Bangai-O (Sega Dreamcast, 2001)

Bangai-O a shoot-em-up by Treasure is one of those strange kind of eccentric Japanese games you will at times come across. Essentially it is an all out shooter while you blow away hordes of enemies with lasers or homing missiles but done a colourful and cheerful way while you collect fruit.
 
As well as the fast pace and frantic shooting action Bangai-O has a story of sorts, though you may have a tough time understanding any of and of the dialogue is in "Japlish" a kind of really bad translation from Japanese into English that doesn't really make much sense, for instance phrases such as "Hot Feelings! Male Star". But this does add to the fun and eccentric, wacky nature of the game. The two main playable characters who can be switched between during play pilot the flying mech assault suit the "Bangai-O " called Riki and Mami and they are facing a criminal organisation known as the "SF Kosmo Gang". The SF Kosmo Gang have beaten-up their dad and stolen all this fruit in order to...manufacture weapons. But in a nutshell that's the story and overall premise of the game.
 
The graphics are entirely 2D not a polygon in site, levels are expansive with plenty of attention to detail. Sprites including your Bangai-O suit are really very tiny. However this does mean the screen can be filled with a mass of enemies, structures, missiles and massive explosions. All combine to create a spectacular though visual experience once the screen gets particularly busy with everything on the screen exploding all at once. All this is achieved while maintaining a smooth frame rate with little to no slow down. The slow down there is, such as when you launch a barrage of missiles for instance, may well have been intentional implemented for effect.
 
Music is upbeat, cheerful and can be hummed along to as everything on the screen explodes and buildings are raised to the ground on mass. The music is reminiscent of other Treasure games with a similar eccentric theme such as Mischief Makers on the N64. Sound effects from missiles, lasers and explosions sound as they ought to sound and there are some snippets of voice acting that adds to the character of the game.
 
In terms of gameplay Bangai-O though it is playing on the side on 2D style is a little unconventional for a shooting game. While most 2D shooters will either scroll horizontally across the screen or vertical up the screen Bangai-O offers complete freedom of movement to go up, down, left, right or any direction at all you choose with the directional pad, levels can be explored at your leisure. As well as being to move in any direction you choose you can also fire in any direction. Each level is often vast and festooned with corridors, buildings, chambers and missile laser traps, as well as the vital fruit you have to collect of course. Into these levels a host of jet pack enemy troops and the occasional large spaceship will swarm from 360 degrees all around you. The enemies for the most part spawn into the levels from various designated buildings much like the way monsters spawn into the dungeon in the Gauntlet games. The game offers little to no rest from the tide of onscreen foes providing a near constant stream of explosive action. At the end location of each level lies a boss character to defeat, these vary greatly in nature and difficulty, some of them consist of little more than some kind of green pod/pea alien kind of thing who offers you no resistance at all it's just something there to shoot. There is also a (somewhat camp) recurring character who seems to show up no matter how many times you apparently defeat him.
 
Riki and Mami being co-pilots of the Bangai-O suit can be switched between with a pull of the L-trigger. They differ only in terms of the weapon they use. Riki uses a rapid firing homing missile and Mami is a laser gun that can bounce from walls. Both weapon are useful for different situation, Rikis missiles are ideal for wide open areas and Mami's lasers are ideal for smaller cramped locations or for blasting hard to reach targets lurking around behind or around corners such as laser force field generators. Both character have the option of unleashing a gigantic barrage of projectiles to take out multiple enemies all at once should you find yourself in a tight spot. These take a while to re-fill so ought to be used sparingly or saved for the end of level boss.
 
With over 40 levels to complete Bangai-O will provide many satisfying hours of fun and cheerful blasting and fruit collecting action. Bangai-O may be a niche taste and not for everyone but for anyone who enjoys 2D shooters or games with a certain eccentric character then this game is an essential buy for the Dreamcast.

Recommend this product? Yes