By Jason Nimer
If
you are at all familiar with Treasure, the Japanese developer that over the
years has come to be known as a gamer's game company, then you already know that
for whatever reason, they are simply incapable of making a bad game. From the
company's early days, when they brought the absolutely amazing Gunstar Heroes to
the Sega Genesis, to the present, where they managed to make fighting games
based on the dreadful "Bleach" anime/manga into must-play, wildly technical DS
2D fighters (which finally made it to the U.S. of their own accord, I couldn't
wait that long, so I have the imports), Treasure just can't help themselves;
everything they do is a hands-down amazing game that is a must-own before it
ever hits store shelves.
It comes as no surprise, then, that Bangai-O Spirits, the Nintendo DS sequel
to a lesser-known Sega Dreamcast/Sega Saturn shooter, is every bit as good as
anything else they've managed to get to their fans, a group that I proudly count
myself as a member of. But, before I go any further, it needs to be said that
this latest opus has Treasure fans divided. Some feel it is more a puzzle game
than a shooter, and therefore, isn't as good as past efforts. Those people are
nuts. Bangai-O Spirits is not only a great addition to Treasure's ever-growing
catalog of classics, its mix of twitchy shooting and strategy, coupled with the
most bizarre and ingenious level editor in recent memory, make it one of the top
five DS games of 2008 so far. And – get this – it is a budget title that retails
for only $19.99!
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To understand Bangai-O Spirits, you'll probably need to be at least somewhat
familiar with Treasure's other efforts. Games like Ikaruga, Gunstar Heroes and
even Sin & Punishment are all extremely fast-paced action shooting games that,
to the untrained eye, look as though there is far too much going on for any one
person to handle. Bangai-O Spirits is no different. You'll be controlling a mech/robot
suit and guiding it through levels with more enemies, projectiles and obstacles
than should be possible on the DS's two tiny screens. Your goal in each and
every level is simple – eradicate all the enemies and be the last one standing.
Only it isn't that simple. Each enemy you'll face is a ton more powerful than
you are and each is equally dangerous. Luckily, your little robot is capable of
quite a lot. You have full range of movement and complete control over a number
of different melee and projectile attacks, all of which can be combined and used
to different ends. That is where the puzzle game aspects come in; you'll need to
figure out the right shots, the right combos and which enemies and/or obstacles
are weak or susceptible to your various attacks.
I can hear you saying, "Figuring out enemies weaknesses? How is that like a
puzzle game?" The best example, and the easiest to explain, can be found in one
of the game's earliest levels. To finish of a particular cluster of enemies to
finish a level, you have two choices – burst through the small opening leading
to them with guns-a-blazin,' or figure out a better way. After a try or two,
you'll realize that the brute force method will always get you killed. The best
way to finish the stage is to combine your homing missiles and bouncing shots to
ricochet projectiles down the hallway and take them out from afar. Other
solutions include figuring out which shots multiply when they connect with enemy
projectiles, the adequate timing of charging and direction of your more powerful
super moves and, just to keep players on their toes, a few stages can only be
completed by good old brute force.
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