[バトルマニア/Trouble Shooter] MD JP Hard ALL CLEAR (Score: 1,502,880) [CC Commentary]
1Undoubtly a very fun one! I love it! It's not the most precise or tight shmup ever made, but to summarize its spectacles and great variety sells. It adds and removes moves as the stage progresses without alienating the player too. Like watching an anime.
Kinda weird this game doesn't get discussed while the Dirty Pair trope is gaining resurgence thanks to Lycoris Recoil, or just other Dirty Pair-clone stuff!
In the game you can shoot, change Mania's shoot direction and use the special. Just by description alone it's vanilla: You can change the option girl, Mania, to shoot either left or right, covering both sides or focusing on the right. Special is only useful for 4 stages tops. If you press it while it's not ready, the gauge will be reset to 0. That's annoyingly punishing.
As one would be afraid of, yes, the hitbox is thick! Don't worry, the game's stage design is adequately aware of that fact. No-missing the game is possible. And also with that in mind the Guts (HP) is a lot. Extends also come very easily either by score or a pick up lying around on the stages. Resource-wise it's a lenient game.
The highlight is of course, the stage design! The boss designs are unique and fresh, have almost no safe spots, scrolls in variety of directions and awesome set pieces. It's a fun one to tackle and experience!
It's not perfect, though. There are glaring moments. Removing specials by stage 5 and 6 sure is weird. Also no matter how many lives left if you get squished by obstacles or by the scrolling, it's INSTANT GAME OVER! That's the worst thing about the game! What were they thinking!? Last but not least, this is the Hard mode, but I don't feel any tangible difference or notice any particular pattern differences. Is it just me?
Games where the stage design shines will always be my great recommendation. Give it a shot!
#stg #shmup #battlemania