drj

Solid review, Tom, thanks for the lean rundown. Managed to avoid Alfa System STGs until now, but I'll probably pick this one up.

People are always a little squeamish about STG pricing. I get it, especially with a $20 Steam version readily available, the slate of brilliant $20 Cave titles on Switch, $20 RSG, and more than a lifetime's supply of $8 ACA titles. But, to my mind, $35 is really not difficult to swallow for as much replay value there is here. There's a reason STG prices go crazy in the secondhand market - there's a timelessness in design that helps them age particularly well. Handheld version of a cult-classic for a few bones isn't bad.

@Tom-Massey Cheers, man. Love your work - thanks for keeping people's eyes on the genre.

Thanks for the review, Tom. 'Shin' is the only mode with a TLB, and have to no miss the whole game. Unfortunately, Hardcore Gamer 101 has it wrong.

Glad you're quelling fears about the lag. If it's 6 frames on Switch, it's the smoothest 6 frames I've felt in a long time. Though I kind of doubt the accuracy of the number.

I really resonate with the lukewarm tone of this review. Banana Bytes put a lot of heart into this game: the visuals are crisp, the ships are varied, and Cadet Mode is a blessing. But it does not all come together for me, either. The shooting does not feel very satisfying, the music is lackluster, and the SFX - in particular - are low-quality and chintzy. I applaud the effort, but hope they'll go for a more focused approach next time. (And I do think limiting themselves to only one ship - and designing the game around it - would help improve the underwhelming gamefeel of this one.)

@BloodNinja Brother, there's no need to blindly assume when you spell it out in your own comments. You share the same opinion as everyone else with a cursory knowledge of the genre without the focus to put out a clear. Sorry if I hit a nerve.

If you're getting hung up on my 'icon,' I'll make sure there's a little picture of Mario by my name next time I comment so I don't upset you.

@BloodNinja @NeonPizza I'm happy you both can derive some enjoyment credit-feeding your way across the finish line, but sounds like neither of you have a clear to your name. If you've never done it, you're not going to get the appeal.

If you feel your time is better spent grinding levels in your go-to serialized RPG, more power to you.

A classic.

Agree with all of you on the run-n'-gun stages in the original. I liked the thought and the extra content, but definitely glad they got cut in favor of, say, the very cool new parry stages.

I played the game when it came out in Japan. You'll like the game if the prospect of helping psychologically cardboard characters by doing third grade math problems to help them work out their trauma. The shmup stages - done by the venerable G.Rev - were not on par with that studio's best work, but were the only part of the game that actually made me feel something. That is until the game decides to "spice up" the STG stages by interrupting them with inane trivia about the game. [How many rooms were in the apartment building you were just in???] Awful.

@dartmonkey Review scores are subjective, yes. But reviews that contain nearly no substantive information are just bad reviews. Stuart is taking it on the nose because his evaluation of Snow Bros. reveals more about him than about the game.

If you want constructive feedback, here you go:
Since this is a remake, you could have said something about the history of the series. You could have said something about the developer, CRT Games. You could have spoken about strategy or about how the game evolves over time. (Though it's painfully clear almost none of it was played.) If you wanted to comment on coop, perhaps you should have tried it. Same for the "Monster Challenge" mode.

Keep the 4 out of 10, but just take the time to write a better review.

@somebread Works every time, mate.

I just feel bad for the new, upstart developer whose sales will suffer because one of the few reviews of their game was written by someone who wanted to be a comedian more than they wanted to critically evaluate the product.

All the more inexcusable when the comedy sucks.