This is a review of the more technical aspects of a 10 Star run in Silent Hill 2 and my experience with the scoring system. I managed full 10 star run of Silent Hill 2 with no saves or usage of the Green Hyper Spray. Unlike the first, this game does not place enough enemies en route to meet the 75 shooting kill requirement, so there is grinding that is done after the hospital, although, it's not too bad as it's on the way to your next location.
You can use 2 saves here, but I did the first with no saves, and I wanted to do the second with no saves. You still need to finish this game in the allotted time. Though it is way more generous at 3 hours. The biggest source of difficulty is that this game has a damage requirement. You must take less than 500 points of damage or you lose. Like the first game, this creates an amazing atmosphere of heavy tension even after the initial playthrough. While timing was made more generous, I would absolutely say the damage made this game much stricter with how you deal with bosses and enemies. You need to watch your spacing more carefully and have preset strategies for bosses. You can't just spam healing items.
It's harder than the first, and that's very appreciated, because no matter how good you get, you can probably still fuck up against the penultimate and final bosses which have very specific strategies you must use. This is due to the fact that this PC version has bosses moving at 2x speed. My heart was pounding at the final boss, because while everything you did before the final boss matters, the final boss is by far the most important part of the game to get right. If you fuck it up, it's all over, and it's super easy to rack up damage against it.
I've said all I can say in my Silent Hill 1 description. This game's not quite as good, imo. It's more straight forward with dungeons and the grinding drags it down -- however, even with my qualms, this is one of the greatest games ever made. These complaints are minor at best. The dungeons are still very satisfying to complete. It's satisfying to route and satisfying to play. On top of that, it has one of the best narratives I've experienced in the medium. I have no regrets calling it a masterpiece, just like the first game. I played it through 12 times, and I would gladly play it again.
You can use 2 saves here, but I did the first with no saves, and I wanted to do the second with no saves. You still need to finish this game in the allotted time. Though it is way more generous at 3 hours. The biggest source of difficulty is that this game has a damage requirement. You must take less than 500 points of damage or you lose. Like the first game, this creates an amazing atmosphere of heavy tension even after the initial playthrough. While timing was made more generous, I would absolutely say the damage made this game much stricter with how you deal with bosses and enemies. You need to watch your spacing more carefully and have preset strategies for bosses. You can't just spam healing items.
It's harder than the first, and that's very appreciated, because no matter how good you get, you can probably still fuck up against the penultimate and final bosses which have very specific strategies you must use. This is due to the fact that this PC version has bosses moving at 2x speed. My heart was pounding at the final boss, because while everything you did before the final boss matters, the final boss is by far the most important part of the game to get right. If you fuck it up, it's all over, and it's super easy to rack up damage against it.
I've said all I can say in my Silent Hill 1 description. This game's not quite as good, imo. It's more straight forward with dungeons and the grinding drags it down -- however, even with my qualms, this is one of the greatest games ever made. These complaints are minor at best. The dungeons are still very satisfying to complete. It's satisfying to route and satisfying to play. On top of that, it has one of the best narratives I've experienced in the medium. I have no regrets calling it a masterpiece, just like the first game. I played it through 12 times, and I would gladly play it again.
A very solid action platformer by CAProduction. Great movement, smart enemy placement and really good boss fights. The game rewards memorization and solid strategies for each section, and the more you have memorized, the faster you'll get through the game -- a thrilling combination.
My only criticisms are that bombs and health pickups, as well as 1-ups, are RNG drops from enemies, who all drop an item upon death. I feel this makes the game much easier than it should, and all those should instead be carefully placed items in certain stages. It didn't take me long to get a No-Death clear, around 8 - 12 hours, if I had to estimate. However, that was due to the hardest two stages in the game, which killed several runs, 1-4 and the Final Boss, which is a chase sequence involving good knowledge of the platforming tools you have. This would have been a far faster clear without those two run killers.
There's a large variety of interesting tools you can use for various situations, and I never felt any tool was just for show. I ignored the more overpowered super attacks and backflips, but you can easily find many different ways to approach stages and bosses.
Worth a play. It's no Shinobi, but it's still a great action platformer that's well worth your time.
My only criticisms are that bombs and health pickups, as well as 1-ups, are RNG drops from enemies, who all drop an item upon death. I feel this makes the game much easier than it should, and all those should instead be carefully placed items in certain stages. It didn't take me long to get a No-Death clear, around 8 - 12 hours, if I had to estimate. However, that was due to the hardest two stages in the game, which killed several runs, 1-4 and the Final Boss, which is a chase sequence involving good knowledge of the platforming tools you have. This would have been a far faster clear without those two run killers.
There's a large variety of interesting tools you can use for various situations, and I never felt any tool was just for show. I ignored the more overpowered super attacks and backflips, but you can easily find many different ways to approach stages and bosses.
Worth a play. It's no Shinobi, but it's still a great action platformer that's well worth your time.
1999
This is a review of the more technical aspects of a 10 Star run in Silent Hill and my experience with the scoring system. I managed full 10 star run of the original Silent Hill with no saves or continues.
You technically can use a continue, but I didn't want that. Once I finished the hospital, I was feeling real good about my accuracy. I use the glitch at the amusement park to save a minute or so. I used the rifle against Incubus to make absolutely sure I gain some accuracy back, since I fucked up against the worm with too many missed shotgun shots. All my runs seem to be around the 1h and 27m mark plus or minus 2 minutes.
The game's requirements for a 10 star run create this amazing atmosphere of heavy tension even after the initial playthrough, keeping that tension no matter how many times you've played it because any small error in routing could destroy your whole run. The fact that they managed that type of tension for ten of my playthroughs makes this game an absolute triumph. This game's in my top 10, no doubt. The gameplay's focus on spacing during gunplay makes it extremely satisfying to engage in combat. I wish modern games had a bit more of this. More focus on routing, more focus on spacing, more focus on memorization, and good strategies to fight bosses and enemies. And more tank controls. They're so good.
Sure, you can play badly and still do pretty well, but you still need a base level of competence and a path routed for enemy kills and item pickups. Not many games have requirements that test you to this level anymore. This felt as good as clearing an arcade game. If you have not played this game, go do it. I cannot begin to describe how good it is. Not a single one of my ten playthroughs was ever tiring, just unbelievably tense and fun. "Masterpiece" is a word that's been used so much, it's lost its meaning, but this game really is just that.
You technically can use a continue, but I didn't want that. Once I finished the hospital, I was feeling real good about my accuracy. I use the glitch at the amusement park to save a minute or so. I used the rifle against Incubus to make absolutely sure I gain some accuracy back, since I fucked up against the worm with too many missed shotgun shots. All my runs seem to be around the 1h and 27m mark plus or minus 2 minutes.
The game's requirements for a 10 star run create this amazing atmosphere of heavy tension even after the initial playthrough, keeping that tension no matter how many times you've played it because any small error in routing could destroy your whole run. The fact that they managed that type of tension for ten of my playthroughs makes this game an absolute triumph. This game's in my top 10, no doubt. The gameplay's focus on spacing during gunplay makes it extremely satisfying to engage in combat. I wish modern games had a bit more of this. More focus on routing, more focus on spacing, more focus on memorization, and good strategies to fight bosses and enemies. And more tank controls. They're so good.
Sure, you can play badly and still do pretty well, but you still need a base level of competence and a path routed for enemy kills and item pickups. Not many games have requirements that test you to this level anymore. This felt as good as clearing an arcade game. If you have not played this game, go do it. I cannot begin to describe how good it is. Not a single one of my ten playthroughs was ever tiring, just unbelievably tense and fun. "Masterpiece" is a word that's been used so much, it's lost its meaning, but this game really is just that.
2021
Steel Assault is an action platformer by Zenovia Interactive, and director Sri Kankanahalli. One of the better 2D action platformers in this continuing wave of indie retro-inspired games. I had a lot of fun with this one. It has a great level of challenge to it and respects the player when they figure out strategies to quickly kill bosses. The soundtrack is also really good. It's by QWESTA who did a couple of awesome tracks for ZeroRanger.
It's a cool game. Took me around 18 hours to get every achievement. The Arcade clear took around 12 hours. I have a few criticisms, but not many. Stage 5 is the biggest one. I think that stage is much easier than the previous ones, besides Stage 1, and this is in part because there's just so many shields around. It's pretty breezy and took me the least time to figure out. The final boss makes up for it though.
I do think this game would benefit by simply taking away all upgrades in Arcade Mode or by having a difficulty above Arcade Mode ("Expert Arcade Mode" or something similar) to raise the bar more. Another element I wish this game had was scoring. At the moment, there's a couple of reasons to keep playing if you beat Arcade Mode -- speedruns and no-hit runs. I think scoring would add more depth to both types of runs. A lot of enemies are already skippable and scoring would force you to attempt to clear levels for more points. Even something like score counter for how fast you kill bosses would be really cool.
It's still awesome 2D action platformer and well worth your money. It's 20 - 25 minutes long, which is the perfect length for an arcade game, and it's incredibly satisfying going through levels with that heavy metal soundtrack in the background. I found myself bobbing my head many times.
It's a cool game. Took me around 18 hours to get every achievement. The Arcade clear took around 12 hours. I have a few criticisms, but not many. Stage 5 is the biggest one. I think that stage is much easier than the previous ones, besides Stage 1, and this is in part because there's just so many shields around. It's pretty breezy and took me the least time to figure out. The final boss makes up for it though.
I do think this game would benefit by simply taking away all upgrades in Arcade Mode or by having a difficulty above Arcade Mode ("Expert Arcade Mode" or something similar) to raise the bar more. Another element I wish this game had was scoring. At the moment, there's a couple of reasons to keep playing if you beat Arcade Mode -- speedruns and no-hit runs. I think scoring would add more depth to both types of runs. A lot of enemies are already skippable and scoring would force you to attempt to clear levels for more points. Even something like score counter for how fast you kill bosses would be really cool.
It's still awesome 2D action platformer and well worth your money. It's 20 - 25 minutes long, which is the perfect length for an arcade game, and it's incredibly satisfying going through levels with that heavy metal soundtrack in the background. I found myself bobbing my head many times.
2017
Straight trash. Maybe try the Legend Remix mod, which fixes some issues, but it's still not ideal. The game actively does not want you to get better at it, with some of the shittiest AI I've seen in a video game. It also breaks the game if you play it at higher than 30 fps. Enemies block more, which is fine, but with all your momentum being stopped due to the bounce on block, it's just not fun. Your Dragon style throws being stopped by objects is also not very fun.
Kaoru's voice actor is a step down. Kiryu's facial animations are much weaker than in the original game. It's prettier and Outlaw's Lullaby is a solid remix, but there's not much to love about this iteration. I will give it some credit -- the Cabaret Club and Majima's Construction are excellent minigames, imo, and where I spent most of my time.
Other than that, please just play the original.
Kaoru's voice actor is a step down. Kiryu's facial animations are much weaker than in the original game. It's prettier and Outlaw's Lullaby is a solid remix, but there's not much to love about this iteration. I will give it some credit -- the Cabaret Club and Majima's Construction are excellent minigames, imo, and where I spent most of my time.
Other than that, please just play the original.
1991
This is a platformer by Tamtex, which is Irem. You star as a big mecha robot and you have the powers to gravity flip onto the ceiling,. Difficulty curve is good. It's very steady and escalates in just the right ways. I played the Japanese version and my favorite level was the 6th, where you really need to utilize the gravity flips a lot since there's electricity on the floor and ceiling of the stage.
I think if you like old school platformers and may not have heard of it will be pleasantly surprised. It requires good execution, memorization skills, and routing (especially for stage 6). The last stage is a boss rush with a very short final boss, but it was satisfying to get through.
I think if you like old school platformers and may not have heard of it will be pleasantly surprised. It requires good execution, memorization skills, and routing (especially for stage 6). The last stage is a boss rush with a very short final boss, but it was satisfying to get through.
1990
OutZone is, what I feel, one of the best games by Toaplan. It's a top down run-and-gun with heavy shoot 'em up elements. It's heavy on memorization, and a lot of sections have some light platforming elements.
The game itself has many interesting pick-ups and weapons, down to a spinning ball of death that's super strong. You can get a super speed pick up that makes you go quicker, a shield that tanks one hit, and more. The game itself has an infinite number of loops, where it gets harder each and every time.
The music is wonderful, and ear-catching, and I love the pixel art. Reminds me heavily of '80s flicks like Rambo and Aliens. Not to mention the very meticulous made levels, which, if you get good enough, you can simply just run through without stopping, sans a few platforming sections.
The game itself has many interesting pick-ups and weapons, down to a spinning ball of death that's super strong. You can get a super speed pick up that makes you go quicker, a shield that tanks one hit, and more. The game itself has an infinite number of loops, where it gets harder each and every time.
The music is wonderful, and ear-catching, and I love the pixel art. Reminds me heavily of '80s flicks like Rambo and Aliens. Not to mention the very meticulous made levels, which, if you get good enough, you can simply just run through without stopping, sans a few platforming sections.
2022
A fun shmup by developer Chunderfins. It has an excellent soundtrack, and a very cute pastel-looking art style.
It's a very accessible shmup. I didn't find the Normal clear hard to accomplish (although there is a harder mode called 'Moderate' for anyone looking for more challenge, which I will do one day). You have a meter that charges your shot, and you need to collect the large pickups that enemies drop to max it out. You have a meter that charges your bomb, and you need to collect the small pickups that enemies drop to keep filling it up. You get an extend every 500,000 points. You have a normal shot, and a charge shot that charges up if you keep your finger off the shot button for a few seconds. You also get a little squirrel friend every now and again as a pick up and he can help you out.
To score, you need to get combos with the charge shot, get collectibles and use your bomb for massive bullet cancels. There's 5 stages, with 6 bosses. Each stage is great, both thematically and mechanically. I really liked the bullet patterns in this one. The bosses are on the Touhou side while the stages remind me more of CAVE. This mix of styles is present in a lot of newer shmups, but I feel this game has done it the best so far.
The soundtrack is one of the biggest highlights here. I listen to it fairly regularly. It's excellent.
It's a very accessible shmup. I didn't find the Normal clear hard to accomplish (although there is a harder mode called 'Moderate' for anyone looking for more challenge, which I will do one day). You have a meter that charges your shot, and you need to collect the large pickups that enemies drop to max it out. You have a meter that charges your bomb, and you need to collect the small pickups that enemies drop to keep filling it up. You get an extend every 500,000 points. You have a normal shot, and a charge shot that charges up if you keep your finger off the shot button for a few seconds. You also get a little squirrel friend every now and again as a pick up and he can help you out.
To score, you need to get combos with the charge shot, get collectibles and use your bomb for massive bullet cancels. There's 5 stages, with 6 bosses. Each stage is great, both thematically and mechanically. I really liked the bullet patterns in this one. The bosses are on the Touhou side while the stages remind me more of CAVE. This mix of styles is present in a lot of newer shmups, but I feel this game has done it the best so far.
The soundtrack is one of the biggest highlights here. I listen to it fairly regularly. It's excellent.
2007
Deathsmiles is a horizontal scrolling shmup by CAVE that allows you to shoot left and right, Fantasy Zone style. It bodes 8 stages, one which you can skip.
The game itself lets you choose which stages you want to go to and the difficulty of each. There are 3 stages on the bottom to start and 3 on the top. You alternate between choosing the top and bottom stages. You can choose from difficulty ranks 1 - 3 for each stage. In Arcade mode, it limits you in how many of each Rank 1 and 2 stage you can choose, but not Rank 3.
There's a hidden mode in the game called Death Mode. When you choose Rank 3 difficulty 5 times, you enter Death Mode Level 1. This introduces suicide bullets, where the enemies will throw bullets at you upon death. You can enter Death Mode Level 2 by going to the Gorge or straight to Hades' Castle (the final stage). The Gorge is an extra super difficult level. If you do beat the Gorge, you can enter Death Mode Level 3 for the final stage.
It's the first time CAVE experimented with 3D models and it looks good, though I really don't care for the loli style anime art. The music is very good. Burning Halloween Town and Hades Castle were my two favorites. I used Rosa, as I liked her playstyle, and she's also just really strong.
For my first 1CC of this one, I just did the Arcade mode with stages going Rank 1-1-2-2-3-3. It took me about 3 hours to clear. However, for all Rank 3, it added an additional 12 hours of game time (minus the Gorge, that would have been a lot more difficult). The game has a super high skill ceiling, and tailorable difficulty, with the arrange mode, Mega Black Label, sporting a Rank 999 difficulty, for those willing to take it on.
For general gameplay, you collect items worth different values until you get to 1000. After that, you can activate hyper mode, and item drops will increase, and give you huge score boosts.
Each stage is meticulously built to have a great sense of flow and there's never any down time at all. The new port is also really good, with low input lag and accurate slowdown. This is a good start for beginners looking to get into shoot 'em ups.
Obligatory five-star rating for a CAVE game. There's very few games by this dev that I don't consider a masterpiece.
The game itself lets you choose which stages you want to go to and the difficulty of each. There are 3 stages on the bottom to start and 3 on the top. You alternate between choosing the top and bottom stages. You can choose from difficulty ranks 1 - 3 for each stage. In Arcade mode, it limits you in how many of each Rank 1 and 2 stage you can choose, but not Rank 3.
There's a hidden mode in the game called Death Mode. When you choose Rank 3 difficulty 5 times, you enter Death Mode Level 1. This introduces suicide bullets, where the enemies will throw bullets at you upon death. You can enter Death Mode Level 2 by going to the Gorge or straight to Hades' Castle (the final stage). The Gorge is an extra super difficult level. If you do beat the Gorge, you can enter Death Mode Level 3 for the final stage.
It's the first time CAVE experimented with 3D models and it looks good, though I really don't care for the loli style anime art. The music is very good. Burning Halloween Town and Hades Castle were my two favorites. I used Rosa, as I liked her playstyle, and she's also just really strong.
For my first 1CC of this one, I just did the Arcade mode with stages going Rank 1-1-2-2-3-3. It took me about 3 hours to clear. However, for all Rank 3, it added an additional 12 hours of game time (minus the Gorge, that would have been a lot more difficult). The game has a super high skill ceiling, and tailorable difficulty, with the arrange mode, Mega Black Label, sporting a Rank 999 difficulty, for those willing to take it on.
For general gameplay, you collect items worth different values until you get to 1000. After that, you can activate hyper mode, and item drops will increase, and give you huge score boosts.
Each stage is meticulously built to have a great sense of flow and there's never any down time at all. The new port is also really good, with low input lag and accurate slowdown. This is a good start for beginners looking to get into shoot 'em ups.
Obligatory five-star rating for a CAVE game. There's very few games by this dev that I don't consider a masterpiece.
The Ninja Warriors Once Again is the second remake/remaster from Natsume-owned studio, Tengo Project. This studio is a group of individuals, originally from Natsume, that have reuinited and, for the past few years, have been on a mission to remake the games they've worked on years past. The first one was Wild Guns Reloaded, a fully loaded remake of the SNES 1994 original, Wild Guns. The second one is The Ninja Warriors Again, a fully equipped remake of the SNES 1994 original, The Ninja Warriors Again. They've struck gold once again, because this remake, and all their remakes, are blueprints of what remakes should be like.
The Ninja Warriors Once Again is a beat 'em up. Unlike most other beat 'em ups, this one is not a belt-scroller, but a side-scroller. You can play as one of five characters, two of which are unlockable by completing Normal and Hard mode. Each one has their own moveset and combo strings. They are all very different and play very different, which offers a lot of replayability to this title. I struck a cord with Ninja, a big robotic grappler who has a lot of really strong throws that assist with crowd control.
I cleared this one, and the only real walls I ran into were Stage 5's boss, Jubei, who's just insane to run into after playing the first 5 levels. He's fast and strong, and you need to preempt and block a lot of his attacks to get an opening. The second is Stage 7's boss, Zelos. The boss himself isn't bad, but in Hard mode, he gets a lot of fodder that you need to kill or avoid or throw at him in order to do some good damage. I died to them several times on my runs, but once you get through, you're pretty home-free for Stage 8. Just be careful with the final boss.
I wholly recommend this game if you're looking for a great 2D beat 'em up in an era where there are so few.
The Ninja Warriors Once Again is a beat 'em up. Unlike most other beat 'em ups, this one is not a belt-scroller, but a side-scroller. You can play as one of five characters, two of which are unlockable by completing Normal and Hard mode. Each one has their own moveset and combo strings. They are all very different and play very different, which offers a lot of replayability to this title. I struck a cord with Ninja, a big robotic grappler who has a lot of really strong throws that assist with crowd control.
I cleared this one, and the only real walls I ran into were Stage 5's boss, Jubei, who's just insane to run into after playing the first 5 levels. He's fast and strong, and you need to preempt and block a lot of his attacks to get an opening. The second is Stage 7's boss, Zelos. The boss himself isn't bad, but in Hard mode, he gets a lot of fodder that you need to kill or avoid or throw at him in order to do some good damage. I died to them several times on my runs, but once you get through, you're pretty home-free for Stage 8. Just be careful with the final boss.
I wholly recommend this game if you're looking for a great 2D beat 'em up in an era where there are so few.
2019
Blazing Chrome is a 2019 video game released by Joymasher, a Brazilian-based indie developer. Strong Contra: Hard Corps and Metal Slug vibes. I was recommended this game, and I managed to get every achievement, as well clear Normal and Hardcore mode with my character of choice, Mavra.
There are six stages in this game, each more difficult than the last, though you can play the first four in any order you want. The enemy design and placement in this game is some of the best I've seen from an indie retro-inspired title. The difficulty selection to Hardcore mode changes things by adding more enemies and making them more aggressive, forcing you to adapt and building on what you learned in Normal mode. My only criticism is I wish it had more difficulty modes. Hardcore felt like it should have been the Normal mode.
The game also has a Halloween skin, which is pretty cool.
There are six stages in this game, each more difficult than the last, though you can play the first four in any order you want. The enemy design and placement in this game is some of the best I've seen from an indie retro-inspired title. The difficulty selection to Hardcore mode changes things by adding more enemies and making them more aggressive, forcing you to adapt and building on what you learned in Normal mode. My only criticism is I wish it had more difficulty modes. Hardcore felt like it should have been the Normal mode.
The game also has a Halloween skin, which is pretty cool.
1997
The game's premise and design are simple. You create a mech from parts and use it to do missions. You get money for better parts as you do these missions and upgrade your mech. You can tailor your mech to your playstyle and for specific missions to optimize and maximize earnings. There's secret parts, and bosses in some of these missions. The missions are well structured, the controls are great, and it's enjoyable optimizing your mech for situations where you can gain an advantage.
Nineball's theme is just the best.
Nineball's theme is just the best.
1993
Batsugun is the last shoot 'em up by Toaplan before they went defunct. It is considered the first real bullet hell, or at least an early prototype of one. Toaplan eventually formed into the CAVE. You can really tell, because the bees in DoDonPachi, the stage 3 boss in Mushihimesama, and probably a lot more, were ideas that were likely conceived by Batsugun, whether artistically or more gameplay-oriented. It is a short game. You have a big hurtbox as well. I used Type B, but on the player 2 side, as I liked Alteeno's design more.
You have an experience bar, you increase it by killing enemies and destroying environmental objects. You fill it to level-up, with a max level of 3, and get a power increase each level. Each time you fill it up after level 3, you get a bomb. Stage 4 was my favorite level, requiring a mix of memorization and reflexes, and sporting some very, very cool background work, as well as an awesome tune that just keeps you going. This game's soundtrack is all adrenaline. I enjoyed every minute from start to finish.
You have an experience bar, you increase it by killing enemies and destroying environmental objects. You fill it to level-up, with a max level of 3, and get a power increase each level. Each time you fill it up after level 3, you get a bomb. Stage 4 was my favorite level, requiring a mix of memorization and reflexes, and sporting some very, very cool background work, as well as an awesome tune that just keeps you going. This game's soundtrack is all adrenaline. I enjoyed every minute from start to finish.
2022
Sol Cresta is a new game by PlatinumGames, developers of big hits like Vanquish, Bayonetta, Anarchy Reigns, and The Wonderful 101. I have not really cared for Platinum's output for over a decade, but I found their first forray at shoot 'em ups to be very, very good.
This game quite a lot of depth. They have a bullet time, formations that change your shot type, and scoring mechanics that are heavily tied to survival (extends, meter for formations and bullet time, and shield slots for tanking hits if necessary). The game is also heavy on routing, and there are many varied strategies for bosses. The only criticism I have of this game is the length, about 50 - 55 minutes, which could have been cut as some of the game's levels have moments where nothing is really happening.
However, that certainly doesn't take away from how good the levels are, and how excellent the scoring system is. One of the most fun scoring systems I've experienced in a shmup.
I hope this new director, Takanori Sato, continues to impress with Plat's Neo Classic Series. I can't wait to see what he does next.
This game quite a lot of depth. They have a bullet time, formations that change your shot type, and scoring mechanics that are heavily tied to survival (extends, meter for formations and bullet time, and shield slots for tanking hits if necessary). The game is also heavy on routing, and there are many varied strategies for bosses. The only criticism I have of this game is the length, about 50 - 55 minutes, which could have been cut as some of the game's levels have moments where nothing is really happening.
However, that certainly doesn't take away from how good the levels are, and how excellent the scoring system is. One of the most fun scoring systems I've experienced in a shmup.
I hope this new director, Takanori Sato, continues to impress with Plat's Neo Classic Series. I can't wait to see what he does next.
2020
I recommend this shoot 'em up to everyone who anyone who is interested in getting into the genre but may be intimidated with games by CAVE or other shmups that are more intensive. It took around 3 hours to clear on Normal.
The first 4 stages are not too intensive but it picks up around stage 5 and stage 6 and resembles the more classic or Toaplan/Raizing like affairs, with some fast and tricky patterns to dodge. The game is very forgiving with lives and bombs. There's a meter that refills 3 bombs slowly, and when you have all three, there is an autobomb. Bombs are strong. Additional ships also assist you when your power is maxed out by blocking bullets and collecting more heart medals for score.
The first 4 stages are not too intensive but it picks up around stage 5 and stage 6 and resembles the more classic or Toaplan/Raizing like affairs, with some fast and tricky patterns to dodge. The game is very forgiving with lives and bombs. There's a meter that refills 3 bombs slowly, and when you have all three, there is an autobomb. Bombs are strong. Additional ships also assist you when your power is maxed out by blocking bullets and collecting more heart medals for score.