Castle of Shikigami III
A bullet hell shooter with unique character pairings and a tension bonus system.
Castle of Shikigami III is a bullet hell shooter originally released in Japanese arcades in 2005, later ported to Windows, Xbox 360, and Wii. It is the fourth game in the Shikigami no Shiro series, following two shooters and a spin-off adventure game. The Wii version, published in North America by Aksys Games with an English voice dub, launched on May 13, 2008.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Alfa System
- Skonec; Barnhouse Effect (Xbox 360)
- Cosmo Machia (Steam)
- Genre
- Scrolling shooter
- Modes
- Single player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Microsoft Windows
- Xbox 360
- Wii
- Arcade system
- Taito Type X
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The game retains the core mechanics of its shooter predecessors, featuring five levels each split into two parts with a boss at the end of each part. Cutscenes with character-specific dialogue occur before major bosses and between levels; the publisher states that 55 different scenarios exist based on character pairings. Each character has a primary standard attack activated by tapping or holding the fire button, and a secondary shikigami attack activated by holding the fire button or a dedicated console button. The shikigami attack is often more powerful but slows or stops the character; each character has two variants chosen at the start. Bombs, limited in supply, also have unique effects per character. Coins are released by enemies destroyed with normal or shikigami attacks (not bombs) and are collected automatically. Destroying an enemy with a shikigami attack increases the coin bonus by 10 points per coin collected, up to 10,000 points. The Tension Bonus System (TBS) returns: grazing enemy bullets strengthens weapons and multiplies score. Players can expend a bomb for automatic TBS, increasing normal shot rate and damage. At stage end, coin bonuses from defeating enemies at maximum Tension are added to the score. Hi-Tension Max, activated with one bomb stock, causes enemies to drop more coins. Colliding with an enemy bullet or object costs a life unit; the game ends when the life bar reaches zero. Up to three lives can be stored, and being hit grants one extra bomb. Bomb stock is replenished by accumulating score, with a maximum of five bombs. If a boss is not destroyed when the timer reaches zero, an invulnerable ghost chases the player; after a certain time, the boss is killed.
Characters
Koutaro Kuga, the series protagonist, has returned weaker after the death of his longtime shikigami, Sazae. He still mistakenly calls for Sazae, causing blunders, and now works as a translator and interpreter. Sayo, a shrine maiden resurrected by fusing with Sazae, feels jealous and guilty watching Koutaro's grief; she travels with him because their battle potential is halved alone. Her kimono tends to slip off her shoulder. He dislikes Emilio's nationalism, considers foreign guests demons, and has petitioned for orders to subjugate them. He prefers hard liquor. He uses a demon called Devour that can change shapes, and is described as stubborn, proud, and fixated on authority, with a tendency to look down on commoners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Castle of Shikigami III?
Castle of Shikigami III was developed by Alfa System, Skonec and Barnhouse Effect (Xbox 360), Cosmo Machia (Steam).
What platforms is Castle of Shikigami III available on?
Castle of Shikigami III was released for Arcade, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Wii.
Is Castle of Shikigami III single-player or multiplayer?
Castle of Shikigami III offers single player and multiplayer play.
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