Bangai-O

Calling something ‘hardcore' doesn't prevent it from sucking

HIGH Having a robot for a main character is always a perk.

LOW Everything else.

WTF The utter lack of a difficulty curve: it's all just this side of infuriating.

Game Description: In this DS remake of the classic Bangai-O, you take the roles of Riki and Mami and strap into the powerful Bangai-O suit to undertake the task of catching criminals red-handed. Bangai-O Spirits provides gamers with shooter gameplay and punishing supermoves, along with strategic and tactical elements. The game also offers co-op, competitive multiplayerfor 1-4 players via local wireless, and a powerful level editor tool which allows players to edit in-game levels or create new ones from scratch.

Gagh! I close and my eyes and still see little bink bursts of bullets flying in geometrical patterns...

After playing a game like Bangai-O, it really puts a spotlight on the fact that there are some very different types of gamers out there. Extremely rare is the disc that can please all (or even most) gamers, and Bangai-O is a perfect example of the type of title which clearly tells you which type of player you are since it strikes me as a "love it or hate it" type of affair.

Originally released two years ago in Japan for the Nintendo 64 under the title, Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh, the U.S. Dreamcast release of Bangai-O continues a long and excellent Treasure tradition of fast and furious arcade thrills that began with the Sega Genesis game Gunstar Heroes and culminated with Treasures magnum opus, the Sega Saturn import Radiant Silvergun. Bangai-O reunites Treasure with Silvergun collaborator ESP, and not surprisingly, it marks a triumphant return to hardcore shooting madness.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence, Mild Language

Game Description: An interstellar crime syndicate is financing their nefarious schemes by smuggling space fruits throughout the galaxy. You take the role of Riki and Mami, two members of an elite force sent to stop the illegal activities. Your task is to get into the powerful Bangai-O suit, infiltrate the syndicate's bases, and confiscate the fruit. Naturally, the gangsters will not sit by and let you do this; you will have to take out swarms of enemies along the way. Luckily, the suit has two different firing modes that you can choose from: homing missiles and reflecting laser shots. When the going gets tough, you can also use the super bomb, which destroys every foe on the screen. You are also free to move around the environment, and you can fire in any direction. All of the action takes place in more than 40 levels that will put your fruit-busting skills to the test. Only you can protect the galaxy from the perils of bad fruit in Bangai-O.