it wasn't made from scratch. It's built off the engine of Touhou 10 (Mountain of Faith), so the systems in that game are also stealthily present here: Your shot, which is throwing chopsticks, is powered up by your blood alcohol content. Your bomb is where you puke, which like Mountain of Faith, will reduce your power. Because you have less power overall bombs are a lot more risky, and you don't get a lot of reward for the risk of using a bomb. I'd say the bomb here is one of the worst in a game ZUN has worked on in terms of both power and bullet clearing. So you're incentivized not to bomb, but you aren't completely screwed...
just mostly! Your other ability is the chopstick barrier, which you can form if you stop shooting. It will kill enemies in its path and after a bit, will home in on your foe. It doesn't stop bullets (except one random one the game kinda expects you to know) but it's there for enemies!
All of this contributes to a combo system focused on score. You build up your combo, your tab (points) increases. New enemies will immediately show up if there are no enemies on screen to aid in keep your combo going. This also means no moment of rest, Uwabami Breakers expects you to be on your toes at all times.
It also expects you to know where enemies are coming from, as they'll come from the bottom at quick speeds a lot. Now I never read any guidebook on shmup design but I did make a one myself so I do know that if something's gonna pop up from the bottom you gotta indicate it in some direct or indirect form, or guide your player to a position where they'll be unlikely to be in harm's way when it happens. This game doesn't care you were dodging that wave here's your pizza too bad you dodged right instead of left should have known bucko.
Unlike Mountain of Faith, this game doesn't have a Lives System but a Time system. Each level has a limit that's increased when you die. If you don't reach the boss before the Last Order, too bad start over. No continues. If you die on the Last Order, start over too. Since each stage takes place at a different time, this lives-like resource doesn't carry over between stages. Only you tab/score carries over at all, making each level feel very disconnected from one another. Worst part is there's no Practice Mode either, so you can't practice Stages 2 or 3 at all without doing stage 1 again. You won't feel like you're learning or making progress like the game this one's built off of, just going at it again and again until you eventually get it.
The game has good art and music and is fine as a joke game that was given out for free, but it's better as a trivia tidbit of ZUN's career than as a video game.
The collaborators were also drunk.
Uwabami Breakers was made in less than 2 weeks, so naturally it wasn't made from scratch. It's built off the engine of Touhou 10 (Mountain of Faith), so the systems in that game are also stealthily present here: Your shot, which is throwing chopsticks, is powered up by your blood alcohol content. Your bomb is where you puke, which like Mountain of Faith, will reduce your power. Because you have less power overall bombs are a lot more risky, and you don't get a lot of reward for the risk of using a bomb. I'd say the bomb here is one of the worst in a game ZUN has worked on in terms of both power and bullet clearing. So you're incentivized not to bomb, but you aren't completely screwed...
just mostly! Your other ability is the chopstick barrier, which you can form if you stop shooting. It will kill enemies in its path and after a bit, will home in on your foe. It doesn't stop bullets (except one random one the game kinda expects you to know) but it's there for enemies!
All of this contributes to a combo system focused on score. You build up your combo, your tab (points) increases. New enemies will immediately show up if there are no enemies on screen to aid in keep your combo going. This also means no moment of rest, Uwabami Breakers expects you to be on your toes at all times.
It also expects you to know where enemies are coming from, as they'll come from the bottom at quick speeds a lot. Now I never read any guidebook on shmup design but I did make a one myself so I do know that if something's gonna pop up from the bottom you gotta indicate it in some direct or indirect form, or guide your player to a position where they'll be unlikely to be in harm's way when it happens. This game doesn't care you were dodging that wave here's your pizza too bad you dodged right instead of left should have known bucko.
Unlike Mountain of Faith, this game doesn't have a Lives System but a Time system. Each level has a limit that's increased when you die. If you don't reach the boss before the Last Order, too bad start over. No continues. If you die on the Last Order, start over too. Since each stage takes place at a different time, this lives-like resource doesn't carry over between stages. Only you tab/score carries over at all, making each level feel very disconnected from one another. Worst part is there's no Practice Mode either, so you can't practice Stages 2 or 3 at all without doing stage 1 again. You won't feel like you're learning or making progress like the game this one's built off of, just going at it again and again until you eventually get it.
The game has good art and music and is fine as a joke game that was given out for free, but it's better as a trivia tidbit of ZUN's career than as a video game.