This game deserves a thread, so I created one. I couldn't find a single mention of this game by either of its titles anywhere in the Strategy subforum, and little of substance outside Strategy, which is a real shame as there's no lack of things to talk about regarding this game.
To start things off, here's the arcade flyer which explains the basic mechanics including, critically, the different moves you can perform with the broom:
(click to enlarge)
Between the description to his 2-ALL video (a very worthwhile watch if you're at all interested in the game) and his post in the high score thread, Perikles has written more on this game than everyone else I've seen combined, so I've taken the liberty of quoting his write-ups below:
Perikles wrote:Mahou Keibitai Gun Hohki (also known as Mystic Riders in the West, originally 魔法警備隊ガンホーキ) is without a doubt one of a kind. While the typical Irem paradigm of memorization as the key to success is still intact as ever, it significantly deviates from the path of its brethren in other regards. Not only is this one of the very few Irem shooters without checkpoints, but it also has some notable characteristics that must be understood to the fullest in order to overcome the second loop:
Most important of all is the little twirl. To trigger this animation you have to move in different directions within a short time span. Not only does this twirl grant you complete invincibility during its entire duration, it also dishes out a considerable amount of damage if you collide into enemies in the process (and it neutralizes projectiles, too!). This is quite apparently not a mistake, but a crucial element of the game. Some of the later stages and bosses cannot be beaten without it, and you should definitely learn to use it accordingly. There is a small delay between two twirls, even when you mash directional inputs continuously you'll be briefly vulnerable, as you can clearly see in stage 12/2-6 where I lose two lives in rapid succession because I do not position myself properly. This twirl cannot be performed when you tossed out the broom beforehand, forcing you to decide between the offensive potential of the broom or the defensive capabilities of the twirl. It can be compared to the force pod in your exemplary R-Type game as far as that is concerned.
You might think of it as a minor detail, yet it is extremely important as well: the blue "force field" on the broom's rear cancels bullets out. You're not completely safe from behind, it undeniably serves as a potent guard, however. It also deals damage upon collision, that's why you open chests when walking along the ground automatically.
The hitbox of your apprentice magician is also fairly small, that's why the safespot against the ice queen (or the parasite that is corrupting her, rather) in the second loop works. Make sure to press up when in the upper right corner, else a laser might hit you occasionally!
You have to input the initials of the second player upon clearing both loops for some reason, the game seems to think you might not be devoted enough to conquer it all by yourself. Speaking of the initials, I was still so nervous after the clear that I messed them up.
I will also add that the broom twirl seems to be activated by moving down, then up, so a quick down-up motion is the quickest way to activate the invulnerability. Up-down won't do the trick. Also, the flyer mentions that you can stand on the ground to shoot all around you, but it doesn't mention that you can also press yourself on ceilings. You won't be able to walk around and shoot behind you but you can fire downwards in a three-way spread, similar to when you stand still on the ground (which gives you a three-way upwards spread). Probably not terribly useful but still cool to know.Perikles wrote:Depending on the number of crystals you pick up during the stage you'll get a corresponding bonus. And these are substantial: you can start the second level with as low as 60,000 points or as high as 110,000+ points, it's a world of difference. It's not always enough to just shoot down every enemy, there are some special preparations to make in the process.
If you really want to get the highest reward possible you must be careful where you finish off bosses. This is especially important with the first one: if he's mostly off-screen when he dies you'll get not much of a reward, if you wait enough for a sufficient amount of time and manipulate him correctly, he'll give a vast guerdon. I didn't really bother to learn it, but I probably should've, even though it worked out fine as is.
There are a lot of secret spots scattered throughout where you get a random amount of crystals when using the charge shot. Sometimes they come in form of a pentagram, or they constitute the word "Wink", or they are goblet-shaped (among a few others). Sometimes it just rains and you get nothing out of it, I have no idea how it works. I'm assuming there are a lot more of these in the game, I only found three in the first stage and two in the fifth.
The slimes in the second stage merge into larger specimen if you let them live long enough, rewarding patient players with more crystals. There are also the mimic enemies which elude me a bit: I think they always (?) drop three crystals, but the size thereof might be random, or dependent on some arcane factors.
At any rate, this game is a masterpiece. Just to think that this is a game where you can constantly render yourself invulnerable and it's neither broken nor easy (Japanese wiki lists a 2-ALL with a lofty amount of 40 (!) points although I do think that's exaggerated), the guys at Irem were truly masters of their craft. I also wonder how the overall experience might change with a different mean of controlling the character. I'm not one to debate about the advantages and disadvantages of different input devices, but I do wonder how hard or easy it would be to pull off the twirls with a stick or a keyboard. It took me a little while to get used to it, but I think my Xbox 360 pad I always use for these arcade games worked perfectly for this task.
While Irem games all have a tendency to maintain a perfect equilibrium of control and chaos, trusting the player's ability to flawlessly ride on the proverbial razor blade, I feel like Gun Hohki excels at this even moreso than some of their other games. The fortress section in the second loop is simply outstanding, if you invest the time to study its inhabitants you can rush through it and wreak havoc with your broom and main shot – but if you hesitate you'll get overwhelmed in no time at all. And if you die you lose a few precious seconds whilst waiting for your protagonist to spawn again, only worsening the situation.
11/2-5 boss is pure bliss. Your window of time for the twirl is minimal when he rams you head-on, I'm immensely glad I could show off a successful manoeuvre. He telegraphs his attacks just enough to where you can consistently dodge him when you know what's coming, but you always have to be on your feet as to which pattern he picks next. Brilliant. I actually unlearnt to do this in the first loop, guy's just too slow there.
My only gripes are the second boss on loop 2 (it's a gigantic pain in the ass to "deactivate" the right stones, this bastard loves to screw you over) and the turtle rush on stage 12/2-6 where you have to mash the twirl no matter what you do. Other than that I'd call it pretty much perfect for what it is. Considering that the scoring system is a lot more interesting than in most other Irem games (as much as I love Irem I'm not going to learn the art of masterful checkpoint milking) I'm startled how little activity this game receives.
Perikles mentioned (and demonstrates in his video) some secrets triggered by charge shots, as well as some subtleties to maximizing gem collection such as the slimes in stage 2. I'd love to hear any tricks and secrets you can uncover! But first: how do you deal with the stage 2 boss? I have a lot of trouble dealing good damage to it and dodging its movements...