Cotton Reboot! Switch XCI Free Download Romslab

Cotton Reboot! Switch XCI Free Download Witches and shoot ’em ups have proven to be an enduring alchemy for gaming’s prevailing niche, with the likes of Magical Chase, Gunbird, Deathsmiles and Trouble Witches casting a spell of bullet patterns over several generations of gamer. Success Corp. released Magical Night Dreams Cotton in 1991. One of the earliest examples of the “witch ’em up” and an IP that would go on to have a surprisingly long shelf life, the series has appeared on a host of different consoles. Sharp’s X68000 computer was first to receive an arcade port, followed by the PC Engine and PlayStation. The Super Famicom and Sega Saturn were privy to original, increasingly visually impressive 2D titles, while The Mega Drive and Dreamcast adapted the format into a 3D rail-shooter mini-series of two. ROMSLAB.COM Best Switch Games

Cotton Reboot! Switch XCI Free Download Romslab

The last Cotton game appeared on SNK’s ill-fated Neo Geo Pocket handheld, the only shmup in the console’s library. In 2019, BEEP, a Japanese software retailer, released a special edition version of the X68000’s Cotton port on floppy disk. The venture, both ultra-retro cool and slightly crazed, isn’t the first time BEEP has achieved such a feat, releasing shoot ’em up Valist Leznalt in the same format a year prior. Cotton’s re-release has now coasted onto Switch, PS4 and Steam in the form of Cotton Reboot!, and is slated for a forthcoming western localisation courtesy of ININ Games.

Bullets and Broomsticks

BEEP’s opting to port the X68000 version over the arcade original is thanks to its graphical superiority, exclusive bosses and new attack patterns. It is, definitively, the best version of Success’s original game, and the refined colour arrangement is buttery-gorgeous. The special edition features a graphically-enhanced Arrange mode in 16:9 widescreen, a near-perfect version of the X68000 original, and a ‘Caravan’ mode that gives you either two or five minutes to accrue points on a specially prepared stage. Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut Switch NSP 

Cotton Reboot! Switch XCI Free Download Romslab

The X68000 original is a prize of early ’90s pixel art; its sunsetting, frame-worthy opening title screen launching you into an enchanting world of night. A straightforward horizontal-scrolling shoot-em-up featuring a blazing red-haired witch on a broomstick, the game’s rendering – a pastiche of horror tropes and cartoony eccentricities – is colourful and rich in character. With nicely-defined enemies and objects, the first stage’s lake, twinkling beneath silhouetted houses and a pre-Majora’s Mask evil moon, sets the tone well. It treads a fine line between sinister visual material – some of its bosses being particularly menacing – while staying playful with its protagonist, her fairy sidekick Silk, and a series of comedic anime cutscenes.

Rebooting A Classic

Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams was already an excellent SHMUP before receiving a face-lift. Cotton Reboot! brings the game up to date in more than a few ways while still providing an adorable good time. A few elements that remain perhaps should have considered updating as well, however. You play as Cotton, a young witch just looking for her next candy fix. When a fairy named Silk finds her and begs for her help saving the fairy world, Cotton is less than impressed. Not her problem. The promise of mystical fairy candy changes things quickly, however, and soon the two are a team. They’ll have to fight through seven stages of crazy enemies to get all the candy back. Seers Isle Switch NSP

Cotton Reboot! Switch XCI Free Download Romslab

There are two main modes here. A port of the X6800 version of the game lets you relive the series’ past. It still looks and sounds great after all these years. Controls are tight. There’s a reason this series is still around after all these years. The game also oozes personality, with wacky and fun enemies fitting together wonderfully. Cotton manages to find a nice balance of making things fun while not going too over the top. The main attraction for most here, however, will be the updated version. This is no small upgrade. While many things are quite similar, from the levels you play to the bosses you fight, the development team wasn’t afraid to shake things up. Mostly for the better, though there are a few issues.

Up Your Score

Scoring also has received a big update. As you kill enemies, they’ll drop a wide variety of colored gems. Some of these just provide points, while others have bomb attacks that can do massive damage. In addition to picking them up, however, you can shoot them to power them up. After enough shots, you can even get a new black gem in the reboot, which provides a huge scoring boost. It offers a nice risk vs. reward when you have to decide the right time to grab them. Senran Kagura Peach Ball Switch NSP

Cotton Reboot! Switch XCI Free Download Romslab

If your score gets high enough, you can also power up your shots. While attacking in the original game feels fairly controlled, here, your shots spread far wider and can fill the screen when powered up. Enemies have been expanded to compensate, however.

Most of the game’s original enemies have glorious updates here. Every level looks fantastic, though, at times, I wished a few of them had been kept a bit more simple. There are certainly levels where I couldn’t tell if I was able to go into an area because it looks busy enough and like a barrier. Thankfully you don’t take damage from touching the walls here. Shin Megami Tensei III NOCTURNE HD REMASTER Switch

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