Arcade bliss
An excellent game for newcomers and veterans alike.
My experience with shmups is more with older style retro games. This is one of the new breed of bullet hell with a busy screen, explosions galore, high-scoring numbers and colorful bullets everywhere! It seems overwhelming, but you get used to it quick. Novice mode is challenging but a 1cc is absolutely doable. I did mine after about 8 hours of playing and it was exhilarating.
The game has a wide variety of modes, including Time Attack, Boost and Original. There is a very good training mode too, that allows you to practice stages and stage bosses.
At the start, there are three different ship to choose from, each with different characteristics. A fourth and powerful ship can be unlocked after collecting a certain amount of medals.
The game explains its system very well at the beginning of a playthrough. You ship has a regular wide shot, and a laser that does huge damage. The laser can only be activated once its meter is full. You can bomb once your meter is about 20% full, though the more you use the bomb, the higher percentage requirement gets. This can be reset by picking up items from defeated bosses (you can choose between meter gain, more medals, bomb reset or, in novice mode only, an extra life)
If you like shooting games, I absolutely recommend this. If you haven't played many bullet hell shmups but wish to learn, I also highly recommend this game and start with Novice mode. If you're looking for a casual playthrough, the game can still be fun, but to get the most out of it, I recommend challenging yourself and not credit feeding (continually continuing). It's a skill-based game and pactice will be required to get good.
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