Developer: Gazelle Publisher: Banpresto Release: 10/25/96 Genre: Shooter
This one has been a long time coming. In my early days on the internet I discovered the vast Saturn import library of shooters. The list is insane and full of classics that are still being re-released today. Among those was Batsugun, a game I thought looked interesting but found off putting due disliking bullet hell. But I said I would get to it someday. Of course I didn’t think someday would be almost thirty years later but you know what, shit happens. A good game is a good game regardless of time and Batsugun is exactly that. A brutally hard one at that.
Batsugun is considered the father of the bullet hell genre. It is one of the first shooters unafraid to pepper the screen in a frenzy of bullets. But it arms you with the tools to deal with its madness, namely a smaller hit box. The entire genre of bullet hell owes a huge debt to this game as it lays the foundation that nearly all subsequent games would follow. Batsugun does not reach the crazy heights later danmaku games would in terms of its bullet spray. As such it remains accessible in spite of its high challenge. Honestly if I had started with this game instead of Ikaruga maybe I would appreciate this sub-genre more.
In Batsugun you control one of six members of the Skull Hornet Squadron, three each for player 1 & 2. Each ship falls into the Type A, B, or C category. Type A ships fires a spread shot that becomes wider as you progress. The Type B ships fire a stream of lightning. Tapping A emits small bursts while holding C produces a continuous stream of lightning. Type C is a wave beam that is similar to the spread shot but more powerful. When you hold the fire button the beam narrows in to a more focused shot. Aside from your main cannon your only other weapon are screen clearing bombs.
It sounds simple but Batsugun is one of a few shooters with an experience system to level up weapons. Every enemy gives a set amount of experience, with bosses naturally giving the most. You also gain experience from destroying the environment and even from death. There are only three levels but your weapons upgrade five times per level. The difference in each level is dramatic. The spread shot of the Type A ships nearly blankets 75% of the screen in continuous fire! If you die you lose the upgrades but keep the current level. It is a simple system but one that adds depth in terms of how aggressively you want to chase experience. The experience system is balanced though so that even a casual player will more than likely reach level 3 by the end of stage three. By that point you will need it.
The addition of RPG mechanics gives the pacing of the game a different feel. Normally in most shooters you are at the mercy of weapon drops. You can spend an entire level waiting for your favorite or die early and make do with whatever drops. Since you are gaining experience at every step you are becoming more powerful regardless of your skill level. This in turn enables a steady progression through the game, at least at first. Batsugun eases you in to bullet hell by waiting until the halfway mark before the insanity starts. The early levels have easy waves of enemies and smaller bullet spreads that are easier to dodge. They are also short with bosses that have relatively simple patterns to exploit as well. That all changes once you reach stage four.
To say there is a difficulty spike is an understatement. Stage four is so drastically hard and long I thought it was the final level. The game assumes you have some level of skill and ups the ante. Enemies are more aggressive, attack in larger packs and bullets fly so fast your best option is to shoot them down before they attack. It is overwhelming and with the only extra life coming from reaching one million points you have no choice but to get good. But it is doable. You learn to guide bullets to create openings to dodge and to not eagerly pick up medals for points. Make no mistake; it’s still tough as nails and those three credits dry up fast in the last two levels. But there is a method to the madness and that is what kept me coming back.
For those that want a different experience the Saturn port has an Arranged mode. This mode makes a few modifications that make the game feel more like a traditional shooter as well as provide an easier or harder experience if that is what you seek. The first few stages are easier with less enemies and bullets, your hit box is even smaller, bombs have different effects, and you are given a shield when leveling up. This makes for an easier ride the first time. The game also loops five times and becomes harder each time with the addition of suicide bullets that change each successive round. Once was enough for me, I am not hardcore enough to try it multiple times.
In Closing
Batsugun is a great game and remains an excellent shooter to this day. It is the culmination of Toaplan’s work in the genre and a fitting swan song for a long gone developer. Even I can appreciate its nuances and gameplay all these years after its release as a mild bullet hell fan. There are a lot of shooters on the Saturn and Batsugun is easily one of my favorites.
