My review of Trigger Heart Excelica for the Dreamcast.

[Killerclaw]

Part 1 of the end of Dreamcast series.
View here: http://www.defunctgames.com/shows.php?id=review-849
80%



[quote]Trigger Heart Excelica was first released in 2006 by the small developer Warashi, who is best known for its mahjong games and one shooter (Shienryu) way back on the Saturn. The game, and it’s bizarre grappling hook system, were met with skepticism upon release, but there was obviously some enthusiasm because Warashi saw fit to bring the game home to the Dreamcast, likely knowing full well that it would sell out, selling to the worldwide shooter and Dreamcast markets based solely on the fact that it’s a shooter on the Dreamcast.

The grappling hook is simple enough to understand, to hook an enemy line yourself up and fire, depending on the size of the enemy you will either instantly grapple it or be presented with a meter above the foe which counts up to a 100% after which he is yours and you may do to him as you please. Your new weapon has its own health bar, and depending on its size can take a set amount of damage. You can take your foe and whip him around at high speed absorbing the surrounding Bullet Hell, which is handy for getting out of a tricky situation but a waste of an opportunity to kill many enemies fast, you can just hold him in front of you as a shield and battering ram, killing anything you run it into.

Or, you can play how the game was meant to be played. This is talking the detainee and whipping him around you and slingshoting it through what ever gets in its way: Bullets, on screen debris, and foes. When your slingshoted foe plows through the first enemy it hits, a chain reaction occurs as the explosion leaps from foe to foe potentially clearing the whole screen of enemies with one tiny captured foe if you get really good at placement.

At first just an option in the early stages of the game, it quickly becomes essential to your survival as the enemies on the screen begin to resemble a Puyo Puyo game screen, only, they are all shooting at you while 100% clogging the screen. Note that the grappling hook can also be used similarly to the hook shot in Giga Wing 2. Whilst attached to a foe, you fire a concentrated stream of fire at him and no one else. This is handy against ground foes, which you can’t turn into weapons, and bosses, which are also off limits for weaponizing. The game begins to feel more like a puzzle game (it really does become one in the second half), only returning to normal Bullet Hell for a few boss fights.

Several boss fights make their way into the game of course, and not all are very spectacular, unfortunately many don't even incorporate the grappling element. The ones that do however are fun, and the finale is one of my favorite bullet hell fights ever. You are faced with a more or less undodgeable wall of bullets compounded by an unwavering rain of debris. This idea is to capture the larger debris, whip around the junk which turns all the shots to coins which power your shot. You then toss the debris into the boss, you can then either lay a volley of your own fire into the boss or quickly get back to finding a new piece of junk to do damage with.

It’s a shame that the game looks as outdated as it does, and really it’s surprising. It’s even more surprising when you compare it to other NAOMI arcade titles such as Virtual On (which was released eight years before this) or the recent Under Defeat from Grev. At least it’s only outdated looking … it could be ugly too. The character design, while not unique for the most part, is acceptable. All bullet types and coins are bright and distinguishable from each other. That is something I regard as very important, because it really cuts down on cheap deaths, don’t go claiming you didn’t see the wave of bright blue diamonds coming.

At least the graphics weren’t laughably bad, as almost all of the sound is. The characters are all voiced by the obnoxiously “cuteâ€

[-Jay-]

I've got this but haven't unwrapped it yet. That's probably the most negative view I've read - most reports I've seen have been complimentary. I'll feedback once I've actually played it.

Jay

[Killerclaw]

I've got this but haven't unwrapped it yet. That's probably the most negative view I've read - most reports I've seen have been complimentary. I'll feedback once I've actually played it.

Jay

Is an *80% really that negative?

[Kaede]

KC, that's a nice review. You do seem pretty negative about the game until right at the end, pretty much confirms what I've heard about this game: nice gameplay mechaninc but marred by poor presentation. I don't think I will pick a copy of this game up until I go over to Japan later in the year (might get to play the coin op too!) but I'm still interested in playing it.

Btw, Karous and Trigger Heart may not be the last games to hit DC. There's a sequel to Trizeal coming out called Exeal, though I can't remember if it was coming to on Naomi or not.

EDIT: 80% is a decent score, it's more that your review implies a much lower score is warranted.

[MikeHaggar]

Upcoming Naomi games:
Dynamite Deka EX: Asian Dynamite
Exzeal
Poka Suka Ghost


http://cowboyberty.com/wordpress/?p=19

Doubt Poka Suka Ghost with touch screen will be released on DC though

[Kaede]

Thanks for finding that Mike. I doubt the new Dynamite Deka game will get a release either as Sega themselves are eno longer officialy supporting the DC, but as we've seen far too many times now...you never know.

[-Jay-]

Is an *80% really that negative?

No, just more negative than what I've read elsewhere. Still sounds good though.

Jay

[Killerclaw]

KC, that's a nice review. You do seem pretty negative about the game until right at the end, pretty much confirms what I've heard about this game: nice gameplay mechaninc but marred by poor presentation. I don't think I will pick a copy of this game up until I go over to Japan later in the year (might get to play the coin op too!) but I'm still interested in playing it.

Btw, Karous and Trigger Heart may not be the last games to hit DC. There's a sequel to Trizeal coming out called Exeal, though I can't remember if it was coming to on Naomi or not.

EDIT: 80% is a decent score, it's more that your review implies a much lower score is warranted.

I mention Exeal in my Karous review, which I would post now, but my editor would kill me. You'll all see it saturday.

[dw2k6]

I mention Exeal in my Karous review, which I would post now, but my editor would kill me. You'll all see it saturday.

who cares about the editor? Do what i did, start your own site. You don't have to follow any rules whatsoever and can call whoever you like a prick.

[Killerclaw]

I mention Exeal in my Karous review, which I would post now, but my editor would kill me. You'll all see it saturday.

who cares about the editor? Do what i did, start your own site. You don't have to follow any rules whatsoever and can call whoever you like a prick.

I care about my editor, he's my mentor. If I started my own website, I wouldn't be getting 2 million hits and press passes either. Everything doesnt have to be angry rebellion DW.

[skull_leader]

nice review there. i still haven't had a go on it yet, i have no excuse though.

Just for interest, shienryu was ported to ps1 under the name "Gekioh: shooting king".

[Ben]

Same here, had it a few weeks, but only had a quick blast. i'm looking forwards to learning its intricacies, something different at least

[Killerclaw]

nice review there. i still haven't had a go on it yet, i have no excuse though.

Just for interest, shienryu was ported to ps1 under the name "Gekioh: shooting king".

I may have to give it a whirl.