Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Castle of Shikigami III Review for the Nintendo Wii

Castle of Shikigami III Review for the Nintendo Wii

Castle of Shikigami III is an arcade shooter. Fans of games like Ikaruga or even old school staples like Galaga and Sinistar will definitely appreciate this title for its retro appeal. But, for all the fun you might have playing this top-down shooter, you might find yourself feeling like this game is a little lacking. < /p>

Castle of Shikigami III screenshot

This title, like most that stem from arcade games, features very simple gameplay. You play as one of ten psychic fighters who can fly and shoot mental weaponry at enemies. Even though you play as a character, the in-game mechanics work like a vehicle. You have several “cannon-fire” type abilities of varying strength and spread depending on the character. You also have two special moves.

The core gameplay is one of the best things about this game. It works very well and feels like a very honest representation of the arcade experience. The level design also has a very classic feel to it and features top-down environments with exploding obstacles, immobile barriers, and of course, opposition fire.

The core gameplay is one of the best things about this game. It works very well and feels like a very honest representation of the arcade experience. The level design also has a very classic feel to it and features top-down environments with exploding obstacles, immobile barriers, and of course, opposition fire.

Castle of Shikigami III screenshot

However, the game’s appeal stops there. Once you get past the initial euphoria induced by such a faithful representation of the arcade experience, you’re not left with much else. The problem with Castle of Shikigami III is that, like many retro-inspired titles, it is content to stay stagnant with mediocrity; there are far too few levels and no real variation.

The game features two main single-player modes: the Classic single-player and the all-new Dramatic Change mode. These two modes are essentially the same and have identical levels with no real variation in gameplay. The only difference between the two modes is that you can only be one character in the Classic single-player mode, and in the Dramatic Change mode you have the option to switch back and forth between two characters. There is also a two-player co-op mode that lets you team up with a friend and play through the levels, but they are still the same as those in the single-player modes.

Castle of Shikigami III screenshot

Controls in this game are pretty good, but only because you are afforded so many control options. You are able to use the Wii-mote on its side, the Classic Controller, or the GameCube Controller. The Wii-Mote is probably the simplest control scheme and lets you use the two numeral buttons for different attacks as well as the D-pad to move around. While this is certainly the most intuitive and easiest-to-pick-up control scheme, the D-pad does not give you enough precision when you are floating around the field. Luckily, the other two control schemes offer the joystick-like precision of the analog stick that this arcade-style game demands.

Castle of Shikigami III screenshot

The visuals in this game are fairly good and complement the vintage gameplay. While this title won’t win any technical merits, the look of the game works well enough. Character animations are smooth, and the levels are presented in a semi-3D environment. One cool element of this title is the ability to turn your widescreen TV on its side to get the full classic experience. Although this title is not the first to utilize this feature, it is pretty cool, nonetheless.

Sound in this title is really bad. The game features some very repetitive background music and has an amazingly bad voice over. However, I’ll have to say the horrifyingly bad voice work adds to the overwhelming kitsch-factor of the title and actually serves the game rather well. The characters’ emotions range from comically melodramatic to hilariously emotionless and flat. I don’t know whether the terrible voice work was intentional or not, but this game’s sound fondly reminded me of the terrible voice work in some of the old Resident Evil games; it was so bad, it ended up being good.

Castle of Shikigami III is a great title for people who enjoy the occasional classic, arcade-style game. However, it has a decided lack of content and doesn’t offer much beyond the initial experience. It is definitely not a bad title and the gameplay is solid. Still, this title would have been vastly improved if there were more levels or modes to extend the gameplay experience.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.5 Graphics
Top-down graphics feel very retro. They don’t technically impress, but they get the job done. 3.7 Control
Controlling with just the Wii-mote feels imprecise, but the option to use the Classic Controller is a great alternative. 3.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Yes, the voice over is bad, but it’s charming nonetheless. 2.0

Play Value
Levels are far too repetitive. The character dialogue between levels may change as you play with different people, but after you play through all the levels one time, you won’t want to revisit this castle.

3.2 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Tension bonus system is built on your proximity to the enemy.
  • Ten memorable characters, each with specific weapons and powers.
  • 55 possible story combinations.
  • Exclusive, console-only Dramatic Change mode allows players to switch between characters in the middle of a fight.

  • To top