SUCCESS/SKONEC - Arcade (jp only) - 2002

SUCCESS/SKONEC - Dreamcast (jp only) - 2/26/2004

SUCCESS/SKONEC - XBOX (jp only) - Oct 28, 2004

SUCCESS/SKONEC - PS2 (jp only; 2 versions)  -
Dec 09, 2004 (Psyvariar 2 Ultimate Final)
2004 (Psyvariar - Complete Edition)

Reviewed by Xaer0Knight.

There are some games that take games to another level and there are some that improve mechanics of a game system. I found this game by complete accident. This one has the same groundbreaking and innovative game system as Ikaruga. I played Ikaruga for the Gamecube and Dreamcast, and I was like "There will never be any shmup as good as this one." I thought I would never find a shmup that I would like more than Ikaruga. You don't have to have super cat like reflexes to enjoy this game and most casual gamers should pick up the system quite easy. This game yet short has all the factors of making it a classic and well sought after. 

THE STORY: ??

I have played this game from beginning to end. The game is in Japanese and read some of it via Babelfish and it seems to have a very in-depth story line. The following is what gamespot.com had to say: 

"The action is set in the future, where you're put into the confines of a powerful mech suit that's armed to the teeth. Much like all 2D shooters that have hit since the genre began, whatever narrative there is behind Psyvariar can be conveyed by the universal language of shooting everything up real good.

Such a simple description proves to be an equally apt descriptor for the game play in Psyvariar, which has you zipping around and blowing the hell out of anything and everything that comes your way. Psyvariar's unique game play twist comes from the evasion system and your ability to temporarily power your attacks when enemy bullets come close."

Since, I'm not very adept with the Japanese Language, can't give it an Rating.

SOUND AND BGM: 9

The music is can be very relaxing, soothing, and calming at most points. It doesn't have the driving old school sound of shooters but instead it has a lot pianos and techno. If you were at a club you could dance to most of the soundtrack. The sound effects are overall good, like a shmup should sound like.  The music fits the visuals very well. The explosions, they just are like any other shmup.

VISUALS:  10

The game has a striking resemblance to Ikaruga. The mix of metallic enemies and some soothing backdrops mixes really well. The combinations of stages in space and on earth adds to the mix, from light blue of sky and oceans of the earth to the blackness of space. The color of bullets from enemies and your mech, work well. Blues, Purples, Pinks, and Greens fell the screen and it seems that you know were they are at all times. The Lighting on your ship is draw great, every time you perform a buzz (a 1/4 circle on your d-pad), a pink halo forms around your ship, and when you hit an enemy while in a buzz, you'll shoot lightning. Even when your not buzzing you have a mellow colored halo around you ship. Awesome, more one that later. The explosions were created very nice, it seems that you can count the flames of each explosion as they fly off. Bombs are very bright and well rendered. The cut-scene for the level 2 boss was just awesome.

GAMEPLAY: 8

Learning Curve is about an 15 min ride. There are 2 selectable characters. The women named Kei ,21, agile and more suited for just shooting. Then we had a man called Yuhei ,21, slow and best for the buzzing ability. At least that's what the game said, I find it to be the other way around. I had to get used to dodging the bullets by buzzing. Buzzing is a great ability but it can get you killed really quick. Buzzing is an ability to dodge your mech, any direction, and doing so cause you to become some what godlike and allows your mech to spin. Doing so causes you to shoot a curly-looking pink bullet barrage and you will still keep spinning as long as you keep dodging. If you hit an enemy, lightning will shot out and strike some enemies down. The more you hit while buzzing the farther the lightning goes and the points rise and your level gage rises.  When this gauge maxes out, you are awarded a brief period of invincibility while you “level up”, which can be used to quickly refill the gauge or to escape from a tight spot. The gauge fills up in two ways: shooting enemies and Buzzing. To do this ability you got to keep making quarter circles (up to left, up to right, down to left, and down to right) and I found that just doing circles can help too. You could also go threw stages by just buzzing your way threw except boss fights, your going to have to shoot 'em or bomb 'em. Your best bet would be your Analog stick and not the Joypad, I've found it hard to keep doing circles on the D-pad. The buzz ability can be used on the same bullet multiple times, but you got to keep quarter circling. You gain experience and new power as your level increases, and your level of power will retain even if your machine is destroyed. Now that feature is great to complete the game. Very Frustrating at times, seems to be all timing (Ikaruga hint-hint). Also, the Buzz count has a lot to do with the strength of you super attack. The Super attack looks like you mech just used an atomic bomb on its self. Not very good range, effective on bosses though. Just hug and nuke'em. You'll start each stage with 3 bombs and 3 only, you can't get more. The game is like Giga-Wing, unlimited continues.  The buzz factor "science" was the one thing that takes a while to get used to and master. There were many times I just walked away and that's why it gets the 8.

LONGEVITY: 10

The games has a lot for you to get used to, as far as I can tell there is no unlockables. A faithful NAOMI Board port. The buzz will keep you coming back to see if you can get over your last biggest buzz score. The highest I've got is about 256, that's just the first stage, and the buzzes don't carry over to your next lives either or next stage. If fails in the 2 player department, think of the insanity. Unlike Ikaruga, you don't have to worry about who is getting the combo, every one can get a buzz off one bullet multiple times. The music and the visual should keep you coming back for more, after playing this game you might be compelled to go pick up the Soundtrack (Import Only). The Eye candy keep me coming back and the music was just a great mix with the visuals. I don't see why this game will not fit next to Ikaruga, Bangai-0, and Giga-Wing. It has all the innovations that keep people coming back. Whether it be the combo system of Ikaruga, the weirdness of Bangai-O, or the massive skills and points of Giga-Wing, you should be coming back to this for more. This is the title that seems to have a cult fallowing, it has 4 ports of the arcade edition and a original soundtrack. At least in Japan.

FINAL VOTE AND REMARKS: 9

The game as far as I can tell is a 100% complete port of NAOMI arcade machine. This games gets support overseas like a mad man. Its being made for the current consoles, XBOX and PS2. The Dreamcast even after 5 yrs can still keep up with this game. The whole buzz factor can get annoying at times but the games replayability and music makes up for the annoying factor. The games is well polished, I noticed no flaws or slow down and it has fast load times with the Dreamcast. The controls for the DC seem to be very well done and very responsive. The XBOX will be the original port with limited XBOX live Support and the PS2 has the Complete Edition (out now) and Psyvariar 2: Ultimate Final will follow this. I'm think that Success will end the series with the Ultimate Final. If you can find it at a reasonable price pick it up, DC, PS2, or XBOX, it shouldn't matter. There has been no word of an American release, we can hope that the XBOX/PS2 version will take off fast in Japan and we will see it here. If this review doesn't satisfy you hunger, go Google.

<Xaer0Knight>

- Official site

Lik-Sang - Psyvariar sales

Gamespot - Has sites for most of the Psyvariar games, and a whole lot of everything gaming.