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A Game Changer

Every time I play Xevious on one of Namco’s "museum" compilations, I can’t help but reminisce about the time when I first discovered the game in 1992 on the Atari 7800 (a system which also familiarized me with other Namco classics outside of Pac-Man). Back then, our family couldn’t afford the Super NES or Sega Genesis. So, in a move of what I think was out of pity, a friend of ours gave us her 7800 with a huge bag full of games. While rummaging through the cartridges, I came across the little oddity known as Xevious. It was probably the first game I had heard of that started with an “X”, and the name intrigued me. I quickly fell in love with the unique enemy designs and mysterious land structures peppered throughout the game.

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Danmaku Rush!

At a point, Bullet Hell games felt like they were generally exclusive to Japan and rarely made an appearance in western markets. These days, both consoles and the PC are flush with them, which I can appreciate. I’m by no means great at them, but I find them engaging and they hit that same nerve that other intensely challenging games in other genres do that makes me want to get better at them. Azure Reflections is of the Touhou variety (though an unofficial entry in the Project) and puts its own unique spin on the genre. Though incredibly challenging, it offers players a helping hand with its accessory system, as well as a variety of difficulty settings to make it more accessible to a wider audience.

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The PS4 has its Geometry Wars.

Any game where you fly a spaceship and blast aliens has my interest. Factor in the added tension of rescuing humans, though, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to hate it. I’ve tried to play Defender and its ilk for decades, but could never “get it.” From the mind boggling button layout of the original Defender arcade machine to every reimagining and sequel that followed, the execution just didn’t hit me right until Resogun tweaked it all just enough to enable the concept to achieve its full potential.

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One of the best XBLA titles this year will soon go portable.

Sine Mora was one of the unexpected surprises earlier this year when it was released on the Xbox Live Arcade. It was a shoot-em-up with great presentation and a distinctive feel. Developer Grasshopper Manufacture and Publisher Digital Reality have decided to share the love and will bring the highly rated title to the PlayStation Vita via the PlayStation Network.

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Grasshopper and Digital Reality deliver a one-of-a-kind shoot-'em-up.

Sine Mora is a fascinating specimen, which should be no surprise to anyone familiar with Grasshopper Manufacture's other work. Once again, the team behind No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned has delivered an experience that shakes up the established norms of a genre and provides a crazy, convoluted story that will have most players scratching their heads. This horizontal scrolling, bullet hell shoot-'em-up introduces a unique upgrade, special move, and timing system that drives the boss-intensive quest. While Sine Mora suffers from a few minor issues, its ingenuity and originality make it one of the best titles in the genre.

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