Danmaku Unlimited

The humble arcade shooter has always been a proving ground for the very best players. Mastery of the genre calls for incredible reflexes, refined awareness, and a penchant for chasing the most unobtainable of high scores.

In recent times, however, the 2D shooter has evolved into something more sadistic.

The ‘bullet-hell’ sub-genre - popularised by Japanese developers like Cave - has become the dominant force in the shooter market.

Such titles take delight in bombarding the hapless player with walls of laser destruction, creating moving mazes which make the act of staying alive a real achievement.

Danmaku Unlimited most certainly falls into this category. At any given moment, the screen is awash with bullets and projectiles, and your attention must be divided between destroying your enemies and manoeuvring your craft through the maelstrom.

Like fellow iOS blasters such as DoDonPachi Resurrection and EspGaluda II, Danmaku Unlimited uses your device’s touchscreen to excellent effect. Firing is handled automatically, and your ship follows your fingertip around the screen, allowing you to pull off some incredibly impressive acrobatics.

You have two shot types to choose from during play – the first offers a wide range of fire and is recommended for those moments when you’re being assailed on all sides. The second choice is a highly focused beam that is ideal for tackling singular foes, such as the visually impressive end-of-level guardians.

You also have smart bombs at your disposal, albeit in limited quantities. These can be used manually, but are also deployed automatically when your ship is hit, effectively providing you with a shield. However, triggering the bomb resets your points-scoring combo.

As is the case in most shooters, your score is of the utmost importance. Repeatedly taking down enemies racks up your tally, but you can trigger multipliers by grazing your ship against incoming projectiles.

This particular approach may sound like madness, but it’s actually highly addictive and tremendously rewarding.

Your natural instinct is to veer away from projectiles, but here you’re encouraged to fly as close to them as possible. The concept of scraping is actually borrowed from the excellent arcade shooter Psyvariar, and it certainly adds another dimension to the gameplay.

Grazing bullets also fills up your trance meter, and when this is activated your craft becomes incredibly powerful, filling the display with neon-coloured firepower.

With so many bullets on-screen, following the action in Danmaku Unlimited can be a challenge – in fact, the sheer beauty of the graphics proves to be a distraction in itself. This game looks amazing, boasting a savvy combination of 2D imagery and 3D models.

Danmaku Unlimited’s variable difficulty levels will test your talents, and the ability to augment your ship using tokens earned during play adds to the longevity.

However, like all shooters, Danmaku Unlimited’s lasting appeal is always going to be limited by how much you love chasing scores and bettering your skills.

If you’re a lifelong fan of the genre, then Danmaku Unlimited cannot be recommended enough.

Although it fails to break free of the repetition that plagues pretty much any shooter you could mention, it offers dazzling visuals, compelling gameplay, and genuinely intriguing mechanics.