Shikigami no Shiro Blue

Shikigami no Shiro offers vertical shooter action where characters (not ships) battle their way through 5 lengthy levels of froth-inducing fun. Impressive bosses meet players at the end of each level and flitting enemies give up a mess of coins when destroyed. The game uses a "near-miss" Tension System where your firepower increases when enemy shots whiz by your onscreen protagonist at close pixels. When the Tension system is registering a near miss, a little sparkle appears on the center of your flying character.

The first level cruises the player over a cityscape where enemy ships, the occasional drifting teddy bear, sub bosses and an end-level boss oppose your progress. The first batch of flying enemy ships drift down slowly and it's fairly easy to stay near the top of the screen to destroy them and collect a mess of coins. Their shot velocity in the beginning part of the game moves at what we'd call slow-medium speed and these shots are prime Tension System cheapies since they're so easy to whiz by. Tapping the "A" button shoots out normal shots while holding "A" for a moment activates a secondary weapon which may be a targeting scope for the girls or a special weapon for the boys. The "B" button ignites a smart bomb which destroys everything on screen.

When the secondary weapon is used to destroy foes, all of the coins from that destruction are magnetically drawn to the player. When the player meets an untimely fate, all of the coins collected thus far are scattered all over the screen for one to scramble after.

The first sub boss is a monarch butterfly with iridescent wings which is basically pretty-looking cannon fodder. The shots it lays out give easy routes for agile players to scoot in and out of. Once the butterfly is gone, level 1-2 begins with a whizzing of red pellets which conglomerate to form a strange igor-ish monster which throws out a tough amount of buckshot. The Tension System is given a hearty workout here since the amount of firepower thrown at the player is considerable. Once destroyed, the creature breaks down into the mass of red pellets and level 1-3 begins. Enemy ships rush from the top-left and top-right of the screen but they're no match for a fully powered character and a geometric square eventually appears. This is the final level boss and she blows out a massive amount of firepower but will halt its assault to create little twirling "helpers" around the geometric cube. When destroyed, it will bellow out a cry and level 2 begins...

Jan Code: 4571137330163

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