I accidentally bought Star Soldier R over the holiday weekend. No, seriously. I was punching through "OK" buttons, including the amusing warning of the nature of the game Nintendo posts before you get to the purchase screen, to get to the last screen where you see the block count; I reflexively moved my pointer over to the other side and clicked as one often does to back out of a long string of dialogs. Unfortunately, the final confirmation screen swaps the affirmative and dissident buttons, and I found myself 800 points down. Whoops.
Thankfully, it's not as if I didn't want the game; I did, just maybe not right now considering all the other games I have to play. But Star Soldier R's unique challenge-only gameplay, which primarily consists of a one-level mode that runs out at 2 minutes and a two-level mode that tops out at 5, actually fits rather nicely in just about any bite-sized hole in one's day. It's like a concentrated burst of shmup sweetness; each time running through to try to do a little bit better than the time before.
R isn't particularly difficult; its draw is its large headroom for improvement. You'll never die; you simply lose accumulated power as you take hits or—if you've taken one too many hits already—blow up, losing precious time and pickups while you wait to respawn. Taking hits reduces your ability to rack up big points, which of course is dependent on your shooting skill; the end result is that you can always do better by dodging and firing more efficiently.
I do feel that for 800 points, though, I would have liked a ten-minute mode with a third level. Not that I've managed to beat the dude at the end of the second level yet... but I want it anyway.
Thankfully, it's not as if I didn't want the game; I did, just maybe not right now considering all the other games I have to play. But Star Soldier R's unique challenge-only gameplay, which primarily consists of a one-level mode that runs out at 2 minutes and a two-level mode that tops out at 5, actually fits rather nicely in just about any bite-sized hole in one's day. It's like a concentrated burst of shmup sweetness; each time running through to try to do a little bit better than the time before.
R isn't particularly difficult; its draw is its large headroom for improvement. You'll never die; you simply lose accumulated power as you take hits or—if you've taken one too many hits already—blow up, losing precious time and pickups while you wait to respawn. Taking hits reduces your ability to rack up big points, which of course is dependent on your shooting skill; the end result is that you can always do better by dodging and firing more efficiently.
I do feel that for 800 points, though, I would have liked a ten-minute mode with a third level. Not that I've managed to beat the dude at the end of the second level yet... but I want it anyway.