Hi everyone.
Part 2 of 3, beta(warning: I ramble)
Castle Shikigami 2(PS2(US/PAL) /Gamecube/Dreamcast/PC/Arcade(JP Only) )
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Two years after the first game's release, Alfa System created a sequel that brings back the investigators from the first game, with a few new faces. It originated in arcades, and was eventually ported to just about every popular console at the time.
It was Japanese exclusive until 2004, when XS Games(publishers of the infamous Mobile Light Force 2) decided to localize the sequel as well.
Except this time, they practically left it unchanged.
Shikigami no Shiro 2 was localized with a proper title('Castle Shikigami 2'), unchanged content(all the portraits and dialogue included), and even packaging that advertises the game for what it is: a shmup with anime-influenced characters blowing up stuff.
(From the rumored US Xbox version, unreleased)
However, the result of XS Games giving Shikigami 2 a 'proper' localization became infamous for a completely different reason.
Unlike its predecessor, Castle Shikigami 2 included full voice acting in the Japanese version. All the mid-stage dialogue is completely spoken.
Surprisingly, XS Games opted to dub most of it. (The battle and gameplay comments are still in Japanese.)
This wasn't exactly a blessing.
www.audioatrocities.com/games/castleshikigami2/index.htmlCastle Shikigami 2 received some of the most awful voice work ever.
A few choice adages:
"...I like girls, but now, it's about justice.”
"You have two choices: beaten then caught, or caught then beaten."
"Beat 'em down then jump. I just started now."
What might come as surprising is that the dialogue
itself is not a bad translation at all. Quite the opposite.
The Japanese version's dialogue was just as senseless, if not more so.
XS Games was just a little too literal in their translation treatment. If they even bothered to do anything but take the result and replace the Japanese text with it.
(C/O Julie Miyamoto & Charles Mugg, from this website and their efforts to retranslate Shikigami 2, found here:
www.sgppresents.com/gallery/sns2)In the US version:
(Or better yet, see it in action:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLE7cM2ZI7w)
So it wasn't so much a bad localization, but laziness, especially if you factor in how untalented (most of) the cast was.
There is the occasional actor who seems to have some talent at reading their lines, but you have to wonder how aimless their direction was, if they even had any.
The dialogue wasn't the only aspect of Shikigami 2 that received a weak treatment. Even the instruction book looks like it came from the result of a literal translation.
It still manages to be informative, but you have to wonder if anyone at XS Games knows how to proofread their products before they go to publication.
Fortunately, despite their lackluster efforts, XS deserve credit for bringing over the second game mostly untouched.
Especially since Shikigami 2 vastly improves on the original game, and almost sets the standard for the series.
What gives Shikigami 2 extra replay value is that every single character has a unique storyline path with every other one, offering incentive to take on the game with a friend, if you want to see how crazy the shared stories can get(very).
Much of the core gameplay is unchanged. The Tension Bullet System(TBS) where grazing bullets earns you extra points and firepower is still intact, as are the Shikigami and bomb attacks.
In shmup tradition, there's also a story behind the madness, if you can piece it together.
2006, the 'distant' future(keep in mind this was made in 2004).
Another castle populated by demon gods has appeared in the skies over Tokyo, and so the same group of investigators sets out to put a stop to a new group of evil spirits.
That's basically the gist of it.
Each of the playable characters no longer have upgradable firepower, but to make up for it, they each have two varieties of special(Shikigami) attacks to choose from. The returning characters' normal attacks are unchanged, aside from that they can no longer be powered up like in Shikigami 1.
Here's the faces, both familiar and new:
Kohtaro KugaThe principle character of the series, a private detective of H&K Detective Agency, returns. His Shikigami, Sazae, is still in tow.
Each form determines the nature of Sazae's attacks. She can either target enemies at random, or focus on a specific target, with greater damage.
Sayo YuukiA shrine maiden from a strong religious home, she has never gone to school due to her upbringing. The new incidents have caused her to leave by train, and come to Tokyo.
Sayo's special still consists of Phoenix familiar. It can either attack in a wide, slow radius(shown) or with a narrower(and faster) one.
Gennojo HyugaA freelance detective serving the same agency as Kohtaro, Hyuga & Kuga. (Who owns the agency is anyone's guess.) He's working on the case at the request of a young client,and also has access to black market contacts. Due to having the blood of a wolf god, he becomes a werewolf when enraged.
His Shikigami attack can either be used in the form of three lightning spheres with a long frontal reach, or six used forward and back, with a shorter reach.
Fumiko Ozette Van SteinThe witch with the golden gun returns, and she still intends to marry Kohtaro. A German who migrated to Japan, she follows Kuga's trail to put a stop to the events before they can harm her would-be husband.
Her Shikigami attack consists of orbital bombardments summoned by Munchausen, her butler. He can either bring down one massive blast, or smaller linear ones.
'Chibi' FumikoFumiko in a younger form, supposedly the result of a spell gone badly awry.
'Chibi' Fumiko has the same attacks, and almost the exact same dialogue, just with a younger voice. She can be selected by moving the cursor continually to the right while highlighting Fumiko.
Kim De JohnA Korean Tae Kwon Do instructor, he closed his dojo and left his country to avenge the murder of one of his students.
His Shikigami attack can either be used as two controllable swords(which can be aimed anywhere from forward to back), or three swords which spin at fixed points.
Niigi G.B. (Gorgeous Blue)
One of the two new characters, a mysterious girl seeking an unknown man. Her Shikigami attacks utilize her cat as a barrier, which then fires back at enemies with the charged up energy.
Her normal fire pattern consists of static lasers fired from two spheres at her sides.
She can either use a temporary shield with greater firepower, or a longer lasting one that can't return fire as well.
Roger SasukeThe other new character. An American ninja, formerly a friend of Kohtaro, he now considers him his rival. He loves Japan.
He uses a very fast string of shuriken attacks for his normal shots.
His Shikigami attack is very powerful, but also unpredictable. A spirit can either summon mines to explode directly ahead of Roger, who around him in a random pattern.
BossesAccording to the few bits of the translation that make sense, the bosses are all members of a group called the 'New World Order'.
Alara Cran(Stage 1)
A ghost of a warrior. Flirtatious to a fault, she seems to have bad blood with Fumiko.
Anolegos Dundeon(Stage 2)
A guardian of a shrine, he now guards the submerged part of the castle. He knows Sayo from somewhere, possibly her work as a shrine maiden.
The Aja Brothers(Stage 3)
An older and younger brother, strong soldiers who gained immortality by guarding the castle. They will never stop fighting.
Yukari Horiguchi(Stage 4)
The last guardian of the castle, she is actually hospitalized in the real world. She attacks with (lots of) cards. If she is defeated, maybe she'll wake up in the real world.
Shintaro Kuga(Final Boss)
The head of the New World Order, and Kohtaro's older brother. He believes his way is just, and should be the one to rule the world.
Castle Shikigami 2 has a lot going on in its story, but the bad translation work doesn't help much in the way of making any sense of it.
Still, it has a lot to offer for series vets. A wide variety of stages and bosses alike, even more difficulty, and some nice music to go along with it.
The home versions includes a very nice art gallery, complete with high-res artwork.
This was also included in the US PS2 version with translated captions; some of the few texts in the game that weren't lost in translation.
It also included new modes of play with extra enemies and an 'Extreme' Mode in which enemies leave behind bullets after dying, for even more difficulty. There's also an arrange BGM option with remixes of Castle Shikigami 1's OST used in place of Shikigami 2's.
I can't speak on how popular the Shikigami series is in Japan, but the game seemed well received enough for it to get ported to just about everything, and get a lot of extra goodies for Eastern players.
An appreciate DVD, for one.
Fortunately for Shikigami fans, Alfa System still had more bullet hell in store for their community, and had no plans on stopping with the sequel.
Even better for the US fans, this would be XS Games' last Shikigami endeavor in the states. A more deserving publisher would be the ones to get the rights to the next game in the series.
[to be continued in Part 3]
I'll be adding more on the bonus Shikigami stuff from the series in Part 3, like the manga and the adventure game(if I can find anything on it).