The next title in the G.G series opts to return to the bullet hell genre with generally positive results. Due to the fact it makes little to no effort at creating its own identity, G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER is rather forgettable. That being said the controls are solid, the visuals and sound are suitably old-school, and the gameplay is fast paced. While this probably won't change your mind if you don't like bullet hell shooters, fans of the genre will find plenty to like here.
The premise puts players behind the controls of an intergalactic gunship and sees you blasting through legions of alien spaceships. The spritework and animation of everything on screen is extremely fluid and detailed, with a satisfying variety of enemy types. Colours really pop off the screen and contrast nicely with the darker backgrounds that scroll by rapidly. A surprising amount of attention was put into the soundtrack, as well, with a range of multiple chiptune tracks to back each stage. While none of these particularly stand out as memorable, it's nonetheless nice to see the developers put care into making a diverse soundtrack for this entry in a series that has a habit of borrowing from past releases.
Gameplay is typical of the bullet hell arcade shooter genre, borrowing heavily from titles such as Galaga or Xevious. Groups of small, easily defeated enemies enter the screen from any side and a mini boss occasionally shows up to give you a bit more trouble. Every defeated enemy contributes to an energy bar that allows the player to launch a really big cannon or temporarily deploy a shield. Controls are extremely tight and responsive and the shooting mechanics come together very well, though there is a problem with hitboxes.
Simply put, it seems as though the player's hitbox is smaller than the ship itself, meaning that many bullets will pass over the sprite harmlessly. This isn't so much a problem at first, but in later levels when you're really sweating bullets, it can be difficult to navigate the chaos with confidence when you're not entirely sure exactly where your ship is vulnerable. It also would've been nice if a bit more thought would've been put into boss fights, as each end of level fight consists of the player running a gauntlet of multiple mini boss fights. Nonetheless, the combat remains dynamic and fast paced, and can be devilishly compelling once it hooks you.
Conclusion
Overall, G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER is a solid, if somewhat derivative, bullet hell shooter. It may not be a very original game and it's not without its flaws, but the chaotic gameplay and impactful visuals create a rather entertaining product. We'd recommend you pick this one up; while there's not anything here you haven't seen before, you'll still probably come away glad that you took the plunge.
Comments 11
Thank-you again for being the only place willing to seriously review all these G G Series games. Some are lots of fun and you've prevented me from buying the crap ones!!!
This is a fair review, but this game definitely isn't a "bullet hell" shooter.
@TG1 I'd consider it as such, but I can also see why some wouldn't see it as one. I think it's kind of a tough genre to clearly define.
Thanks for test driving these G.G games.. if it's got the same poor player's hitbox as WONDERLAND ... It's just "hell"
@SH007ME It's about the same, actually. I didn't think it was game breaking in either game, but it's nonetheless a negative.
@MitchVogel "Gameplay is typical of the bullet hell arcade shooter genre, borrowing heavily from titles such as Galaga or Xevious."
Those are NOT bullet hell shooters. Bullet hell shooters or danmakus are a very special subset of shoot 'em ups. Please get your facts straight. I remember this site already having called just about any shmup a bullet hell shooter on numerous occasions and it's sad. How about calling Project Cars a kart racer? Or Yoshi's Wooly World a 3D platformer?
Now I have no idea how this game actually plays, so for all I know it might be a bullet hell shooter. I can't argue with that. But calling Galaga and Xevious danmakus? Sorry, that's just plain wrong. Danmakus hadn't existed until the mid 90s when games like Batsugun or Donpachi made first babysteps into danmaku territory. By your definition every single shmup would be a danmaku and I could hardly imagine a shmup with less bullets than Galaga.
On another note: When reviewing a shmup, referencing Galaga and Xevious is a bad move anyways. Those two are already vastly different from another and naming just those two granddaddies makes it seem like you simply have no clue of the whole genre, merely bringing up two games you might have played years back.
@KeeperBvK We can needlessly split hairs over obscure sub-genre tags all day, but the point of this review is to get the gist of the game across to potential buyers that are looking for an opinion from somebody that has hands on experience with the game. All the same, I appreciate your comment! It's always interesting to see what devoted fans of the genre have to say.
@mitchvogel Just to try and help you: A bullet he is where enemies lay down a carper of bullets, for you to find a rhytm and dodging them (dodonpachi/cave, gigawing (one the pioneers ) etc), while shoot'em ups like raiden 3 are more traditionalist, where an enemy aims at you, and you fight him, see http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/dodon3/ddp3.htm for a good explanation.. they really are fundamentally different games, even though the fact that they might look a bit similar at first glance (space ship going up on screen),..
@KeeperBvK Agreed. When I read that Galaga was mentioned as a shooter hell, I thought to myself "What Galaga is he talking about?"
Still, great review, but no mention on how long this game is, or if it can be replayed with higher difficulty or whether it has powerups and such. Any additional thoughts, Mitchel?
@maceng The game has 5 stages. A higher difficulty will unlock based on your performance for each stage. There are a couple powerups, though one of them is solely for earning more points.
@mitchvogel I have to probably buy all these G.G series games; is this the last one? I have not done my research.
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