Battle Garegga
A vertically scrolling shooter with adjustable difficulty and realistic bullet colors.
Battle Garegga is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Raizing and published by Eighting in 1996. A port to the Sega Saturn was released in 1998, and an updated version, Battle Garegga Rev.2016, followed in 2016. The game is notable for its adjustable difficulty system and a spiritual successor, Battle Bakraid, released in 1999.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Raizing; M2 (Rev.2016)
- Director
- Kazuyuki Nakashima
- Programmer
- Shinobu Yagawa
- Yasunari Watanabe
- Yūichi Ochiai
- Artist
- Shinsuke Yamakawa; M. Tatsuda
- Composer
- Manabu Namiki
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Saturn
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Genre
- Bullet hell, scrolling shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player's main shot can be supplemented by up to four support pods, called Options, which are obtained by collecting green Option power-ups. These Options can be arranged in one of five preset formations, and additional secret formations are accessible by dropping a certain number of power-ups before collecting the next. Both the main shot and Options are fired by holding the A button. When a regular enemy on the ground is destroyed, a red Small Bomber token appears. Collecting enough Small Bombers grants one Large Bomber token, but the player may use Small Bombers without a full Large Bomber in stock; the bomb's duration or strength is reduced according to the percentage of a full bomb used. Up to five Large Bombers can be held at once, after which each Small token is worth 100 points. Power-ups and medals drop from popcorn enemies in a fixed order. Each collected Medal increases the value of the next spawned Medal, from 100 to 10,000 points, but if a medal falls off the bottom of the screen, the next Medal spawns at the lowest value. Medals can also appear when a bomb is used on certain scenery. The game features an adjustable difficulty system that increases based on player actions, such as firing, powering up the main weapon, and picking up items. Losing a life decreases the difficulty, with a greater decrease if the player has fewer lives remaining. This system encourages players to keep themselves powered down, conserve shots, and lose lives intentionally to keep later stages playable, though finishing the game in one life is possible with detailed knowledge of the rank system and an ultra-prudent playstyle. Unlike most scrolling shooters, bullets are realistically colored, making them hard to see against the background, and exploding enemies create debris that further obscures incoming fire. The Type 2 version alleviates this somewhat by replacing most standard bullets with yellow dots.
Plot
Mathew Wayne, a mechanical genius from a small country town, passed his skills to his sons Brian and Jason. After taking over his automobile factory, the brothers became renowned and accepted a contract from the Federation to produce military vehicles. The Federation later used these weapons to ravage towns, including the brothers' home town. Taking up planes never submitted to the Federation, the Wayne brothers prepare to stop the Federation's scheme.
Release
The original arcade game was released on February 3, 1996, and the Sega Saturn version followed on February 26, 1998. The Saturn version has become rare, listed at £100 in the United Kingdom in 2014. It is the final game on the Saturn, and on any Sega console, to be published by Electronic Arts. In December 2016, M2 released Battle Garegga Rev.2016 for PlayStation 4 under their M2 Shot Triggers label, with an Xbox One version and an English version for both platforms released the following year.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine’s March 15, 1996 issue ranked Battle Garegga as the month’s eighth top-grossing arcade title. The Sega Saturn version received a perfect 8/10 from each of three critics at Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine. German publication Maniac gave the Saturn port a 57% score, while the PS4 version earned 81%. Famitsu rated Battle Garegga Rev.2016 at 32 out of 40. Hardcore Gaming 101 declared it “an absolute classic” in 2012. Eurogamer noted in 2016 that despite “routine, slightly drab looks,” the game possesses “exquisite artistic intention.” IGN Japan awarded the PS4 version 8.9 out of 10. Push Square called the PS4 release “an acquired taste these days” but affirmed that Battle Garegga remains “a defining release in the shmup canon” and “the best way to experience it.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Battle Garegga?
Battle Garegga was directed by Kazuyuki Nakashima.
Who composed the music for Battle Garegga?
The music for Battle Garegga was composed by Manabu Namiki.
Is Battle Garegga single-player or multiplayer?
Battle Garegga offers single-player and multiplayer play.
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