Ever died in less than 2 seconds? I have, and it felt great.
Even for the most devilishly difficult and challenging video games out there, death in two seconds is pretty brutal. A novice gamer could last longer than that in most levels of Contra, for example.
But no, not in Bangai-O Spirits, one of Treasure's newest installations on the Nintendo DS. Those of you who know Treasure, know that they are best known for their 2D shooters and beat-em-ups, ala Guardian Heroes, Gunstar Heroes, Silhouette Mirage, and others.
Bangai-O Spirits is a fine example of Treasure's work, displaying artfully rendered scaling sprites, huge bosses and enemies, and best of all - more missiles than you can shake your mecha at.
Imagine this: the mission starts, you're barraged with about 300 bounce/homing missiles from about 20 enemies, and you explode and die within seconds. Sounds like fun, right?
Well, actually, IT IS. Addictively so.
Gameplay - Fast, Furious, Frenetic
The gameplay is simple and sublime. You pilot Bangai-O, a small robot with a powerful punch, through over 160 levels of blasting joy. You can play the levels in any order you wish, making for a truly open experience. No plot, no nothin. Just blowing things up. I love it.
"Simple to learn" can also mean "difficult to master," as we all know, and Bangai-O is no exception. The levels contain not only countless enemies, all out to tan your shiny metal hide, but they contain puzzle elements as well, layering on another level of difficulty.
Part of the level mastery involves choosing the right weapons. A mecha pilot is nothing with his or her tools, right? You can "mix" certain weapons, such as "Homing and Bounce." There's also a laser sword and even a bat, which (amusingly) can be used to direct projectiles back at enemies. Finding the golden combination for each level is a challenge in and of itself. A great example is choosing a "Bounce" weapon for levels with small, winding corridors.
Finally, you have EX weapons at your disposal. Imagine opening a ginormous can of robot aft-whoopin' projectiles, up to 100 at a time, each with its own missile-streamer, causing your DS screen to light up like a fireworks show under an open night sky. Yeah, it's that cool.
Infinite Replayability
In addition to addictive, super-challenging gameplay and an open level structure, Bangai-O Spirits also has a level edit mode. In this mode, you can create stages any way you like and have complete freedom to unleash your own creative genius.
The folks at Treasure have also included a level sharing feature that works by sound. I haven't tried it myself (yet) but many level-building fanboys and girls are already holding their DS's up to their PC microphones, downloading levels over the Internet as we speak. It is this level edit feature that makes the game truly unique. I am envisioning dozens of fan sites popping up and sharing levels... sweet!
Conclusion - A Must Have For...
All classic, hard core gamers. Not afraid of a challenge? Sick of having "continues?" Well, then go flog yourself silly with the unrelenting difficulty of Bangai-O Spirits. Like a nagging ex, that level you just can't beat will continue to haunt you in the back of your mind, annoying you, begging you to try it just one more time. Just when you thought your trigger finger was too calloused to keep on, you slip in a victory at one second faster than your fastest record ever.
In short - nothing provides a satisfying sense of accomplishment like a truly inventive, wild, and challenging game like this.
