Significantly revised/updated version! I will review versions 1.0(1) and Black Label sometime in the future.
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Mushihime-sama Futari version 1.5 was released in arcades on December 19th, 2006, a mere two months after ver 1.0 hit the scene and was quickly abandoned by players and arcade ops alike. The changes from version 1.0 to 1.5 were everything fans wanted. But what is so great about the game, anyway? Well, let’s dive into it a bit.
The Scoring Systems
The scoring system is the heart and soul of any Cave game, and it is what sets them apart from the rest of the competition. In Futari 1.5, we see two core scoring systems: one in Original and Ultra modes, and another in Maniac mode.
In Original mode, you have two multipliers in the upper left of the screen: the overall multiplier and the stage multiplier. The overall multiplier increases from the start of the game to the end with no known maximum, and only decreases when you bomb or die. The stage counter maxes out at 9999 and resets at the start of each stage. The scoring system is based upon destroying enemies with the C shot when the multiplier is between 0-4 in the 100 digit, and using the A shot when it is between 5-9 in the 100 digit. Doing so gives you large gems instead of small gems, which increases your multipliers faster. There is also a proximity effect similar to games like Espgaluda and Ketsui, where the closer you are to an enemy when you destroy it, the more gold you collect. In Ultra mode the system is the same except two differences: 1)the stage counter no longer maxes out at 9999 as it increases indefinitely just like the overall counter, and 2)you need switch from the C shot to the A shot to destroy enemies every time you get 2000 gems added to your counter. To aid you, the counter changes from a light green to a light blue every time you need to switch from the C shot to the A shot in Original and Ultra modes (use the C shot when it is green, and the A shot when it is blue). However, in an actual run I find it much easier to just rely on the values of the multipliers rather than their color, as it can be hard to discern in the heat of a run. Obviously making it change from red to blue would have been much easier, but Cave apparently did not want it to be so easy, so we have to take on the challenge as it is presented to us.
In Maniac mode, you have a chaining bar and a multiplier displayed in the upper left of the screen. As you destroy enemies with the C shot the chaining bar increases from blue to flashing red. At this point you get large gems, and double the large gems if you quickly switch and use the A shot when the chaining bar is flashing red. Once you hold the A shot, the chaining bar decreases to zero in a matter of seconds. The scoring system is based on a multiplier that increases up to 9999. You can only “cash in” on this multiplier by destroying enemies with the A shot when your chaining bar is empty. This gives you blue gems which reduce your multiplier, but add significantly to your score, when you absorb them. It creates a very intuitive ebb and flow in the game, and feels like a mix of a Ketsui system and an Espgaluda system without the heavy slow-motion during scoring phases. I often describe it as feeling somewhat like a “fast-paced kakusei system”.
The Graphics
This game has gorgeous artwork, complex parallax scrolling beyond anything previously scene in an SH3 game, wonderful animation, superb purple and pink bullet patterns, and very detailed bosses. Simply put, it is one of the most beautiful shooting games currently available. There are plenty of gameplay videos available, and a new super-play DVD just released, so I encourage those interested in the game to search and find some footage of it in motion. It should be noted that some of the explosion graphics are recycled from Espgaluda II and Mushihime-sama.
The Bullet Patterns
I include a specific discussion on bullet patterns here because it is really an integral part of the shooting game experience. In Futari 1.5, the bullet patterns in Original mode are fast but fairly sparse. Once you reach Stage 5, the bullets are faster than anything found in the original Mushihime-sama. In Maniac mode, the bullets are dense but slower, with particularly beautiful patterns in the Stage 4 and Stage 5 boss fights, sections of Stage 3, and the Stage 4 midboss. In Ultra mode you get the best (or worst?) of both worlds, with the speed of Original mode but at least twice the density of Maniac mode. This leads to a fearsome challenge, but also some of the most artistically impressive bullet patterns ever made. You have to play through Ultra mode once in your life just to experience it all first hand. It’s that amazing.
The Music
The soundtrack is quite good for a shooter, with the exception of Stage 2, which is rather sub-par to be perfectly honest, pretty much some of the goofiest stuff I have ever heard in a Cave shooter. My personal favorite is the Stage 4 music, though Stage 3 is also nice, and Stage 5 has some very interesting Eastern tones to it. Overall it is a soundtrack more or less on par with the first game. Music is quite a subjective thing, so you will need to hear it for yourself to make a decision. The OST has been released and is readily available, so check it out if you are interested.
The Xbox 360 port
The Xbox 360 port was released in Japan on November 26th, 2009, about three years after the arcade version. It is the first Cave game released in Japan to be region-free, playable on all Xbox 360 systems worldwide. Coded by famed development house M2, it is quite an exceptional port, adding gorgeous HD-updated graphics replete with visual options including the much beloved, but usually cruelly neglected, scanline options. Training modes, online rankings, replay uploads/downloads, and more are included, rounding out this feature-rich port. The slowdown is overall around 90~95% accurate, but there is a bit extra slowdown in some parts, making the port slightly easier than its PCB cousin. Personally, I found the port to be so exceptional that I sold my Futari 1.5 PCB and a year later, I still have no regrets about doing so.
Conclusion
Version 1.5 is a masterpiece of a game that will surely go down in history as one of the great 2D shooters. Its combination of fantastic artwork, very good music, deep scoring systems, great game balance that welcomes pros and novices alike, three game modes, and the ultimate Cave 1-loop challenge (Ultra mode) makes for a package that few could deny as being anything but top-notch. Whether the port or the PCB, you have to play this game.
SCORE: 10/10
