Brave Shot
Square Enix's first North American mobile shooter.
Brave Shot is a scrolling shooter mobile phone game developed and published by Square Enix on December 10, 2003, for the Verizon Wireless network in North America. It marked Square Enix's first entry into the North American mobile gaming market. The game features waves of enemy aircraft and screen-filling boss fights, with the player dodging fire while shooting.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Square Enix
- Genre
- Brave Shot
- Scrolling shooter
- Brave Shot 2
- Run and gun game
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Mobile phones
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Brave Shot is a vertical, 2D top-down shooter in the style of a bullet hell. The player controls a fighter aircraft that must destroy enemy alien ships appearing from the top of the screen. Waves of enemies appear, and the player must dodge their fire while destroying them. Because mobile phones cannot register more than one button input at a time, an auto-fire feature is present, allowing the player to move while shooting. Consequently, there are no strategic decisions about when to shoot, only about how to dodge and aim. The player's weapons can be upgraded with more powerful blasters that fire two additional shots at an angle, as well as bombs. Boss ships appear regularly and are large enough to fill the major part of the screen. There is no plot; the player simply fights back against alien ships.
Development
Brave Shot marked Square Enix's debut mobile game in North America, arriving after the company struck an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless for its Get It Now service. Announced on December 10, 2003, it was the first title released under that partnership. IGN noted the game launched quietly, though it later appeared at the Los Angeles E3 in May 2004. A sequel, Brave Shot 2, followed in September 2005, landing on Verizon's V Cast platform.
Reception
Critics had mixed reactions to Brave Shot. IGN found it to be a fun but not great game, describing it as a simple, easy-to-learn shooter with inconsistent difficulty. They praised the appealing visuals and screen-filling bosses as the highlight, but noted a jarring transition in the looping music from loud to quiet. A later comment called it a by-the-numbers shooter. GameSpot was more positive, placing it in the upper echelon of shooters and praising the frenetic action from the many on-screen shots. They also liked the graphics, but criticized the balance: some boss fights felt tedious, and the gun upgrade made much of the game too easy. Modojo’s Robert Falcon called it fast-paced and fun, yet simple and uninventive. The sequel, Brave Shot 2, earned IGN’s Best Action Game award at E3 2006, beating Splinter Cell Double Agent. GameSpot’s Steven Palley previewed it as one of the best-looking V Cast games, with 3D models that made it more exciting than the original, and praised the fun, varied boss fights.
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