OVERVIEW:
Batsugun name, for any seasoned fan of the shmup genre, is a name that you have been familiar with on and off across the past decades. This was my case too so, considering I was still lacking first hand experience of the title I decided that 2025 was the year to venture myself into the mysteries and check how fair its renowned legacy really was.

Players select from six distinct pilots, each commanding unique spacecraft with varying abilities. The game combines traditional shmup elements with innovative mechanics, such as an experience-based weapon upgrade system and formidable bosses that enhance its bullet hell characteristics. The Steam version includes the original arcade release and the "Batsugun Special," featuring visual enhancements, a smaller hitbox, and a shield for added protection. Notably, this version introduces multiple difficulty loops, challenging players to master increasingly complex stages.


Pros
-» Gameplay: Adjustable difficulty settings, including a "Very Easy Mode," cater to both newcomers and seasoned players, ensuring a broad appeal. Improvements such as minimal input lag, quick save/load options, online leaderboards, assist features like auto-fire, and a customizable practice mode enrich the gameplay experience
-» Soundtrack and sound effects: drums driven melodies with warp like sound effects amount to a nice mix
-» Graphics: The game boasts from detailed pixel art and animations, wraping eachother as an amazing present for diehard fans.
-» Bosses: While the majority of the action is focused on avoiding bullets, there are also specific weak points on each boss that players must target to deal the most damage. These weak points often require precise positioning, as the player needs to maneuver their ship into tight spaces while avoiding a hail of bullets. This mechanic makes the bosses feel more interactive, as the player has to balance their offensive strategies with the need to stay alive.
-» Replayability: offers a faithful and enriched experience of a classic shmup, making it a valuable addition for both genre enthusiasts and newcomers interested in gaming history. The 2 players remote play further enhances its merit
-» Difficulty: The difficulty curve keeps players on their toes, making victory against a boss feel like a hard-earned achievement, and similarly requiring the need of balance between ofensive and survival playstyles.
-» Bullet style: Appealing but be aware that regular bullets fill the screen with dense patterns, while homing projectiles and larger, slower-moving shots create a variety of difficulties for the player to avoid. The game's enemies often shoot in patterns that seem random at first but require a level of memorization and planning, typical of the bullet hell spectrum.

Cons
-» This game stands truly as a solid pillar of the Shmup genre, so I would feel ashamed and ungrateful if I tainted it here


SUMMARY:
8.8/10 gaming scale



Final Thoughts: Batsugun, as one of the early pioneers of the bullet hell subgenre, offers a unique approach to bullet patterns and gameplay that influenced the evolution of shmups. After clearing the main campaign and, as I comeback for new sessions or new updates arise by developers, I intend to keep revising this review.