© 2021 GAMESPOT, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. This was the case with the overseas release of Akai Katana. If a bullet does hit you, all is not lost. A product … That's fortunate, because there's certainly not much of a story to keep you entertained. What could have been an inexpensive downloadable game is a $40 retail product. And if there's one company that knows a thing or two about hurling a barrage of beautifully crafted bullets at you, it's Cave. Michael Plant @MikePlantGC. Review: Cave's "Akai Katana" Shoot 'em Up Scores Big Horizontal scrolling madness that's a blast to master. There's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned shoot-'em-up to get your pulse racing and your thumbs twitching. The craft they pilot are modelled after World War II-era planes, but despite their apparent age, they have the uncanny ability to fire waves of laser bullets and unleash devastating energy attacks. Joseph Luster . Mark Walton The Xbox 360 is something of a godsend for shooter fans. A shoot-em-up with gun-toting, jet-flying neo samurai no less. Akai Katana Facebook Like Button Game Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) Blood; Fantasy Violence; Mild Language; The Games on Demand version supports English. Akai Katana Review. There's a great feeling of accomplishment when you make your way through one of the intricately designed 2D bullet mazes unscathed. Gather enough steel, and you can launch it at enemies in Phantom mode. Akai Katana is a superb bullet-hell shooter, and a beautiful game. Like Akai Katana on Facebook. Unleash the power of the Blood Katana… You play as a rebellious pilot dedicated to blowing up your former masters. Summary: Experience sensory overload with shoot-em-up master Cave's Akai Katana. Of course, they don't go down without a fight. It's a variation of Origin mode, except there are more-complex bullet patterns to avoid, and a lot more of them. Average Player Score You also have the option to use a special support character called a phantom, whom you can call upon to dish out some mega-damage. It's enough to make you forget that Akai Katana Shin is otherwise a very short game; with just six stages and a handful of bosses to battle, you can whiz through it in under an hour. Akai Katana … Daeruna's back, and we can safely say: Sometimes being wrong is the best thing ever! Akai Katana is a perfectly fun arcade shooter that unfortunately took a wrong turn on the way to your Xbox 360. You'll want to go back after finishing it, though, thanks to integrated online leaderboards that remind you of just how many points you could be getting. Akai Katana – review Xbox 360, Rising Star, Cert: 12, out now Will Freeman. Akai Katana has its own rhythm that, if followed, unleashes giant blood swords that crawl through every enemy in sight. … If you ration out your special ability, an extra layer of strategy is added to the action, making it more than just a test of your reflexes. Prepare for a new … on May 17, 2012 at 6:01AM PDT. Akai Katana is a side scrolling shmup, with planes, tanks, ships, and massive amounts of bullets. Which is good, because Akai Katana … May 17, 2012 5:53am. By. When playing as your phantom, you also have the option of collecting Katana Shins that are dropped by enemies when you shoot them in defence mode. 3.75 out of 5 stars from 3220 reviews 3,220. Sadly, arcades have been in the decline for years and most likely, you may have missed it. (This review … Classic Game Room presents a CGRundertow review of Akai Katana for XBox 360. On the XBox 360, Akai Katana offers three modes: Origin, Climax and Slash. In attack mode, you gather energy and move more slowly, and in defence mode, you gather steel and move faster. Akai Katana – Review. Mark is a senior staff writer based out of the UK, the home of heavy metal and superior chocolate. Load up Slash mode and a whole heap of new features adds a huge amount of depth. Do Wonder Woman Movies Really Need a Big Fight at the End? Akai Katana Shin is challenging but also satisfying to play. Still, it's an enjoyable effort, if not an amazing one. Set in a parallel world resembling Japan's Taisho period, this game focuses on a small band of rebels … You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Akai Katana review. There are a number of planes and pilots to choose from, offering a variety of shot types and subweapons, … That's just the tip of the iceberg in Akai Katana Shin. Akai Katana is a horizontal shooter instead of a vertical shooter like the other two, but it’s still pretty consistent with the other games. Akai Katana is a side-scrolling shoot-‘em-up-everything-explodes sort of game released exclusively on Xbox 360.Akai Katana places gamers in a parallel world resembling Japan’s Taisho (a.k.a. While I might not be the best versed in the genre’s long history, I do recognize that the domestic market has seen more shooters in the past five years than it has in ages. It's versatile, challenging and very rewarding once you hit the trance state required to dodge everything. Share on Facebook. Privacy Policy, Now Playing: Akai Katana Shin Video Review. Akai Katana is a horizontally scrolling shooter, of the sort that can trace its lineage back to R-Type and beyond. This affects which pickups you receive, as well as the speed of your ship. What exactly you can do with the phantom depends on what mode you're in. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Set in a parallel world resembling Japan's Taisho period, this game focuses on a small band of rebels fighting back against a tyrannical empire. Great Righteousness) period (1912 to 1926). You're encouraged to strategize and plan out where flipping back and forth between defence and attack modes, and between the phantom and your fighter, nets you the highest scores. Okay, so I could have just bought a Japanese 360 but even I have my limits. Resident Evil Village Release Date Is May 7, PS4/Xbox One Versions Confirmed, PS5 Restock Updates: Check Latest Stock, Updates, And More, Xbox Series X Restocks: Check Availability Here, By Time it just right and move in close enough, and you can net a huge score bonus, which is represented by hundreds of spinning golden coins that fill the screen in a frenzy of sparkles. I see the bullets in my dreams. The who and why are buried in the manual; all you're given is a choice between three different rebels, each with their own craft and special power. Akai Katana Review by Sean Smith on . So that's pretty cool. The Reality. Akai Katana is a perfectly fun arcade shooter that unfortunately took a wrong turn on the way to your Xbox 360. Robert Workman - May 15, 2012. Akai Katana (赤い刀, Red Katana) is a bullet hell shooter video game developed by Cave that was released on August 20, 2010 in arcades.A video game console port, Akai Katana Shin (赤い刀 真), was … The slightest twitch of your thumb can take you from a dangerous situation to a high-scoring one. Akai Katana, a Cave shooter. Here, your ship has two modes, attack and defence, which are activated by holding down the attack button or by pressing it repeatedly. Overall, Akai Katana is a great release on the Xbox 360, and since it’s been localized in every territory, it should be relatively easy to find a copy at a really good price. Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. Akai Katana review. For Akai Katana on the Xbox 360, GameFAQs has 50 cheat codes and secrets, 50 achievements, 1 review, and 16 critic reviews. It's an addictive and entertaining experience that keeps you wanting just one more go until you get it spot-on. Sorry, but you can't access this content! Those bullets are put to good use throughout all six of Akai Katana Shin's stages, where you pilot your fighter across great-looking retro 2D backdrops set across land, sea, and air, and blow the living crap out of a range of tanks, planes, and turrets. Where to Buy 2021 Gaming Laptops with the Newest GeForce RTX 3060, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080 Video Cards, Here's Why Tom Holland Was Confident He'd Landed the Role of Spider-Man, Microsoft Not Changing Xbox Live Gold Pricing, Free-to-Play Games Unlocked, Here's what George Clooney Learned After Batman & Robin Bombed, The Complicated Comics History Behind WandaVision's Pregnancy Storyline. Created specifically with the Xbox 360 in mind, Akai Katana is the first CAVE release to feature horizontal combat in sumptuous HD and eye-watering full 16:9 support. May 16, 2012 . … We encourage you to read our updated PRIVACY POLICY and COOKIE POLICY. Hell, the first thing I said when I started up Mushihimesama was, … The … The similarities end there, however, as Akai Katana has a lot more to offer in terms of scoring and surviving. But the shooting is so tight and the stages so well designed that it reminds you that sometimes you don't need a revolution in game design to have a great time. There are streams of bullets to negotiate, some of which create mazelike patterns for you to navigate your way through, while others home in on you, requiring you to weave your way through the tightest of spaces to survive. ... Akai Katana is definitely that. GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. Akai Katana Shin (known simply as Akai Katana in the UK) is the latest in the studio's line of psychedelic, 2D arcade shooters to make its way to the Xbox 360, bringing with it an impressive … Rising Star Games, how I love thee. Game: Akai Katana. The plot is more convoluted bullshit about teenage pilots who are … By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Player Reviews. Akai Katana is one of the latter type, which arguably suits the home consoles more given that your TV is the right shape for it. You have three lives with which to make it through to the end of a stage, as well as three smart bombs that destroy all the bullets onscreen and deal damage to enemies. 0 Summary: Unleash the power of the Blood Katana The Empires war has ravaged the world and the people are suffering in its relentless pursuit of domination using the feared Blood Katanas. Akai Katana Shin (known simply as Akai Katana in the UK) is the latest in the studio's line of psychedelic, 2D arcade shooters to make its way to the Xbox 360, bringing with it an impressive array of gloriously over-the-top visuals, expertly crafted stages, and a lot of depth that make chasing high scores an absolute blast. There are still plenty of fans out there who appreciate a good “shmup” — shoot ‘em up, for … If there is one genre of games that this generation of consoles has not been kind to it's the shoot-'em up. And if you're wondering just how to reach the really high scores, you can replay other players' games in their entirety, as well as upload your own runs for others. Terms of Use and Reviewed on: X360; Akai Katana Shin is a well-crafted dose of over-the-top bullet-hell action. Akai Katana – Review Akai-Katana_4.bin. Things Ghost of Tsushima Doesn't Tell You, Three game modes: Original arcade mode, Slash Mode (optimized for Xbox 360), and super hard Climax Mode. By Jason Andrews | Published: May 10, 2012. Tweet on Twitter. What could have been an inexpensive downloadable game is a $40 retail … Japanese developers, Cave, are best known for their manic full-on arcade shoot em ups and more recently Akai Katana – … Unleash the power of the Blood Katana The Empires war has ravaged the world and the people are suffering in its relentless pursuit of domination using the feared Blood Katanas. Akai Katana Review. Sat 19 May 2012 19.04 EDT First published on Sat 19 May 2012 19.04 EDT. And that's what Akai Katana Shin is all about really, the never-ending chase of that elusive number one spot on the leaderboards. Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Akai Katana is a top-down shooter with the Bullet Hell play style, meaning the ship has a specific area called the "hit box" that needs to be maneuvered through a maze of bullets and enemies. 0 … 'Akai Katana' Review - Victory Is Up To You Jason Cipriano 05/23/2012. Akai Katana for Xbox 360 game reviews & Metacritic score: Unleash the power of the Blood Katana The Empires war has ravaged the world and the people are suffering in its relentless … Available on: Xbox 360 Only. Publisher: Rising Star Games. Developer: Cave. Requiring human sacrifices to unleash their immense destructive power, they have been used by the empire to … Thursday 17 May 2012 11:00. Experience sensory overload with shoot-em-up master Cave's Akai Katana. Whichever mode you play in, a friend can jump in for some offline two-player action, and there are separate sets of leaderboards dedicated to two-player runs to try to reach the top of. The player … If you find yourself hitting the top of the leaderboards too often and fancy more of a challenge, check out Climax mode. Sure, there's nothing in the game that pushes the genre forward in any significant way, and its release at retail rather than as a downloadable game feels like a way to charge a little more cash than it's short length is worth. Once you've gathered enough, you can unleash them upon unsuspecting enemies for a gratuitous, neon-blast of an attack that nets you an even bigger score bonus. In Origin mode (a straight port of the arcade original), your phantom can deflect bullets, but only for as long as you have energy, which you collect from destroyed enemies. It's fiendishly difficult, but a great challenge for those with the requisite skills. People have discovered the powerful Blood Swords, the titular Akai Katana. Akai Katana was released in 2010 to the arcades. Nothing quite like a good old-fashioned shoot-'em-up to get your pulse racing and your twitching... Great feeling of accomplishment when you make your way through one of the iceberg in Akai,... 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