now that i’ve played my fair share of cave shmups i wanna say that the mechanics and philosophy of bullet hells have clicked with me but in all honesty they haven’t yet. although i can say i’m probably better than your average joe-shmoe gamer at these games. by the end of my run with espgaluda though, i think that something did click, even if it was pretty minor. while playing this one there were multiple instances of me entering this zone where it was like i had been under some sort of trance. for a few moments without thinking i could effortlessly weave in between the threads of bullets as they unraveled beneath the blanket of enemies on screen. the only other games where i can distinctly remember this happening to me are ketsui, mushihimesama, and battle traverse which are also my favorites in the genre. i play shmups on a very on-and-off basis so if one manages to pull me into The zone i say it’s a memorable one for sure. obviously that’s not my only criteria for gauging how much i like these games but it’s an important factor for me personally.
i also really enjoy espgaluda as this makeshift tribute to its cave predecessors; i noticed elements and tropes reminiscent of esp ra.de., dodonpachi, and the aforementioned titles (minus battle traverse). it’s a good collaboration and evolution of the pre-established formulas. the final boss in particular giving me ptsd from mushihimesama’s final boss lol. the ost also caught me by surprise with how unhinged it is, especially the arranged/remixed tracks.
i dont think ill ever become a so called “god” at bullet hells but i dont mind truthfully. i’m content knowing i beat this game in (probably) under a 15cc while having fun. playing espgaluda reminded me why i enjoy this genre so much.