
More stunning than any of that is the overall excellence of the release. In some parallel universe where obscure Japanese titles had influence over foreign markets, Mamorukun Curse would be the title to rekindle interest in console-based 2D shooters. Regrettably, it will be lost on most thanks to its genre and brand of charm.
For one thing, the game is not simply chock full of adolescent
female protagonists (as is standard for the genre), but nearly every aspect of
the presentation is cutesy to the point that many will inevitably perceive it as
vexing. Fan service permeates throughout the experience as well, with some risqué unlockable gallery images cropping up occasionally. It's nothing too racy but will be dismal for some.

Explicit charm aside, Mamorukun Curse does an unexpectedly
stellar job of easing newcomers into the genre via multiple difficulty levels. It
gets deeper than that though – the game operates unlike most other titles in
that the player progresses the action rather than being at the mercy of some omnipotent,
ever-scrolling screen. While you can’t retrace your steps past a certain point,
this still opens up countless tactical manoeuvres since players can operate at
their own pace rather than feeling overwhelmed by a constant barrage of
enemies. The game cleverly prevents abuse of this with a fairly lenient but
ever-present time limit. It’s also worth noting that when the action gets too intense, the game will shift into a
slow-motion mode so that players can actually comprehend the on-screen action.
Hardcore fans of the genre will still get their fair dose of
depth as well. While core gameplay involves dodging immense barrages of bullets
and returning fire, the titular curse mechanic allows for amplified strategies.
Depending on how the player utilizes the curse, it can trigger a character’s
super mode or inflict slower, draining damage on a tough foe.

Mamorukun Curse is simply a polished experience overall. The
level designs are conspicuously varied and some even incorporate the timed dodging
of obstacles – a design choice scarcely attempted in the genre. That’s more
than likely a testament to the experimentation of the developers, as these
segments wouldn’t function remotely as well in an auto-scroll environment. Beyond
that, the character roster should be lauded for being plentiful and each one bearing
an individualised bullet pattern.
Objective “issues” with Mamorukun Curse do exist, but I
found virtually all of them to be disposable. The most overt of them is the
presence of borders around the central action on the screen (remnants of the
game’s lineage as an arcade title). When playing the modes that mandate borders,
you’re essentially looking at about a third of the screen. With that said, it’s
never remotely as obnoxious as shooters such as Chopper
I since the characters and bullets are all reasonably sized. I’d argue that
the borders don’t even hamper the experience but rather the overall consistency
as there is only one that can be played in full-screen mode.
Beyond that, some will harp on the game for only including around
five levels. Another legitimate concern, certainly, but the game does a terrific
job of masking this via copious amounts of modes, difficulties, characters, and
challenges. I’m typically adverse to the approach of dumping superfluous
content atop a bare game for the sake of artificially creating replay value,
but Mamorukun Curse bucks this trend by providing an addictive core experience and
including bonuses that play to the strengths of the genre. I felt genuinely
compelled to play through the game with every single character and fiddle with
the difficulty settings since, unlike similar titles, they actually seem to affect
the layout.
Mamorukun Curse is as inviting as it is divisive but has the
quality to back it up. Though some will be opposed to its visual and auditory style,
the game is one of the better starting points for those looking into the genre
and veterans will appreciate the ways it strays from the typical formula. At
the very least, it’s the PS3’s definitive bullet-hell shooter and one of this
author’s favourite games released this year.
- Clark A
Technical Editor
Technical Editor
Miiverse: Midori
Email me at: clarka@digitallydownloaded.net
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