HEARTFUL (AND DOUBTFULLY ENHANCED) TRIGGERHEART
She's back once again.
"Doubtfully Enhanced" sounds about right, I'm going to criticize the Switch re-release of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced.
Knowing how much I am a fan of Triggerheart Exelica you'll probably be asking me: ¿Why are you criticizing a game you love at the point of creating the Wikiheart Exelica project? Are you crazy? Sadly, no. Triggerheart Exelica is a great game, as it features an interesting, addicting gameplay mechanic with the Anchor Unit (originally intended for Shienryu Explosion), characters that we love since 2006 and the hi-score enthusiast favorite Faintear in the Enhanced version of 2009, but the decisions made on this re-release are the reasons why I put the Switch version of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced in the line of fire. A good reviewer is compelled to evaluate what's wrong with a game, so everyone else can apply what they've learned.
This review will be about the Switch re-release of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced. For "In-depth" analysis of gameplay, graphics and sound please read the following reviews.
- TRIGGERHEART EXELICA (XBOX Live Arcade)
- TRIGGERHEART EXELICA ENHANCED: 10th ANNIVERSARY REVIEW (PlayStation 2)
- TRIGGERHEART EXELICA: A RETROSPECTIVE (Arcade / Dreamcast)
- TRIGGERHEART EXELICA - SWITCH RE-RELEASE
SEE ALSO
Triggerheart Exelica (XBLA) review by incognit000
Triggerheart Exelica (XBLA) review by SeraphXion
Enhanced, yet still familiar since 2006.
Just when I've thought I wouldn't be talking about Triggerheart Exelica and everything was said and done on the 2023 Switch re-release review, Cosmo Machia drops this surprise, which is well appreciated for those who owns Nintendo's hybrid console, but still no promised XBOX release yet (COSMO MACHIA = LIARS). Does "XBOX-elica" was perpetually destined to permanent delisting quoting it the bottom line of Delisted Games: "Welcome to gaming's graveyard" just like that for never to return? The Anchor Unit "dies in darkness" there. If you thought "Piracy kills your heroes" ¿Guess what? DELISTING LEGIT GAMES KILLS YOUR HEROES TOO, and unfortunately no one cares about that (I guess "Stop Killing Games" didn't help too much).
Back with the review, you're reading the title right, Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced. You'll probably say "You've reviewed Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced already, why are you reviewing it again?" Because this re-release differs from the original PlayStation 2 version.
Remember what I said about the PlayStation 2 on my review of Raiden III x Mikado Maniax? Specifically about how Sony's console was the champion at arcade porting, I've mentioned that the lineup ended precisely on Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced. For a game that got previously released on a more powerful console like the XBOX360, doing a stepback to the PS2 sound like a dumb move, but believe it or not, the PS2 was capable of porting Triggerheart Exelica using the XBLA version as the base and despite the downsize of graphics and slowdown, it managed to add more content to the game by including an animated intro sequence, the "Event CG" cutscenes, a much deeper emphasis of the story for a greater knowledge of the Triggerheart lore, an image gallery to watch the cutscene illustrations, and the most important feature of all: The original Triggerheart Faintear, who was a mystery since 2007 became a playable character.
Decade and a half later, Nintendo carries both Sony and the Exelica Enhanced torches by bringing this new version of the game on the Switch individually and as Triggerheart Exelica Complete bundling it with the 2023 re-release.
The most notorious change is the improvement on the game's speed, by addressing the slowdown and removing it entirely. If you're familiarized with all the games, you'll surely know how slow-paced was Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced on the PS2. Well, the Switch re-release fixes that. In terms of graphics, the game had another major improvement. While the PlayStation 2 had to drop the resolution and quality due to console limitations, the Nintendo Switch version lifts the graphic quality matching the original XBOX Live Arcade engine. If you're gonna play this new version just remember what I said in my 10th Anniversary review of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced about re-learning to play the XBLA port.
Like in the PlayStation 2 version and the 2023 Switch re-release, the Arcade Mode is once again based on the XBLA version rather than the Sega NAOMI/Sega Dreamcast, so it carries the victory conditions of "unlock the battles with Faintear Imitate on stages 1 and 3 and survive without using continues" rules. Story Mode is based on the PS2 port forcing all the boss forms (and Imitate battles) whether the player has the Bonus points required or not, only requiring to complete the game without continuing once, although the player has to use at least 1 credit in order to unlock everything in the game.Sturmvogel Prime wrote:Better re-learn the game starting on Easy, 'cos if you play the XBLA like the PS2 port you'll get killed. I've learned that the hard way.
Looks like the TH44 works different than you remember.
One of the differences between the PlayStation 2 and the Switch version is Faintear. The reason is the changes done to her weapon, the Laser Form Shot. While in the PlayStation 2 version it was a devastating beam that delievered great damages and even played a "Hi-Score Enthusiast" role by dropping more Bonus Items, the Switch version nerfed it as a continuous laser stream with decreased strength and removed the score dropping feature. Some players might consider the original Laser Form as "Cheat-like", but actually it enhanced the fun factor of Triggerheart Exelica by adding an element of hi-scoring. ¿Remember the Aryustailm ship from Blazing Star?, That ship has a short ranged "Sword" which wasn't effective for long range combat, but it was damn fun when it racked massive hit combos with its long burn charge. For professional players, it was THE best way to rack up a high score. Faintear was pretty much the same as Jean Bismarck's ship, and this rebalancing only killed the fun. If you've mastered Faintear's capabilities, you'll have to re-learn ONCE AGAIN if you're considering to give the Switch version a shot. It is a desecration to the main reason of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced's existence. Another major blow to the Switch version is the Gallery, which was removed on the Switch release. According to Cosmo Machia, it was "Difficult to implement" on the Switch and they decided to include the Event CG artwork in the Enhanced Visual Fan Book. ¿Are they fucking kidding me? That sounds more like a pathetic, commercial excuse to sell the fan book rather than doing a great port of the PS2 release. One missing chance after another. ¿Still thinking on retiring the PlayStation 2, yet? Obviously not.
A new album from Panini? Topps? Editorial Navarrete?
No. It's Cosmo Machia's Enhanced Visual Fan Book
Judging from the preview images, the "Gallery" section of the Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced: Enhanced Visual Fan Book is very inferior compared with the previous Triggerheart Exelica: Capture & Guide Book "Archive Anchor" book. I mean, on Archive Anchor, each artwork had its respective page, while on the Event CG's case of Exelica Enhanced's book is more of small illustrations slapped together in a single page, degrading it to the same pathetic commercial level of Panini's stamp albums (think FIFA Qatar 2022 or Pokémon). This decision is a complete disregard to Kazuhiko Kakoi's work, since it treats his work as if it was a bunch of random screenshots from a show rather than the official art that is supposed to be. Even Alice Gear Aegis: Official Design Works was much better and respectful with the artwork than this.
(Click on the image to see the bad resizing)
Speaking of artworks, the game artwork and Event CG were resized in a dubious quality. As if someone enlarged them in Photoshop and added the blur filter in a very amateur way or if it was AI-made... Cheap AI made.
At least the cutscenes have a colorful wallpaper on the sides.
Nerfed weapons, bad treatment to the artwork and horrible resizing quality. But there's a final key concern from 2008 that revived on 2023. That's right, and it has to do with what you might be about to ask: "Is Crueltear's normal ending uncensored like in the PS2 version?" That's the key concern of any fan of the TH32. We know the PS2 decensored that controversial censorship from the 2008 XBLA version of Triggerheart Exelica which unfortunately returned on the 2023 re-release. Seems like Cosmo Machia learned from this screw up and the normal ending was decensored just like in the PlayStation 2 version, but it kept the wallpaper on the sides unlike the PS2 port. Fixed one thing but messed another.
Despite these flaws, there's another additions exclusive to the Switch version: First off, you have the option of having two artworks on the screen filling wallpaper, the Story Mode still images cross-fade faster than the PS2 version, and they added the "Story" from the XBLA port, just updated to include Faintear and C'r_na, there's also an option to play the "Enhanced" audio or an optional one like the XBLA release. Unfortunately, recent YouTube videos doesn't show what's the optional audio.
After realizing the gameplay from most part of the game is the same as its predecessors and after criticizing the mentioned negatives, there's not too much to say about this port, but still there's aspects to criticize based on previous shmup experiences. If they removed some of the original key aspects, ¿Why they decided to keep the "Enhanced" name? ¿It wouldn't be better if they added Faintear as an update of the 2023 re-release instead and give us the anime intro as a bonus feature (think Ginga Force's gallery for example)? Rebalancing Faintear and removing the gallery just stabbed the key aspects of the reasons that made Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced exactly that: Enhanced. A complete revision of the original game.
¿Why not adding extra contents and add the gallery to improve the game much further? ¿How about adding unlockable alternate soundtracks? Remember Raiden DX on the PlayStation? Raiden DX featured an unlockable alternate soundtrack and the soundtrack of Viper Phase 1. This version of Exelica Enhanced could do the same with other Warashi works like Shienryu, Shienryu Explosion and Sengeki Striker. A DLC Mode with crossover characters would work too. I mean, in Dariusburst CS: Chronicle Saviours you were able to play with Harrier from Space Harrier, Windia from Deathsmiles, Varth's Saber and the Black Fly from Metal Black up with adapted gameplay mechanics and respective soundtracks. Exelica Enhanced could do the same adding for example Eri, Asuka and Serina from Alice Gear Aegis since those were GRA/Kazuhiko Kakoi's characters, including Aoba Anoa from Otomedius, Odette from Shikigami no Shiro, etc. But that would mean getting licenses and I'm sure that would cause the retire of the game in the future (as if the licensing of Ayane's song "Gravity Error" from 5Pb wasn't a countdown to delisting anyway).
TRIVIAHEART EXELICA ENHANCED
I must be "DOMPLETE"...*Explodes*
- Faintear's Laser Form shot acts very similar to the R-Gray 02's laser weapon from RayStorm, while the original weapon was similar to the Laser Cannon from Strike Gunner S.T.G.
- First re-release of this version of Triggerheart Exelica and second main port of the game on a Nintendo console.
- An odd curiosity of Triggeheart Exelica Complete: The reversed "C" in "COMPLETE" makes the full logo says "TRIGGERHEART EXELICA DOMPLETE" (¿Remember the "DUNC" meme/joke in Dune?).
The part of H.A.W.X. 2 this game ended up playing.
It didn't end well.
Just when I was expecting to close the Triggerheart chapter of my life as a shmup fan and reviewer in a great way, it had to end like this. While it was good to see Triggerheart Exelica back once again, and especially the Enhanced version, it is very disappointing that the main part of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced's gameplay and features were nerfed and removed in the process since it had the full potential to make the "Enhanced" live up to its name even further than it did back in 2009. Not to mention the "Panini Treatment" to the Fan Book is just insulting to the fans who were waiting for great illustrations in great quality. Thus, the only "pure and genuine" way to play Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced would be obviously the PlayStation 2 as long as the console and the disc doesn't give up their ghosts.
Unless you are a "Since 2006" Triggerheart fan and you prefer to play more often with Exelica and Crueltear, then pick it. But honestly, I think sticking to the PS2 version is the best option.
This had the potential of reaching the perfect 10/10 in the R-Scale, but with all the negatives that plagued this game, it gets a 6/10.
If this review was "Too Long Didn't Read" for you, I'll sum it up like this: STAY WITH THE PLAYSTATION 2 VERSION.
Removing things and unnecessary nerfing.
Well done, Cosmo Machia. You've earned this.
Uttering out a "By God..." and even how AWACS Galaxy says it is absolutely right about this re-release of Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced. So much potential wasted due to Cosmo Machia's mostly injustified decisions. A "Calamity" of bad choices indeed.
Seems like the last, last, LAST hope for Triggerheart Exelica is that Hamster at least release the original 2006 game as part of Arcade Archives/Arcade Archives 2, but that would take a lot of time since that would require not just to run out of Namco and Taito titles, but also advance in hardware emulation (from Namco System II and Namco System 22 to Sega Naomi there's a lot of time).
LESSON TO LEARN: Being a fan of Triggerheart Exelica isn't as easy as it sounds like, and this re-release is the example.
OPUS 2 Edalune Grant
< < So Faintear died for nothing. > >