Dude why did I give this a 1.5 before
This game leaves a weird first impression, has kind of that Thunder Force effect where enemies don't attack much but when they do it has almost no pre-empt and an unforgiving hitbox. Then you get to the bosses and their bullet patterns seem impossible to avoid. But on replaying this I learned 2 crucial things:
1) You have a dodgeroll that reflects everything and can be used anytime
2) This game has DDP chaining and you get OBSCENE amounts of extends
Combining these two makes for a very unconventional shmup, because you're not so much dodging as you are managing the dodgeroll economy and trying to keep a constant stream of damage on-screen. It's an extremely modernist and indie conceit but handled very well because of the freckles of shmup fundamentals underneath and stellar cyberspace resonance.
Clearly, between this, Sin & Punishment, Star Fox 64 and that cancelled Viewpoint sequel, the N64 needed waaaaaay more shmuppin' in its veins.
This game leaves a weird first impression, has kind of that Thunder Force effect where enemies don't attack much but when they do it has almost no pre-empt and an unforgiving hitbox. Then you get to the bosses and their bullet patterns seem impossible to avoid. But on replaying this I learned 2 crucial things:
1) You have a dodgeroll that reflects everything and can be used anytime
2) This game has DDP chaining and you get OBSCENE amounts of extends
Combining these two makes for a very unconventional shmup, because you're not so much dodging as you are managing the dodgeroll economy and trying to keep a constant stream of damage on-screen. It's an extremely modernist and indie conceit but handled very well because of the freckles of shmup fundamentals underneath and stellar cyberspace resonance.
Clearly, between this, Sin & Punishment, Star Fox 64 and that cancelled Viewpoint sequel, the N64 needed waaaaaay more shmuppin' in its veins.