In a burst of inspiration, I just finished the article on the first game.
Incoming!
Castle Shikigami / 'Mobile Light Force 2'(PS2/PC/Xbox)
/
/
|
[US Revised / JP Xbox / JP PC]
Shikigami no Shiro, which translates to Castle (of) Shikigami, was developed by Alfa System, also known for the occasional PS1 gem like Elemental Gearbolt and Project Horned Owl. They also went on to develop some Tales games and Phantasy Star Portable, among other things.
For the most part, Castle Shikigami is their flagship series. It has two sequels, has appeared on almost every console from the PS1 to the Dreamcast to the Gamecube to the PS2 to the Wii to the 360, and a massive cast reaching into the dozens, with a convoluted plot that even their staff are unlikely to fully comprehend.
Not that this really matters, as Castle Shikigami is a shmup, and nonsensical plots are practically the norm for the genre.
Shikigami 1 takes place in the July 2005, the 'near future'.
A number of victims have been found murdered. All the victims were female, and seemingly electrocuted.
After the 32nd killing, the attention of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is finally gained. They begin an investigation, as do a number of persons drawn by the case's strong ties to the occult.
What's always set Shikigami apart are the variety of playable characters. The first game offered six to choose from.
The players arrive to stop the killers, while the bosses are either the killers themselves, or ghostly figures serving them.
CastKohtaro Kuga & ZasaeKohtaro is a detective with the Metropolitan Police, assigned to the case. His special attack uses a spiritual familiar named Zasae who accompanies him everywhere, whether he likes it or not.
Sayo YuukiA Shinto shrine maiden with designs on Kohtaro. Sayo appears to be investigating the murders at the request of another. She attacks with spiritual wards.
Gennojo HyugaA werewolf/detective, who assumes the form of an ancient wolf god when enraged. He's something of a cheapskate, investigating the murders on his free time.
Fumiko Ozette Van SteinA half-German half-Japanese witch. The rise of the Nazi Empire forced her family's movement to Japan, where she's resided ever since. Fumiko is also quite wealthy, and is usually accompanied by her butler, Munchausen. Munchausen's aerial bombings are the form of her special attack. He usually has a different costume with each appearance.
Kim De JohnA Confucian Taoist from Korea who also teaches Tae Kwon Do to children in his spare time. One of his students was murdered by the killers, forcing his hand. His guitar case conceals a sword, which is used in his special attack.
Tagami(Hidden Character)
A sexless being who wanders at will. Tagami first appeared in Alfa's PS1 lightgun shooter, Elemental Gearbolt. Tagami must be unlocked through (presently) unknown means.
BossesMiyokoA child actor murdered by the Yakuza, she became a homicidal ogre hell-bent on revenge.
FujishimaA self-defense officer who attempted to summon a God to Tokyo. This specter values the defense of his country above all else, fighting with a sea of flame.
HiroshiA man whose wife's murderer got away with a seven year sentence. This drove Hiroshi into a blind rage, and he killed the criminal upon his release. Soon after, he became an ogre unsatisfied with merely the blood of his wife's killer.
Baumann(Final Boss)
A ghostly Samurai of Justice who continues to perform homicides without remorse.
Each of Shikigami 1's players have three different attacks.
Standard AttackNormal pattern fire. Enemies release coins freely, which have to be gathered by the player.
These attacks double in intensity if the player grazes enemy fire, meaning their shots are immediately next to the player's hitbox. The hitbox is usually the very center of the character sprite, and they can not die unless it is struck, making it possible to weave through insane amounts of oncoming shots.
Special Attack, 'ShikigamiUses spiritual power to bombard enemies. When killed, the coins go automatically to the player.
The closer the player is to enemy fire, the more coins they gain. If a player kills an enemy with a Shikigami attack while grazing, they'll gain up to eight times the resulting amount of coins.
For scoring, it's best to use this against bosses.
BombsSome do high power destruction, some do more focused damage, but all briefly protect the player from enemy fire.
A player gets anywhere from three to five.
Each stage in Shikigami 1 has two sections. After the first is a mini-boss, and at the end is the main boss.
Before the beginning of each stage and during the boss fight, the characters either have a monologue or a dialogue, depending if they're alone or not. Everyone's dialogue is different.
Shikigami 1 has no voice acting during the story segments, but there is mild spoke dialogue used in-game.
XS Games were the ones to localize Castle Shikigami in the US as 'Mobile Light Force 2', removing almost everything that gave the game personality.
Adding insult to injury, it used the same cover as Mobile Light Force on the PS1, showing a trio of girls with guns that has nothing to do with the actual game(Gunbird in the original case).
There were no dialogue or story segments, and any sign of there being unique characters outside of the sprites were removed.
______________
I don't have any MP3s to include, but I'd like to add some. I may also get ending screencaps later.
Anything else I should add?
Shikigami 2's is next, but it may take me a while.
Justin, feel free to send me a PM or an IM if you want to help with anything.
Kurt, where's that manga?