Developer: Takumi Publisher: Capcom Release: 04/30/01 Genre: Shooter
In my nascent bullet hell days many years ago many swore by Mars Matrix as one of the best games in the genre. As someone who still only occasionally dips their toes in to this sub-genre I was put off by the sheer chaos I saw in screenshots. How can that possibly be any fun? Mind you this was years before youtube so gameplay videos were rare. There is something to be said about stepping out of your comfort zone. Now that I have actually played it for myself I can see the brilliance within. Mars Matrix is a fantastic game, one that both challenges you while also pushing you to get better. I’m hooked.
The mechanics of Mars Matrix are an evolution of the ideas in Giga Wing. You regular cannon has rapid fire when tapping the button. If you wait a second you can build up a charge of energy to use the piercing cannon, a short range laser that is more powerful. Furthermore holding down fire activates the mosquito, a vortex that grants invincibility and sucks in all incoming bullets. While the mosquito is active its energy meter will drain. Releasing it at any time will repel all bullets you have collected in given direction. If you hold it for the duration a GHB (gravity hole bomb) is triggered, a mass explosion that destroys enemies and bullets. The Dreamcast port maps normal shot and piercing cannon to separate buttons making things easier. You can still control everything using one button if you are a purist in my opinion that is insane.
Mechanically the game is simple. How you apply those mechanics is not. Mars Matrix has plenty of depth that is not immediately obvious. You gain experience by collecting the golden cubes dropped by enemies and can power up the normal cannon to eight levels. If you play the game normally experience gains are slow. Chaining is the key. Every cube collected creates a chain window with a visible timer. Each cube not only adds to the value but creates a multiplier that persists as long as you keep the chain going. With skill you can keep a chain going for an entire level which is nuts. It is possible to earn several hundred thousand experience points in the first level which is enough to set you up for the entire game!
But to do that requires taking advantage of the nuances in the mechanics. It is tempting to use the mosquito to trigger a GBH. But you receive no cubes in the process which will end your chain and it has a long recharge time. When confronted with a hail of bullets that was my first inclination. But I soon learned to guide bullet barrages to create openings and to use the mosquito for a split second to create a massive chain and for the invincibility frames. I am far from an expert and truthfully never will be. But I was able to build enough skill to play the game at a decent level with room for improvement and can see myself completing it one day. For me that is the most important.
The scoring reaches ridiculous heights, into the trillions. But that is for a reason. Aside from bragging rights your score is used to purchase a mountain of extras. There is an extensive art gallery, a long rendered cutscene introducing the game’s story, and alternate modes. Arrange mode allows you to adjust certain parameters like ship speed, GHB recharge time, and combo time. Score attack mode challenges you to rack up points on a given level. It is good for practice and a great compliment to the tutorial videos. These allow you to watch a pro player run through a given stage. These are excellent for identifying strategies and what you can do better. It is so great in fact I wish more games would offer something like this. These are awesome motivators to get better.
Make no mistake, despite the wealth of features designed to ease you in to the mechanics and make it accessible Mars Matrix is still brutally hard. If you do not learn to keep your chains going to rack up experience quickly your progress will be slow. At low levels it takes longer to kill larger ships which mean more bullets blanketing the screen and room for mistakes. Boss battles will drag on and chances are you will not make it past stage two or three. But the difference is you have the tools to succeed and can see the path forward. You do not have to be an expert but it certainly helps. You will fight for every inch of progress but it is satisfying every time. That is the mark of a great game.
In Closing
I am a recent convert to Mars Matrix. From production values to gameplay this is a spectacular game. I can see myself returning to this one just for fun as the mechanics are so god damn good. Capcom picked another winner to localize and we as gamers benefit. Mars Matrix deserves a re-release.
