The_Fix wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 1:46 pm
BareKnuckleRoo wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 1:30 pm
Bangai-O has had several sequels
Really? Please tell, I must play these.
Both Bangai-O sequels are good, though they go off in their own direction relative to the original.
Bangai-O: Spirits added a bunch of new shot types alongside a domino-effect shoulder ram, and went back to the charge counter mechanic from 64. It has a truly massive selection of stages, though is comparatively light on the wacky off-the-wall antics of original. There's a sandboxy
Bangai-O Maker vibe to it, with a big toolbox of custom level parts to stick together. Unfortunately not every stage is a winner, many of them being puzzle-y affairs where you solve a logic problem with missiles, but there's plenty of good stuff nonetheless.
Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury builds on Spirits, but tones down the sandbox factor, with a campaign that cuts a solid balance with the OG structure. The charge counter has been extended so you can pump multiple bars into it for a projectile + score multiplier, and being in HD means the game can zoom in and out for effect, which opens up some truly insane encounters.
The XBLA demo does a good job of showing this off - starts with a couple of simple puzzle / assault stages to ease you in, then ends by dropping you into a surprise endgame Massive Spacefleet battle:
EVERY STAR IN THE SKY IS OUR ENEMY
Feels a bit like
Ichiro Itano's Katamari at times - roll your exploding looney tunes brawlball around crushing swaths of baddies, and hope you can keep the meter running with risky plays long enough to kill everything.
Overall I think Bangai-O on Dreamcast is still the best by virtue of being the most focused and refined of the series, followed by HD, then 64, then Spirits, but they're all worth playing.