User Reviews (1 - 11 of 17)

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did i miss the turn??

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 17
Date: October 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

when i first got this game I thought It was going to be like Gundam side story 0079, where your in the cockpit. i'm warning you if your looking for a good graphics high detail ms combat game, this ain't it. It has game boy graphics and little realism, plus bangai-o, the cool mobile suit(ms), is a speck on the viewscreen. but if your two years old get this and giggle. otherwise trust me.

44 levels? That must be a shooter record.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: July 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Yep, 44 levels in a shooter. Luckily, the gameplay is a blast and you'll be wishing there were even more. If Treasure would just make a sequel with say, 2-4 players, now that would be pure insanity. Casual gamers will probably have enough play time by renting the game, but hardcore players will want keep coming back to top their highest scores. One tiny gripe Crave, why'd you change the kanji?

good but odd

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: August 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

in bangai-o your a robot and you go around on inclosed levels and
shoot bad guy robots and get to the finish.its odd but not 2 bad

Great game big on play

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This Is a great shooter for anyone who loves shooters. I wish the graphics were a little larger, with so much happening on screen it can be a little hard to see. If you can get past that, this is a fun involving shooter with plenty to see and do. I love the idea of anime style robots with very cool weapons like a missile that bounces off walls and a multi missile that blasts the heck out of everything! This is a great game for Dreamcast to get, anyone who loves a good shooter should pick it up.

So simple, it's brilliant.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

At times, this glorious 2-D explosion-fest can be more addictive than any drug. It'll have you saying "Just one more level and then I'll stop" and "I'll try it just once more, well maybe twice" with alarming frequency.

Unlike traditional shooters, Bangai-O lets you roam around freely without a self-scrolling screen to push you along. You can move in any direction and shoot in any direction simultaneously (the control scheme is just like that of Smash TV, Midway's brilliant arcade game from 1990 or so). The flying mech you pilot, as well as the majority of your targets, are understandably small; the screen sometimes has to accomodate much more chaos and firepower than you'd think could be produced by such tiny combatants. You've got two standard weapons to choose from...homing missiles and ricocheting lasers...and each of them can be launched in a screen-clearing orgy of mass destruction which increases in size and proportion to the number of enemies and amount of gunfire already on-screen. The tiny bit of slowdown that sometimes occurs when you use your special attacks just makes it more dramatic. Watch your score rise faster than gasoline prices as literally dozens upon dozens (sometimes even hundreds!) of projectiles wipe out everything in sight, then grab the space fruit like a malnourished Pac-Man for still more points.

Some of the game's 44 levels have puzzles involving bombs, falling blocks, and one-way doors. Others are just all-out carnage. The balance between the two is struck admirably. In each level you'll face a boss after a brief conversation with him/her/it. This is where the game's oddball sense of humor really shines. My favorite is the boss whose "dialogue" consists of childish drawings instead of words. The Japanese to English translation is pretty weak, but that just adds to the quirkiness of the experience.

Flaws? There are a few, but nothing major. The biggest one is the fact that some bosses simply don't fight; they remain motionless and make no attempt to stop you from perforating them. You might have some remaining normal enemies to contend with, but still, that kinda kills the fun. Also, the health boosters don't exactly grow on trees, and there aren't any extra modes or features...but are they really necessary? Not in this game they aren't. Bangai-O is still very satisfactory, and who knows how many more games of its type we'll see once the PlayStation 2, X-Box, and GameCube are dominating the marketplace with 3-D games that bore everyone half to death?

Bangai-O is a great reason to own a Dreamcast. Shooter fans in particular are well-advised to pick it up.

The Time of Your Life Blowing Stuff Up

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: March 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The Sega Dreamcast has become somewhat of a shooter's haven: GigaWing, Gunbird 2, Cannon Spike, Mars Matrix, and now Bangai-O. The lastest masterpiece from developer Treasure (the makers of the legendary Radiant Silvergun), Bangai-O continues the grateful trend of 2D, skill-based, twitch-style shooting gameplay that harkens to the old-school days of games like Defender and Sinistar, with some new twists that could only be possible on Sega's 128-bit machine.

Bangai-O is full of bizarre, anime-style quirk. You control the Bangai-O, a weapon-laden mech piloted by a brother and sister team, Riki and Mami of the planet Dan Star, and careen into battle against the evil, fruit-hording SF Kosmo Gang. Yep -- fruit. You fly around a Joust-style level, using Robotron-style controls (d-pad to move, ABXY buttons to shoot, press two at once to fire diagonally...trust me, it's easy once you get the hang of it), blowing up everything that moves or doesn't move -- enemy robots, walls, buildings -- and picking up the fruit left behind (shades of Ms. Pac-Man). Doing so nets you points and also builds your Scatter Bomb meter, a wonderful device that enables the Bangai-O to literally fill the screen with rockets or lasers. The amount of destruction the Scatter Bomb deals is affected by how many enemies and enemy bullets are near the Bangai-O, which can result in a screen filled to the corners with beautiful missiles and explosions. It can also be used as a defensive device, for it wipes out enemy projectiles as well. You can choose either Riki or Mami to pilot the Bangai-O and switch at any time. When Riki's at the helm, the Bangai-O releases a swarm of homing missiles. Choose Mami, and your weapon becomes reflecting lasers that rebound off any surface (nice in tight tunnels).

Bangai-O is a strictly linear game. You progress through a timed level, fight a boss, and continue on, destruction in your wake. However, there are over FORTY levels, and they are not easy. This is a game that will take a while to complete. And when you do, there is significant replay value: Your score is not cumulative; rather, it resets at the start of each new level, and you are able to replay any level once you complete it, using the unlocked map to explore areas you might have missed. In addition, you score bonuses for how many accumulated explosions you cause and if you manage to complete a level undamaged. The goal to beat your own score, or your friends', is a very welcome feature.

Yes, the graphics are 2D, so gamers used to 3D will probably grimace at the pixelated visuals. The anime cutscenes are REALLY strange (Riki yells at Mami "What kind of name is Bangai-O for a robot?!!?", there's a sheep named Montgomery from Mongolia, a certain boss wonders if he shouldn't have become a lawyer, and whenever Bangai-O dies you're treated to an anime portrait of Riki dancing naked through a garden while an alien takes a photograph) and aren't for everyone. The game's sheer difficulty level will be a turn-off for some, and a multiplayer mode would have been welcome (though you can trade the controller between friends in a scoring competition). However, there's no slowdown, even when the screen is choked with 700 rockets, and the music is great. Shooter fans will adore this game for its emphasis on blowing stuff up and reflex-driven action, with strategy and even some puzzle elements entering the fray. Hats off to Conspiracy and Crave for releasing Bangai-O in the States -- it's got enough surreal charm, gameplay, and challenge to satisfy anyone looking for a fast-paced game with character and multiple explosions.

Treasure Fan

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: October 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Bangai-o has something that is quite rare in the world of 2-D shooters.... crazy replay value. First of all, it has over 40 levels! They are free roaming levels, so you control the pace at which you advance. You can play it safe and sound, or you can attack the enemy agressively. Here is the catch - and not understanding this principle will probably cause a gamer to hate the game: you have a super weapon, and it's power is directly related to the amount of enemy fire on the screen, how fast it's moving, and how close it is to you. The super weapon can be so powerful that on some of the later level it will become your primary weapon. Bangai-o puts more enemies and missiles on the screen at once than any game I have ever seen! It is a sight to behold, and a must play. The play mechanics are just so fun you will probably find yourself coming back over and over again just to replay a few levels and blow more stuff up. Also, the default control scheme sucks, go with the second option.

INNOVATION AT ITS PEAK

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was dying to get this game when it first came out for N64 in Japan, but I'm glad I waited for this DC version. First thing I have to let you know is that this is a TREASURE game, which is my favorite game company along with Konami. Treasure people were those who were responsible for games like Castlevania series, and they went out to form their own company, and believe me, every game they come up with is filled with innovation, which brings Bangaio to the spotlight.
Bangaio has very unique game play with 44 carefully crafted levels to explore through. You can switch between robots with either homing missiles and reflecting lazer beam. So if you are in open area, homing missiles could be more effective, and reflecing lazer in closed area. Switching them according to situation can be really fun. However, real fun comes when you go against a simple logic, logic which you are suppose to destroy enemy bullets as quickly as possible when you are allowed to with your homing/lazer, by waiting till the last minutes to be surrounded by countless enemy bullets.. now does this make any sense? You get to fire this special attack whenever you want to, but you get to fire more if you are being surrounded by more bullets. The maximum number of fire you can release is 400.. and just think about it; you are being surrounded by countless enemies/bullets and suddenly you are firing 400 missiles/lazer 360 degree!
I wouldn't call this game a classical/typical, but this is something which shouldn't be missed by shooter fan because it's not only innovative, but some levels are chanllenging enough for hardcore shooter fans. I hope that you wouldn't miss this opportunity to enjoy one of few good shooter available in the domestic gaming industry. Enjoy!

Bangai-O WOOHOO!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I've been eagerly awaiting this american release holding off on the import version, I can sum this up in three words for twitch gamers like myself and the other reviewers around me. 1-Treasure...2-2D shooter...and 3-This game is just pure fun!!! Now give us GIGA WING 2 right after MARS MATRIX and we'll all be happy twitch gamers!!!

A treasure to be trasured by Treasure

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Old school gamers remember 2D side scrolling shooters such as Contra or Radient Silvergun and those of you who have a Dreamcast know that it is getting loaded down with 2D shooters like Mars Matrix well old Schoolers prepare for the most fun playing Bangai-O

Gameplay 10/10
This game is the best 2D shooter I have ever played and I've played a lot of 2D shooters you fly through the levels in the side scrolling format the first few levels will make experinced shooter fans yawn but the humorous talk with the bosses and allies will get you through however you be fighting for your life. You have 2 characters to choose from Riki and Mami Riki uses homing missile ammo to destroy his foes this can be great in a wide open area and Mami uses laser shots that ricochet of of everything and are quite deadly in inclosed spaces but fear not you don't have to choose which one you wanna be you can switch on the fly this helps make the combat more insane and the game better speaking of the insane gameplay you will fight hundreds of enemies all at once and only a good trigger finger and knowing how to use your firepower will get you through the harder levels in the game if your not careful within seconds you can get blasted also the later bosses are challenging very much so but it is so much fun dodging there onslaught of firepower all the while blasting them then moving in to fire about 400 missles at once to finish them. 400 missiles!!! you say?how is that possiable???? you say? well one great thing about Bangai-O is that the more foes you are blasting at one time or destroying enemy fire or if there is tons of enemy fire heading your way the higher the explosion meter goes once it gets to three hundread something you can unleash a huge attack to destroy your enemies thus proving yourself worthy of the robots full name Invincable Explosion Bangai-O of course you can do this attack without having to have a huge explosion meter but it is more effective when the meter is way up there but be careful you have a limited amount of times you can use that huge attack but you can earn more ammo for it by destroying things however some bosses also can do this some watch out don't be too cautious

Graphics 5/10
Ok this is the games only flaw but it doesn't hold it back however if you crave good graphics look elsewhere these aren't that great to be honest because of the graphics I almost returned my copy of this game but by the time i got to the 3rd level i was having the time of my life this taught me graphics don't matter which is a lesson well learned for anyone

Story 10/10
Ok those of you who have played this game must be saying wtf?? but while the story is impossable to figure out besides deafeating the SF Cosmo gang it is filled with tons of humor the only bad thing is that this makes things very confusing but you don't play a shooter game for its story do you but what i can tell you about the story is that Riki is a member of the peoples police on a planet called Dan Star one day he runs into a member of the SF Cosmo Gang who then proceeds to beat him up and tells him the SF Cosmo Gang is gonna take over Dan Star and there is nothing he can do about it Riki then returns home battered and brused and sees his house smashed up and his dad beat up and his sister emerges from hiding to tell him what happened then their father tells them of a robot he was developing Bangai-O so they take the robot and head out to defeat the SF Cosmo Gang it's a very complex story lol

Length 10/10
This game has short but sometimes difficult stages and 44 stages in all however short they may seem it isn't everyone will find this game gets very difficult later on

Bottom Line 10/10
This is a truly great game which you entertain quite awhile

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