The G.G series keeps on going, and next up is another shoot 'em up; yet this one presents a unique and dynamic combat system that's surprisingly engaging. In an experimental series that's pretty hit or miss depending on the genre being attempted, G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER provides a fun, arcade style shooter that's easily the most rewarding and addictive entry yet.
The premise sees players take control of a nameless, green haired heroine as she takes on an army of machines armed with her trusty assault buster. Perhaps it would've been nice if a bit more context was given as to who this character is and why she's fighting the machines, but the frantic nature of the gameplay more than makes up for this omission. Spritework and animation is extremely detailed and fluid, with plenty of colour and a surprising number of enemy designs to keep things interesting and diverse. The upbeat electronic soundtrack that backs the whole thing is somewhat reminiscent of the Mega Man games, and suitably manages to match the pace of combat.
Gameplay is presented in a refreshingly unique take on the tired and saturated bullet hell genre. Stages take place on a single static screen and enemies simply phase in at different locations. A tap of the "B" button will boost the player in one of eight directions and also doubles as a dodge move that helps get the heroine out of tight situations, and the rapid fire assault buster that you carry can fire in one of four directions.
The controls are pleasingly responsive and the screen is always busy with activity - you'll rarely run out of things to shoot at. On top of this, supply crates that occasionally fly across the screen drop one-time-use bombs that help shake up combat and get the player out of tight spots. Stages are grouped in sets of three, meanwhile - the first two stages always end in a mini-boss while the third stage consists of a long battle against a main boss. These boss fights are reminiscent of the pattern based Robot Masters of the Mega Man series and are easily one of the highlights of the main game.
Conclusion
G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER could be argued as being the finest entry in this arcade focused series yet. The nature of the gameplay lends itself well to score chasing and the dynamic combat, upbeat soundtrack and excellent spritework all mix well into a satisfying whole. If you're going to pick up only one of the dozens of G.G games out yet, we'd recommend that this is the one you buy.
Comments 7
Huh, well I'll have s look then
i will grab this one thanks to this review.
I do like this game quite a bit and it's certainly worth a purchase at $2, but I think it's not quite the best in the series as it lacks any real depth and the highscore aspect isn't quite as addictive (to me) as some of the others. I largely concur with Mitch otherwise though.
That said, Dark Spirits is easily the best schmup in the G.G. Series by my estimation--the weapons system has just enough variety/ strategy and despite (or possibly because of) its brevity the game makes for some excellent 10-20 minute score-chasing. Other than repetitive enemies/levels, there's really nothing I can fault it with. Any fans of the genre would do well to check it out, it's one of the G.G. games I still want to come back to and top my high score even after years of playing it on busrides and such.
Thanks for the review! It's very convincing, I'm gonna pick this one up. Glad to hear there's more good shmup's on the eShop now, but I have to agree that G.G. Series Dark Spirits is the best shmup in this series. I own it and it is very fun and engaging.
Dark Spirits wasn't bad, but there was something that turned me off to it, can't recall what, since it's been years since I played it... Too bad Z-One couldn't hold my interest, either.
Thanks to the review, this is actually on my radar now. I'll have to check it out.
Sounds good. Add to Wishlist...
This is the one I had my eye on, and I'm glad it scored good. Looks like I'll be picking up this and Altered Weapon for sure.
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