RefleX is the second game in the Tale of Alltynex trilogy of shmups. It's at this point where the series' DNA is really solidified: familiar enemies, a scoring system centered around a unique mechanic (reflection, this time), an almost melancholy tone set by the grandiose visuals and the organ-filled OST, and a couple of other things, like wings of light and Zodiac Virgo.

As the title suggests, the name of the game this time is a shield that reflects bullets. It's the cornerstone of the game; enemy patterns are far too dense to consistently dodge without it, your main shot is too weak to kill everything on its own, and it's central to the scoring system. Unfortunately, while I do think it's cool, compared to the previous game's (and subsequent game's) unique mechanic, it falls a little flat for me. I prefer more aggression in my shmups, as opposed to this more defensive take.

I'll maintain that a strong presentation is incredibly important for a shmup, and RefleX doesn't disappoint in this department. In fact, this is where Alltynex's trademark insane story beats really begin to shine. The set pieces and enemies you fight successfully convey that feeling of a desperate civil war against a government with scores of state-of-the-art weapons, only for the conflict to be hijacked by an even stronger force. Traversing the familiar ruins of ALLTYNEX OS with your former enemy against the new threat with wings of light, only for them to be taken out instantly and for you to be systematically ripped apart by overwhelming firepower. And just when all hope is lost, you too sprout wings of light, and your ship's capabilities skyrocket as well, allowing you to easily take down the aggressor. And then after a Disc 2 Xenogears-style cutscene describing how the new ship wiped out everything in its path, you're thrown into the final battle against the last remaining Zodiac weapon AND KAMUI ships, as this is also the same battleground where you take down Xaffiquel in the first game.

I don't care; it's hype.

Sometimes I like to do this thing where I listen to certain music and I imagine really cool fight scenes that heavily coincide with the music. That might sound strange, but don't knock it 'til you try it. It's EXHILARATING, I live for games that even halfway pique my imagination like that.

And Groove Coaster is one of those games; turns out two buttons and striking visuals is all you need to emulate that experience. The selection of songs is great; I felt right at home with all the Touhou arranges and Darius tracks/remixes (and even some surprises like Burning Halloween Town from Deathsmiles). The aforementioned in-game visuals are beautiful too, and I love the song specific references. My absolute favorite thing about the game has to be ad-libbing though. Finding ad-libs through sheer instinct on songs you've heard before has got to be one of the greatest feelings in the world.

The aesthetic was really cool and the story was interesting. But holy god the gameplay is so bad. You can auto through pretty much every battle (including bosses) but the random encounter rate is ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that the map system is awful and figuring out where to go is a nightmare without a walkthrough. Its the equivalent of watching paint dry and banging your head on the wall at the same time. The time period is no excuse either, there are plenty of JRPGs released for the SNES with at least passable gameplay. Hoping for a remake that keeps everything else intact but saves the train wreck gameplay.

2nd best game in the Mega Man franchise. I appreciate it more and more with every replay. Weapon levels may still exist, but it's faaaar less grindy than Zero 1; you can reasonably max them out this time. It's got extremely satisfying platforming, bosses and enemy design, with the best level of difficulty in the series. Best soundtrack in the zero series too.

And no, there is nothing wrong with the system for gaining EX skills. This isn't the X series anymore; they're cool bonuses that complement the ranking system, rewarding you for playing well. And besides, if you MUST have them without putting in the effort, there's always the A-rank cyberelves to help you nab a few.