It was a different time…
If you know the name CAVE, you have likely experienced some of the best shooter games ever released. They have a solid catalog and anyone familiar with the genre has likely heard of some of their titles. It has been a while since I have seen one of their titles released, but that changed when I learned of the recently released compilation which includes Muchi Muchi Pork and PinkSweets! Yeah, those names are a bit much, but once you get past the overly cute aesthetic, these are some of the best shooters you will ever play.
Surprisingly, I discovered this developer during the 360 era, when XBOX had their strongest foothold in Japan. There were a bunch of titles released only in Japan for the console developed by CAVE. Ironically, this latest collection is available just about everywhere except for Microsoft’s console. Even more surprisingly, both of these games were originally released exclusively for that console in Japan. Now, almost 20 years later, we get to experience them on modern consoles, just not ones made by the company they originally existed on.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Switch (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
Muchi Muchi Pork and PinkSweets are two overly cute shooters that are known for their chaos and of course brutal difficulties. That’s right, the cutesy look is just a facade. This is a game that will have players pulling out their hair in frustration. Known as bullet-hell games, only the most hardcore shooter fans will appreciate the chaos these games deliver.
OK, let’s break down each game in a little detail so you know what you are in for. First up is PinkSweets Boosted, which was originally a follow-up to a game called Ibara. This is the more unique game in this collection as it has some original mechanics. Yes, it is a shooter, there are lots of bullets flying at players, but it has a shield mechanic that can be used to absorb some, not all, of the bullets and once released, it unleashes a special attack. There is also a formation mechanic that allows players to swap around the way their ships are lined up.
These mechanics are neat and add a lot to the nature of the game. It may be a bit too much for some shooter fans, but I really enjoyed it. It is more than just having the skill to dodge the ridiculous number of bullets onscreen. It is also worth mentioning that the soundtrack here is brand new. For the most part I really enjoyed it but would have loved the option to have the original Xbox 360 tracks included.
Next up we have Muchi Muchi Pork, which is the most ridiculous name for a shooter ever. It is also the one game I had to have in the 360 days, so I imported it. It is as ridiculous as it sounds as the plot involves a group of girls chasing after…ahem…General Pork Fillet, who as you might have guessed, is of the hog variety. He also transforms the girls into pigs at times. Yes, it is anime as can be, but I kind of love it.
This is a more traditional bullet hell game with just massive amounts of things coming at the player at once. Each girl has her own unique shot mechanic and there are plenty of medals to collect. This game is a classic because of its design and flawless mechanics, and Clear River Games has done a great job bringing it to modern platforms. It still slows down, but it is almost a blessing as I am not sure there is a human alive who could survive this at full speed.
As for the package itself, it is fine. It has leaderboards and some visual options, but not much else. I would have loved for them to include the Xbox 360 soundtracks and of course the other game in this package. It would also have been a great time to give some history to these games and promotional materials, but this is a pretty cut and dry collection of two games. Sadly, as I mentioned it doesn’t even appear on the console family in which it spawned, and that is disappointing. This is a collection for the hardest of the hardcore, and if that is you, you are in for a treat.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.