is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up

Shoot 'em up

Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...

 hailing from the now defunct Japanese game developer Toaplan

Toaplan

, sometimes written as Toa Plan, was a video game developer from Japan. They were responsible for the creation of a wide array of relatively famous scrolling shooters and arcade games, yet the company declared bankruptcy in 1994.-Games developed :...

.

Originally developed for the arcade

Video arcade

An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...

, Batsugun saw two revisions—the first being released in 1993. The latter named Batsugun Special Version was shown at the AOU (Arcade Operators Union) show in Japan but was never released as Toaplan slid into bankruptcy. After Toaplan's bankruptcy the Special Version appeared on the secondhand market. The two revisions were released on the Sega Saturn

Sega Saturn

The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...

 in 1996 as a single package coded by Toaplan offshoot Gazelle.

Heralded by some as the first "manic shooter

Shoot 'em up

Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...

", Batsugun involved employees who would go on to form and work at Cave

Cave (company)

Cave Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company, known primarily for its manic shoot 'em ups. Cave remains one of the most active makers of arcade shoot-'em-ups in the Japanese market...

 and continue to work in this subgenre. Batsugun saw an evolution in the use of complex enemy wave and bullet patterns, and player firepower and hit-box.

Gameplay

As is the standard with most arcade shooters, the player controls their ship with a joystick and two buttons. One button (Fire) shoots the main guns, and the other button (Bomb) releases a smart bomb that spreads huge energy balls all around the player's ship.

As enemies are destroyed, the player gains experience points that are separate from the score. For every 288 experience points gained, the main gun will 'level up', becoming much stronger. This is analogous to experience point

Experience point

An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...

s and levelling up

Level Up

Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...

 in role playing games. The weapon can only level up twice, so after it has achieved its maximum level, 288 experience points will grant the player an extra bomb.

The player can also grab "P" icons to increase the power of the current level gun. A maximum of five "P"s can be collected per experience level; getting more after this gives extra points instead.

Collecting "B" icons increases the number of bombs, to a maximum of 7.

Skull Hornet Pilots & Ships

There are three ship-types and six player-characters to select from.

• Ship Type A: has a simple array of rapid-fire energy-beams that spread evenly. As it levels up, the beams become wider and more powerful; the ship fires missiles as well.

• • Pilots: Jenno & Schneider

Jenno is an attractive teenage boy with cybernetic enhancements (courtesy of one Doctor Gabriel) and a tragic past. Schneider is an old man who has been awakened from cryogenic sleep.

• • • Jenno's quotations:

"Here I come, come, coooooooooooooooooome!"

"You would never be ready to challenge me!!"

"The fun is getting better."

• • • Schneider's quotations:

"The number of mysterious enemies is just the number of adventures I'll enjoy. Yes!!"

"The number of invaluable enemies is the number of dreams I'll enjoy. Yes!"

"It sure was another thrilling adventure that I'll never forget. Let's turn on some funky music."

• Ship Type B: shoots a straight beam of lightning for as long as the Fire button is held. Tapping the Fire button causes sparks to appear and travel along the beam; this may or may not do more damage. As it levels up, the lightning becomes wider and multi-colored; and secondary projectiles are launched as Fire is tapped.

• • Pilots: Beltiana & Alteeno

Alteeno and Beltiana are both attractive teenage girls. Long-haired Beltiana seeks to avenge the deaths of her family. Alteeno, a tomboyish pilot prodigy, doubles as the Skull Hornets' mechanic.

• • • Beltiana's quotations:

"You'll never get anywhere with me at this level!"

"You're not going to fly in front of me that easy."

• • • Alteeno's quotations:

"I'll scrap you if you try to challenge me!"

"What a junky ship! Let me maintenance it!"

"Ha, ha, ha."

• Ship Type C: this ship is fairly adaptable; holding Fire will shoot energy waves straight forward, whilst tapping Fire will fire a spread of projectiles. As it levels up, it will fire homing missiles, and acquire small "drone" ships with their own firepower.

• • Pilots: Iceman & Olisis

Olisis and Iceman are both attractive young men. Iceman is a 'cool' long-haired fellow of unknown origins. Olisis is the Skull Hornets' founder and director...besides being the prince of his planet, who hopes to stop his father's cruel ambitions.

• • • Iceman's quotations:

"I'm as cool as ice."

• • • Olisis's quotations:

"Father is wrong. I must stop his evil deeds."

"You're saying you are challenging me!?"

Enemy Mother-ships

The enemy "bosses," in order of appearance, are:

• Code Name: Deep Purple
• Code Name: Madzella
• Code Name: Mad Steel Darkness
• Code Name: Jupiter
• Code Name: Ground of the Galaxy (Garaxy?)

Scoring

Apart from destroying enemies, points can be gained from collecting golden V-shaped medal

Medal

A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...

s. After the level is finished, 3000 points are awarded for every small one, and 5000 points for every large one.

If the player's ship is destroyed during a level, all medals collected are lost.

An extra life is awarded at 1,000,000 points.