Giga Wing 2
Giga Wing 2
Developed by Takumi. Published by Capcom. Released in 2001. Rated “E” by Everyone.
Giga Wing 2 is another high quality 2D shooter from Capcom and Takumi. The Giga Wing series is famous for bullets flying everywhere, and the main characters having shields that absorb and reflect enemy bullets. This second installment of Giga Wing takes the basic game play of the first game, throws in some beautiful 3D backgrounds, the ability to play up to 4 players at once, and continues the trends of unlocking different artworks, having multiple endings, and offering players a great time!
Game Play:
There’s war in the sky, and only the elite Giga Wing pilots can put a stop to it! There are five different characters to choose from, each one’s ship having a different attack pattern. You’ve got homing lasers, heavy bombs, and the traditional straight shot. There are 7 stages to shoot through, though the last 3 stages are just boss fights. The game boasts arcade mode, score attack mode, and a gallery to see the characters’ endings and special preliminary sketches. The ability to have 4 players play at once is a huge selling point for this game, and it is just bullet madness with 4 planes flying around and blasting at the same time. The game is a bit on the short side, but it provides fast and fun thrills.
The game does suffer from some slowdown, especially when it gets really frantic with 4 players playing at once. However, this is common in many shooters and it doesn’t really detract much, if anything, from the game play. With so much going on at once, a little slow down can sometimes be a breath of fresh air!
Controls:
The controls are simple and very easy to learn. You have your standard rapid fire, force bombs, and your reflection technique. I found the controls easy to pick up. Holding down the A button allows the player to use the reflection shield, and this is a vital part of the game. After you use it however, you must wait a short while before being able to use it again.
Graphics:
Taking a rapid departure in graphics from the first game, this game features some very impressive 3D backgrounds. Players will fly through towns, fortresses, and other war torn areas. The backgrounds are not as varied as the first game (fire, water, and ice backgrounds for example), but they look amazing here. The bullets are as colorful as they are plentiful, as well.
Characters also have hand drawn endings and in between level pictures, and the style is quite nice.
Sound:
Another departure from the original Giga Wing, the soundtrack is an, almost orchestral, opera like score. It does fit the mood of the game though, and while none of the music is terribly memorable, it’s by no means a bad soundtrack. I applaud the developers for trying something different than the standard techno, electronic soundtrack. I do, however, prefer the original Giga Wing’s Soundtrack. Unfortunately, the English version of the game does not feature voices for the characters.
Replay:
The different endings and artwork in the gallery mode will keep players coming back. You can only get some endings by playing two players and having teams of two different characters. This greatly ups the number of endings, and does add some needed replay value to the game. As with most shooters though, the replay lies in the act of trying to beat the game using only one credit on harder and harder difficulties. And, while this game is no walk in the park by any means, it’s not excruciatingly hard either. Plus, the added 4 player mode is just the icing on the cake.
With more and more shooters still becoming available for the Dreamcast in 2007, Giga Wing 2 is still a solid choice for those not wanting to spend a load of money on a 2D shooter. It doesn’t come as cheap as the original, but it can still be found cheaper then the recent shooters to come out in the last few years. The fun game play and the added 4-player support makes this a very worthwhile purchase. It’s great for a quick blast of fun, and also a fun multiplayer title. Make sure you give this one a try!
Scores:
Game play: B
Controls: B
Graphics: D+
Sound: D+
Replay: C+
Overall: C+
History:
-Harder to find then the original, but worth the search.
This review is copyright 2007 by Rodger S. and is hosted and maintained exclusively at Dreamcast Magic.
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