Hell. Yes.
It's been a while I've played a game that is so unapologetically 90s, and more importantly unapologetically itself. Battle Mania Daiginjou takes the already enjoyable theming of the first game and turns it up to eleven. (Literally, listen to the music.) Oftentimes I found myself astonished at just how cool it was-- the focus on Japanese culture for this one is awesome and gives way to some really unique setpieces, and the humor is more consistent than the original's, appearing all throughout the game this time. There's a totally random anime eyecatcher at one point and it's both sick and absolutely hilarious.
Gameplay wise, Daiginjou doesn't slack either. The level design is generally a lot more interesting than it was before- there's practically always more action on the screen, especially in the later stages. The biggest improvement, though, are the new control options. 8-Way shooting makes the game a lot more fun, and I appreciate the settings for the probe-- it gives the game the replayability a shoot 'em up should have. Daiginjou has a lot more meat on its bones too, being longer than the first game-- though I think its ending isn't quite definitive. I was left wanting more after finishing the game, which is probably my biggest criticism of it.
Overall, Battle Mania Daiginjou is an excellent game, and my favorite shmup to date. It's also easily the best Dirty Pair game out there, so if you've been looking for your (playable) fix of the Lovely Angels like I have, here it is.
It's been a while I've played a game that is so unapologetically 90s, and more importantly unapologetically itself. Battle Mania Daiginjou takes the already enjoyable theming of the first game and turns it up to eleven. (Literally, listen to the music.) Oftentimes I found myself astonished at just how cool it was-- the focus on Japanese culture for this one is awesome and gives way to some really unique setpieces, and the humor is more consistent than the original's, appearing all throughout the game this time. There's a totally random anime eyecatcher at one point and it's both sick and absolutely hilarious.
Gameplay wise, Daiginjou doesn't slack either. The level design is generally a lot more interesting than it was before- there's practically always more action on the screen, especially in the later stages. The biggest improvement, though, are the new control options. 8-Way shooting makes the game a lot more fun, and I appreciate the settings for the probe-- it gives the game the replayability a shoot 'em up should have. Daiginjou has a lot more meat on its bones too, being longer than the first game-- though I think its ending isn't quite definitive. I was left wanting more after finishing the game, which is probably my biggest criticism of it.
Overall, Battle Mania Daiginjou is an excellent game, and my favorite shmup to date. It's also easily the best Dirty Pair game out there, so if you've been looking for your (playable) fix of the Lovely Angels like I have, here it is.