Doujin Games: Part 1

I recently got back from Japan where I got quite a few doujin games. I went to Comiket but the games were the next day only! So my buddy Keisuke got me a stack of games when he went. I also picked up some other games in Akihabara.

These "amateur" games are really great. Often made by 1-10 people these games really showcase some amazing quality most of the time. Onto the short reviews.

M.O.E. - No Limit Off Beat Action Shooting
The controls are shoot, block, special, rush and switch weapons. Each character has numerous weapons that have limited ammo (somehow you get more ammo, I could not figure out how this worked). You can play as Azumanga's Chiyo riding her dog or FLCL's Haruka.

The game is really fun. The weapons are varied and interesting. The characters (the one's I know) had nice little touches that stayed true to their respective source material (Chiyo can flap her hair and fly). There are just a few (5?) levels to run through then you fight the boss! Azumanga's "Daddy" complete with a kameneko attack.

Sometimes these controls feel a bit sluggish and just the act of turning around can sometimes be a chore. Often you will get kicked obscuring (there is an indicator though) but why does the action not center on my character?

There is a great edit mode where you can change the characters' weapons and color palette. This is also a great way to view the sprites! Pick it up if you have the chance and especially if you are an Azumanga fan.

SNS - Super Nintendo Sisters (?)
Two games in one! Don't get too excited they are both terrible! One is a Super Mario clone with a Windows Desktop theme. Poorly executed and subpar sprites. I actually ran into a bug where my character did not jump high enough. I could not jump over the first obstacle. I ran around confused, thinking there was a mechanic I was missing, my buttons were configured wrong, etc. I restarted the game and jumped over the obstacle no problem.

There was also a side shooter where you could switch you shooting method from side view to shooting at the ground, a really nice mechanic, but you just fly back and forth in this small area and shoot a couple of tanks. Skip it twice.

Shoot the Bullet
Another game from the creator of Shanghai Alice and another masterpiece. You know what to expect, nice soft background, nice little characters and a million bullets. But you know what you didn't expect? A totally new shooting mechanic!

You use a crosshair like a camera to "shoot" the enemy. You must get so many pictures to defeat the enemy. Any bullets in the frame are destroyed so it is both an offensive and defensive mechanic. Must buy!

More later...