Deathsmiles Game Sample - Xbox 360
28We hope everyone who celebrates this occasion is having a terrific Thanksgiving holiday and keeping their head up; in spite of everything going on around the world, we know we have a lot to be thankful for and can only hope that you and your loved ones are happy and safe. Between spending time with family and stuffing our faces, we have several videos to share with you all which may make your holiday season a little brighter.
Ironically, this comes with our first 360 upload in some time, "Deathsmiles", a light-hearted gothic lolita horizontal bullet-curtain SHMUP from the talented and prolific folks over at Cave (Computer Art and Visual Entertainment), presented in the U.S. by Aksys Games and in Europe by Rising Star Games. Originally released in the Arcades back in 2007, it marked the first Cave shooter to have a physical release overseas and was met with generally positive reviews and for good reason -- being packaged with a number of upgrades and adjustments based off of its other incarnation (the limited "Mega Black Label"), the game features improved graphics, an additional playable character and stage, multiple play modes, reduced slowdown, difficulties suitable for almost all skill levels and faithfully reproduced ease of play. While not necessarily trying to change the SHMUP landscape, Deathsmiles (due to good treatment from its publishers and advertisers with Limited Editions and special promotions) helped revitalize old-school 2D shooters in the West and remain somewhat relevant in an age of 3D FPS / 3rd-Person Shooter dominance. The end result is a classic SHMUP with more meat on its bones than many of its contemporaries and it holds a special place in the X360 line-up (assuming you can look past its all-girl theme and undertones), which is no surprise coming from Ex-Toaplan alumni. This game was also ported to iOS with added content.
The game plays mostly like your typical Cave shooter; tapping the fire button shoots normal bullets to the left or right, while holding it down releases a more powerful shot but reduces your movement speed. Each character is accompanied by a familiar who helps you take down enemies and can deflect certain enemy bullets -- the way these familiars operate depends on the mode you select. Most levels have selectable difficulty, allowing players to mix things up at any time during their playthrough based on their skill level. Lastly, players can power-up by collecting items and dish out bombs (the rate in which characters power-up depends on the mode). There are many other subtleties to the game such as scoring mechanics (when and how to grab power-up items), player character differences (attack, range, etc.) and story arcs (gasp!), but these can be discovered at your leisure.
The general story is that most of the game's playable characters were once regular children of the contemporary world who were involved in some kind of accident or near-death experience that caused them to be spirited-away to the mystical land of "Gilverado", where they inherit special powers and meet a kind old man named Count Dior who raises them as his own little "angels" and trains them to fight evil, but they all have their own personal reasons for helping him and ultimately try to find a way home (though they are generally trapped there forever). Graphically, the game is par-the-course for a 2D SHMUP of the 21st century, though there are a few nice details here and there, especially concerning the game's boss enemies who are of great scale, highly detailed, and don't disappoint. The soundtrack is quite noteworthy (as is the case with most Cave soundtracks), being rich in aural quality with pipe organ sounds combined with your typical electronic/techno fare to create a compelling and appropriate complement to the visuals and theme (Manabu Namiki had his hands on it... Metal Slug, Bike Banditz, Odin Sphere, need I say more...). Ultimately, Deathsmiles is a game worth owning and is followed by a less-favorable sequel (Deathsmiles II: Makai no Merry Christmas).
This is a video of the game in action. Enjoy.