Developer: Manjyudo Publisher: I’Max Release: 01/04/92 Genre: Shooter
Well at this point I’ve played both Chou Aniki games for the PC Engine I might as well keep the oddball streak going. Bouken Danshaku Don: The Lost Sunheart is a strange shoot ‘em up but not like the two previously mentioned titles. It rests somewhere between a Gradius with its dark color palette and environments and an Air Zonk with its at times comical enemies. There is almost no information about the game online; I stumbled on it randomly and was interested due to the title. Let it never be said that a good name does not go a long way as I found a cool little gem.
There is a story in the Lost Sunheart but I am clueless what it is. The best I can ascertain is that you must collect the five pieces of the titular item for some reason. Maybe if I could read Japanese it would explain the strange fascination with eyeball enemies. Anyway the game has two modes arcade and story. The only difference between the two is that story mode has cutscenes with brief dialogue between levels. Since this is a shooter I promise you are not missing much due to the language barrier.
The weapons system in the Lost Sunheart is fairly robust. There are three primary weapons: the standard shot which can power-up, a wide beam, and high beams, this game’s version of a wave attack. During the course of the adventure you will pilot a different ship in each level although the difference is purely cosmetic. However with each piece of the Sunheart you collect you gain access to a new sub-weapon you can switch at any time. These are varied, from homing missiles, a rotating shield, to an option that functions like a side cannon. Unlike most shooters you have a life bar and the game is not stingy with health power-ups. That still does not make this a cake walk however.
The Lost Sunheart is a pretty intense game right from the get go. Enemy waves are frequent and come from all sides. That particular element I am not a fan of as there is no warning and it leads to many cheap hits. The multiple ships and secondary weaponry give the game somewhat of a unique feel of its own. Being able to adjust on the fly is not too common within the genre; usually once you pick up your weapons you are left to deal with your choices. The versatility of this system is comparable to Gradius except here you are not at the mercy of the power-up bar and enemy spawns. It is nothing ground breaking but gives the game a solid foundation that it builds on.
Even though it is a little bit understated this is a good looking game overall. With its title you would expect vivid worlds full of life yet the color palette of the game is very dark. Not that it is a bad thing, it is simply unexpected. The stages are very long with multiple intermissions in each. It is kind of hard to describe the world the game takes place in as it is not a parody like Parodius but not entirely serious like Gradius either. The enemy design is flat out weird and indescribable. It does give the game a huge amount of variety which is surprising as there are only five levels. Yet these five stages cover a lot of ground.
Despite all of your firepower the Lost Sunheart is uneven with its difficulty. You can graze walls freely and have a life bar to protect against bullets but touching enemies equals instant death. The game relies on sudden enemy spawns from all corners of the screen far too often for my liking. But having said that most of these issues do not crop up until closer to the end. Certain weapons like the wave are incredibly powerful yet bosses are still massive damage sponges. If you enter a boss battle with the wide beam prepare to wail on the bastards for five minutes. Death sends you back to a checkpoint at your base power and coming back from that is tough. With a mere three credits you will have to work to see the end of this one.
In Closing
Bouken Danshaku Don: The Lost Sunheart is a good game with an extremely low profile. Usually games this good do not fly so far under the radar that almost no one has heard of them. Yet here we are. I enjoyed the Lost Sunheart immensely. It is nothing special but nails the fundamentals so well that it makes for a well rounded experience.
