Bangai-O Spirits

[SAMAS]

This game came out for the DS a couple of days ago.

Anyone else getting their asses kicked by it?

[Mobius]

Yep
and loving evry bit of it...

[Ford Prefect]

Clue us in gents. What is this?

[Vendetta]

Bangai-O, but for the DS.

How does it compare with the original?

(What I'd really like is the original on XBLA, that would be ace, it's one of the few Dreamcast games I haven't managed to replace since my DC went tits up)

[SAMAS]

Clue us in gents. What is this?

Bangai-O is basically a game where you fly around in a giant robot and blow the hell out of anything that moves, shoots, or does both or neither. The game's signature is the ability to launch a massive swarm of missiles out in all directions when you're in a tight spot.

Bangai-O Spirits expands the weapons. You get break (Penetrates enemy fire) and Napalm (Wide area explosion) as well as the original's Homing and Bouncing. Instead of switching forms, you can now choose to combine the two, giving you Homing shots that penetrate through enemy fire, or Bouncing Napalm. The game also adds close-range weapons, a Sword that swings fast and absorbs enemy fire, and a bat that is slower, but knocks both enemy shots and smaller enemies flying. There are also three new special attacks: one that fires missiles more or less straight at an enemy, a Time Stop, and a move that instantly hits and knocks back anything knockable on the screen.

The trade-off is that the special attack is now charged instead of the power being determined by the amount and proximity of enemy fire. However, if you leave yourself a sitting duck, your shots will be much bigger when you let it loose. You can also direct the attack in a single arc, so as not to waste any shots.

Also, you can now do a dash attack that keeps you from getting knocked back, and can knock small enemies and blocks flying just like the bat. This is great for those big spaces filled with those little balls/crystals that you have to shoot past.

Of course, all this is needed, because this game is Nintendo Hard. I first died during the tutorial. Basic enemies are a little more robust, and both enemy robots and turrets use your own weapons against you. Even the Cores now reflect any shots fired at them. You have to get right up on them for your attacks to work. I've killed myself quite a few times just from launching a special attack and not being mindful of the Core's presence.

The story, past the tutorial, is completely nonexistent. You actually get the credits after finishing the tutorial level. Then the game opens up into nearly two hundred various stages that you can take in any order. Perhaps knowing how hard it is, the game actually tells you how to do the invincibility and Infinite specials cheats upfront.

[Ford Prefect]

Ahahahaha, what the fuck? That's ridiculous.

But also genius. I presume that ti's of the 'screen filling enemy fire' find? I haven't played one of those in ages. Is the touch screen used in any way?

[eyexist]

Ahahahaha, what the fuck? That's ridiculous.

Enjoy. But the video really doesn't do the game justice; he's making the game look really, really easy than it actually is.

[SAMAS]

Ahahahaha, what the fuck? That's ridiculous.

But also genius. I presume that ti's of the 'screen filling enemy fire' find? I haven't played one of those in ages. Is the touch screen used in any way?

Actually, it's both enemy fire and your fire filling the screen. The game even admits that it can actually exceed the DS's capabilities, and fire too many missiles for the system to keep track of. You know you've gotten a good EX attack off when the game freezes for a good three seconds.

The touch screen is used only for menus and the stage creator/editor.

[Vendetta]

Actually, it's both enemy fire and your fire filling the screen. The game even admits that it can actually exceed the DS's capabilities, and fire too many missiles for the system to keep track of. You know you've gotten a good EX attack off when the game freezes for a good three seconds.

The touch screen is used only for menus and the stage creator/editor.

The dreamcast slowed to a crawl when you fired a full (400 missile) super.

[SAMAS]

Yeah, but the missiles you fired in the Dreamcast version were never twice the size of your mech.