But this game is very cool from what I've found so far! Since you should also play it, I'll post what I know, and maybe someone can translate the extremely Japanese guide that comes with the game.
You can get the trial here: http://sanagimaru.nobody.jp/c72.html
And the latest patch for the full version here (1008c): http://sanagimaru.nobody.jp/index2.html
Replays:
Hellsinker uploader - you will find replays here from time to time: http://www3.uploader.jp/home/hellsinker/
Hellsinker replays (and other games) - credit to sikraiken for finding this one: http://www014.upp.so-net.ne.jp/wim/replay.htm
Controller config:
First things first! Gotta set up your controller. On the right in bold is a list of all the buttons - they are, in order:
1. Main shot
2. Sub weapon
3. Bomb
4. Pause
5. Hold down the button during play to return to the menu screen.
6. I have no idea
7. There's one that actually isn't listed on the right, looks like a mess of Kanji (I currently have it assigned to button 8 ). This is the slow movement button.
Main config:
Starting at the top left:
1. Check to disable sound effects
2. Check to enable wireframe mode for the background
3. Check to enable 16-bit color (as opposed to 32-bit)
4. Check to enable BGM in-game
5. Check to run in a window
6. Check to enable smoothing filter on the player sprite
7. Check to skip the intro splash screens
8. Check to remove help tips from everywhere except the set up screen
Wait type:
1. Via V SYNC
2. Via timer (use this if you are running the game in something other than 60Hz).
The dropdown menu is varying levels of effects, the thing after that is obviously for the deadzone on your controller.
On the right there are just a bunch of graphics settings for filtering. Just do whatever, if you've got a nice machine crank 'em all up. If there's trouble, lower some. Obviously you'll want to select nVIDIA/ATI on the right depending on what chipset your video card is.
Main menu:
0a. Pressing left or right on the main menu will change your character, which you will see via the yellow text at the bottom of the screen. There are 4 total in the full version.
0b. Pressing the pause button on Dead Liar or Kagura will change their equipment type. Dead Liar has 2, while Kagura has 4 (thanks Macaw!).
0c. Pressing sub-weapon instead of main shot will let you access saved replays for the currently selected character.
1. Full Sequence Order starts the game.
2. Tuning Dipsw is options. Everything is mostly self-explanatory with some thinking. The top option lets you change things that you would normally select right after you start the game, like different control methods.
3. Archivement of Execution is rankings.
4. Away is quit.
Pre-game menu:
After going into Full Sequence Order, there's a few options for your ship.
1. There are 4 speed control types. Automatic will automatically low when you hold the main shot button. Momentary will allow you to slow down via holding the slow button. Alternative will toggle between normal and slow using the slow button. Triphase uses the slow button to scroll through fast (default), medium, and slow speeds.
2. Way of life is the maximum lives you can have at a time. You can choose from 5, 6 (default), or 7.
3. Bootleg ghost is another difficulty option that mostly affect how the Sol gauge is used.
Aspirant (default) - You can bomb when Sol reaches 3 stocks, and take a free hit without dying (except for your first death) when it reaches 5. Bombing or taking a hit will empty the gauge, no matter how much you had. After taking 3 hits, the hit-taking ability will be suspended until the next stage.
Solidstate (easier) - You can bomb or take a hit when the gauge reaches 3 stocks, including your first death. Like Aspirant, the hit-taking ability will be suspended until the next stage after 3 hits.
Adept (harder) - The Sol gauge is used for bombing only. Also, all the aura bullet slowing/eating abilities for all characters are disabled.
In-game GUI:
1. At the top left are your lives, obviously. You can collect heart icons to get extends, which the 'necessary' number tells you how many more you have to collect for an extend.
2. Sol is your bomb/shield stock meter. It goes up gradually as you play, and maxes out at 5 (well 6 stocks really, since you can fill the meter to full at 5). This is used for bombing and taking hits, which is explained above in the Bootleg Ghost section. Picking up the small dark blue power ups with the yellow 'S's will fill the gauge.
3. Luna is basically a 'heat' gauge for your main shot. Generally it serves as a main shot power gauge for everyone, but there are some specific uses. For example with Dead Liar, if you're at medium or hi level, you can very rapidly tap the shot button to get a piercing shot, which does more damage and goes through (PIERCES) enemies. If you're at low, you have to back off to let it recharge before you can use it. Collecting the blue octagonal gems will fill your Luna gauge.
4. Subweapon is your sub-weapon meter of course. It simply lets you know when you can use it and what level is available (most sub-weapons have a couple levels that do different things).
5. Stella is still very much a mystery in some way to me, but it seems to work in a similar way to rank. The higher your stella, the faster your spirit gauge increases, so survival is a big part of scoring. Stella goes up by collecting the power ups that are produced by grazing -> nullifying bullets with the aura (thanks bathroomrage!), not dying, picking up the little green star power ups, and damaging things.
It decreases by picking up the little purple power ups, dying, using bombs (?), and hanging around the bottom of the screen. Some decreases aren't as apparent or easily measured; I think stella is affected by the amount of time between deaths or bombs and it can increase and decrease at various speeds based on these things.
6. Spirit is the main scoring measurement. You gain spirit by damaging things, collecting the small gold hexagonal pieces that are generated by boss bullets (and other enemies) when you destroy them, and simply surviving.
7. Kill is obvious; how many shits you killed!
8. The big blue gem with the 255 near it will count down as you collect the lil blue Jolly Ranchers that come from destroyed enemies or their bullets. When the counter reaches 0, the 'necessary' number over your lives decreases by 1, and the number over the blue gem on the right increases by 1.
9. Tokens are the big blue Viagras you get when you kill some stuff. They are recorded in scores along with Spirit and Kill, and I assume they are related to reaching the Shrine of Farewell, because the included game manual calls them "Farewell Tokens".
10. Timer is how long you've been playing the current stage.
Ship/character types:
As stated above, you select your ship/character by pressing left/right at the main screen, and press pause for the sub-types for Dead Liar (2) and Kagura (4).
MISTELTOE : TOGARI-MARU
FOLLOWING TYPE [RELATIVE POSITION]
D E A D L I A R
Main shot: Tap for normal shot, tap rapidly for Piercing Shot at MI/HI Luna, hold for sword attack (chargeable).
Sub-weapon: Hold direction + tap once to fire an option in any (of the 8) direction(s). This will lock onto a fixed position on the screen, and is temporary. Before it comes back itself you can hold the sub-weapon button to bring it closer to your ship. Hold the button + move the reticle to release it in a fixed position relative to yourself. This firing mode is permanent until you press the button again or die.
Aura: Available when doing nothing, using any sub-weapon, or charging the sword attack.
SOLITUDE TYPE [FIXED POSITION] (accessed by pressing pause)
Same as relative position, but when you use the hold sub-weapon, it will stay in one place, relative to the screen.
MISTELTOE : SARAGA-MARU
[OMNIDIRECTIONAL SYNTHETIC FIREARM]
F O S S I L M A I D E N
Main shot: Hold for normal shot, which will widen after holding it for a couple seconds. If Luna is completely full, tapping shot will release fast seeking lasers.
Sub-weapon: Hold to produce an expanding circle, in which a slave ship will target anything inside.
Holding main shot+sub-weapon simultaneously will use the energy sword. The base of the sword has an aura in addition to the player's.
This button combination also gives you access to shot adjustment by holding a direction before you press the shot button. This will also make all of your shots fire in the specified direction until you change it.
Aura: Available while using the sub-weapon or energy sword.
STAND BY ONESELF
[NO ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENTS]
M I N O G A M E
Main shot: Tap to fire normal shot. Hold (and release) to charge an aura burst.
Sub-weapon: Press once to release seeker shots. This has 2 levels, represented by your sub-weapon gauge. At level 1, they will be low power purple bullets. At level 2 (max) they will be black with red borders, and seemingly continuously chain off enemies in their path until they leave the screen.
Holding shot and pressing sub-weapon will release a stationary-type shot in front of the player. At sub-weapon level 1, it will be 3 'mines'. At level 2 is it a large circle.
Aura: Available while doing nothing, when charging the aura burst, when using either sub-weapon, or using the main shot+sub-weapon attack.
EQUIPMENT : KOB-07S GROOM EATER
MOON CRADLE [MULTI TRAJECTORY SHELL]
K A G U R A
Main shot: Tapping/holding will fire a normal straight shot + short range mines from your ship. As you hold the button, you will see 4, then 8 targeting reticles appear. When the shot button is released, 4/8 short range spear shots will be released.
Sub-weapon: Hold to move around a yellow targeting reticle, which will change to red when locked onto an enemy. Release the button to fire a seeking laser shot, which creates an explosion that will stop bullets (as well as damage enemies).
Pressing sub-weapon while holding shot will fire a straight beam, which can be used in conjunction with the normal shot.
Aura: Available while doing nothing, or using any of the sub-weapon attacks.
EQUIPMENT : KOB-06S PAIN KILLER
ELLIPTIC CHARIOT [EXTERNAL GUNNER]
Main shot: Tapping will shoot normally. Holding the button will release the 4/8 spears like the above type, but your normal shot will be replaced by a short-range beam attack.
Sub-weapon: When the button is pressed, the armor will shoot forward and stop about 1/2 screen distance from yourself, similar to Dragon Blaze's dragon shot. If you continue to hold the button, the armor will keep moving forward slowly until you release it.
While the armor is released, tapping the shot button will make yourself and the armor fire your standard shot separately. If you hold the shot button, the armor shoots by itself in 3 directions, and will get more powerful after holding the button for about a second.
Press the sub-weapon button again to call the armor back.
Aura: Available when doing nothing, or using the 3-directional armor shot (hold main shot with armor released).
EQUIPMENT : KOB-0CS PROMISED DAWN
INFERNAL SABBATH [VARIABLE GUN]
Main shot: Tapping will shoot a standard shot. Holding will create orbs on each side, which get bigger after you hold the button for about two seconds.
Sub-weapon: Hold the button while moving up/down to expand/tighten your main shot's spread.
Aura: Available while doing nothing or using the held main shot.
EQUIPMENT : KOB-0FS NO CHASER
XANTHEZ [ANTI BACILLUS SABER]
Main shot: Tapping fires a straight homing shot. You can tap very rapidly for a more powerful stream. As you fire, your luna will drain and the shot becomes weaker. If your luna completely runs out, you will be limited to only 2 streams until the luna gauge completely refills (as denoted by the green "shot refilling" text). Holding/releasing will charge a dual energy sword attack that has 2 levels.
Sub-weapon: Tapping will use a dual sword swipe, similar to Radiant Silvergun's. Tapping sub-weapon while holding the main shot will attack with a larger, single sword swipe. Both of these have 2 levels as denoted by the sub-weapon gauge.
Aura: Available when doing nothing, using the held main shot, or while using any of the sub-weapon and main shot+sub-weapon attacks.
Addition information
- Ships ships linked to a Master-labeled ship via red lines will be destroyed ("Unchained") when the Master is killed, and will give you addition spirits noted by the blue number that appears above your spirit count when you kill the master (thanks Macaw!. Be careful as most of the Unchained enemies will produce suicide bullets when you kill the Master.
- If you get close to an enemy, it will be labeled with "Seal". This tell you that you are close enough to the ship for it to stop shooting (thanks bathroomrage!). Some enemies cannot be Seal-ed.
