This is my first stab at the Bangai-O series, though I've loved Treasure for a long time and have enjoyed every single one of their games that I've played to at least some extent. I've always felt that Treasure's 2D action games, which combine classic gameplay styles with new and interesing elements, are examples that the entire industry should follow. But before I get sidetracked into a rant about the state of the gaming industry as a whole, let me focus on why Bangai-O Spirits is awesome and lives up to every bit of superlative praise sp0rsk lavished upon it.
The first thing I noticed is that while there's quite a bit of complex and nuance to the gameplay, the tutorial does an excellent job at easing the player into it. Going into it, I made sure that I followed the tutorials slowly and closely, and the gradual manner in which they introduce new elements to the player makes it easy to pick up on the game. That being said, I did still notice a bit of a jump in difficulty when I shed the training wheels of the tutorial and ventured into the "Treasure's Best" selection of stages, but after a few quick and messy deaths in the first level of that category, the lessons of the tutorial were reinforced and I found myself weaving through salvoes of missiles and murderous robots with, if not ease, at least competence.
Speaking of the tutorial, I have to single out the writing in the tutorial text as being quite humourous and enjoyable to read. Surprisingly well-translated, the tutorial not only explains the mechanics of the game, but it does so in a very amusing manner, the dialogue of the tutorial littered with jokes and references aimed at the game's hardcore target audience. The exchange following the final tutorial level was particularly funny and took a shot at a ripe target indeed; the folks who rush through a game in the hopes of achieving the maximum trade-in value.
I really like the free structure of the game, where the player can dabble in every level in the game right at the start. The game can be quite difficult at points and to be stuck on a stage without being able to move on would become very frustrating indeed. I also very much like the small, bite-size levels. They allow one of Treasure's greatest strengths, the sheer variety present in most of their games, come to the fore. Each level is different and has some clever gimmick and I really appreciate how Treasure managed to make over a hundred levels that are so different. True, a few levels build on concepts established in previous stages, but even these "sequel" levels (which are often indicated in the name) are vastly outnumbered by the levels that have some original twist of their own. From a level that has you fighting a legion of powerful robots around a destructible planet Earth (reference to Sin and Punishment, maybe?) to a level that forsakes gunplay entirely for a "push the blocks to the right squares" puzzle right out of Zelda or Adventures of Lolo, the variety is mindblowing and a testament to Treasure's talent.
Of course, when you get right down to it, Bangai-O is about massive explosions and wanton destruction. And I must admit, there is a lot of visceral satisfaction to be had in unleashing a massive eruption of a hundred missiles, made larger and even more potent by the close proximity of enemy fire, or setting off a chain reaction of explosions that forces the poor, struggling DS to a stutter as it frantically tries to keep up with the action. Treasure is noted for pushing the boundaries of whatever system it's developing for, and Bangai-O pushes the DS so far, I wouldn't have been surprised if my DS burst into flames in my hands.
But by far one of my favourite features in the game is the level builder. I love level creation tools and a well-implemented one can add astronomical amounts of replay value to any game. While I haven't done much more than mere dabbling in the level creator so far, it seems incredibly simple to use, but versatile enough to recreate anything seen in Treasure's stages and can do more besides. I also appreciate that you can actually port over entire sections of the official levels, so even if creativity has utterly forsaken you, you can at least create some portmanteau of your favourite stages that Treasure made. You know, in case blowing up one massive robot that fires clouds of missiles just wasn't enough.
There's not much more I can say about Bangai-O Spirits, aside from the fact that it is really an amazing piece of work. The game's long enough to last me for quite a long time even without dabbling in level creation and user-created content, but with those added perks, I can see Bangai-O finding a home in my DS for years to come. Who would have thought exploding missiles could be this much fun?
Okay, probably everybody, but this game is living proof. Bravo, Treasure. Bravo.
stupid XBL.
yeah, like BCR this needs a revive:
