Play through three classic shooters! Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute" [Tsumigame Club! Episode 14]

This is the Tsumikibashi University Game Research Club. This is the club room of the Tsumikibashi University Game Research Club, or "Tsumige Club" for short.

It is a club activity that only plays games brought by each member. ......

Members of the Tsumigame club
Yuma Konoshita, the main character, is a 19-year-old college freshman. She is bright, honest, polite, and a little natural. She is a casual gamer and enjoys playing games of all genres without hating them.
Sayuri Ekioka is a 20-year-old second-year university student and the head of the Tsumigame club. She is a passionate gamer who can't stop talking about games and has a wealth of knowledge about them. She has a wide range of knowledge from old games (including maniac games before the Famicom!) to the latest games. ) to the latest games, and buys any game that interests him, from the hottest titles to the most maniacal. However, his game playing skills are apparently not very good.
Kirishima Sui is a 20-year-old second-year university student and vice president of the Tsumigame Club. She met Sayuri in the spring of their freshman year of college. She is a gal-type girl who got hooked on video games under Sayuri's influence and is now a total gamer. She is a genius gamer who can get the hang of any genre of game she plays and quickly get good at it.


One evening. Yuma Konoshita, a first-year club member, came to the club room and opened the door to play games.

Good evening!

In the club room, the club leader, Sayuri Ekioka, a second-year student, was holding her head in her hands and wondering what was going on.

What should we play first today? ...... Should I start with "Cotton 2" or play "Cotton Boomerang?" ...... No, it is also possible to play "Guardian Force" first here. ...... Ummm......

The one who is looking at Sayuri with such a dumbfounded expression is the assistant manager, second-year student Sui Kirishima.

You know~ Sayuri, since you're here, I think you should play all three. ......

Ha! I didn't know you had it in you! That's just like Sui. ...... Alright, then, let's play all three games today!

No, Sayuri, you were planning to play all three games from the beginning. ......

Giggle!

I've never seen anyone say "giggle" out loud before!

(You two look like you're having some kind of fun~......♪)

Yuma enters the room and takes a seat while watching thetwointeract. Now all three members of the Tsumigeki club, all together.

Um, are we going to play a lot of games today?

Oh, Yuma! That's right, today we will be playing "Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute," which is three shooting games in one!

What? Three games in one! Oh, it's a great deal. ......

Hey, it's a great deal and I'm excited!

Mm-hmm. This excitement can be likened to an assortment set with three kinds of cookies, a mixed juice with three kinds of fruit, a special assortment pack with three kinds of chocolate, and three kinds of .......

No matter how many, you're going to come up with a metaphor! I've already figured it out!

Oh, haha .......

Three classic shooters come back to life in the modern age!

Let's get right to it and first of all, let me explain about "Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute".

Yes, please!

To begin with, "Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute," as you can see from the word "Saturn" in the title, is a game for the Sega Saturn (......).

It's a "Sega Saturn" game, right?

You told me first!

My voice is too loud! Sorry, sorry!

I'm sorry. ...... Well, you're right. This title is a collection of three games released by Success for the Sega Saturn in 1997 and 1998.

I see...♪

Sega Saturn games being revived in the modern age sounds like something retro gamers would love!

Hmmm. What's more, the three games included in this title were originally arcade games that were popular in game arcades.

That means that this is a must-have for arcade gamers, too, right?

That's exactly right! You may even be able to relive your old arcade days... So, let's start with the "Cotton" series from this title. The "Cotton" series is a 2D side-scrolling shooting game created in 1991.

1991 means that ...... last year, 2021, was the 30th anniversary!

It's a series with a long history!

In 1991, the shooting game scene was dominated by games with science fiction settings, mecha and fighter planes, and a hardcore mood, but the "Cotton" series was the one that introduced a pop and cute visual and world view with a girl character as the ship. It was the "Cotton" series.

Nowadays, cute shooting games are a big thing, but "Cotton" was a pioneer in this field. That's amazing!

The "Cotton" series also attracted a lot of attention because of the comical banter between the characters during the stages. It can be said that "Cotton" was the first to incorporate such scenario elements into a shooting game. The main character of "Cotton," whose real name is Nata de Cotton, is a gourmand witch who loves tea and sweets. She is especially fond of "Willow," a fantastic candy made by fairies.

Cotton, you look and set up so cute. ......♪

I can kind of relate to the foodie part of it too~♪

I wish I could eat Willow too!

On the other hand, "Guardian Force," which is included in this title, is a mechanical sci-fi shooting game in which cyber tanks play a big role!

Oh~~, it's so cool! This one is a complete change from "Cotton" and has a more hardcore feel.

Mmmm..! The story is an epic one, in which the tanks of the Guardian, a secret society with the power of the Force, fight to crush the ambitions of the Hammerbolt Empire.

What kind of shooter is "Guardian Force"?

It's a multi-directional, force-scrolling shooter with a 2D, downward-facing perspective and 360-degree attack capability.

It has a completely different look and feel from the "Cotton" series, as well as a different gameplay style.

So you can play the two games in the "Cotton" series and "Guardian Force" in one game in "Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute".

All the things I wanted to say have been said! I mean, everything I wanted to say has been said in every direction!

No, don't bother rephrasing it in a shooter-esque way!

I'm going to go to ...... and see what I can do. Anyway, today we will play all three games included in this title! Yuma, Sui, are you ready?

Yes!

Let's play!

Ha! I should have said "Are you ready to go?" instead of "Are you ready?" ......!

So you don't have to force it to look like a shooter. ......

Oh, haha. ......

Played "Cotton 2." Take to the skies with command shots and catches!

Let's start with "Cotton 2" and have Yuma play it!

Yes, sir!

But first, let's go over the controls. There are three basic controls in "Cotton 2": shot, catch, and magic. Note that you can't shoot continuously by holding down the shot button, so if you want to shoot continuously, you'll have to press the button repeatedly!

Oh, that feels like a good old-fashioned arcade shooter, doesn't it?

Having said that, this title actually includes a function that allows you to assign continuous fire and commands to buttons. It's a nice feature that allows you to play freely according to your preferred style of play!

Um, Mr. Director, I have a vague idea of shots and magic, but what in the world is a "catch" ......?

Well, that's something you'll have to wait and see when you play ......! Well, let's get started!

Yes, I'll do my best! ...... is not a stage, it's a story!

Well, this is the quintessence of "Cotton"! Before the stage starts, you have to take your time to enjoy the story!

Hmmm...a girl named "Appli" took the secret treasure, Water Willow, out of the castle. So, she lost the water willow and met Cotton.

Well, Cotton, who loves Willow, took a bite right away!

Both Apri and Cotton are so cute!

Well, once again, Yuma, let's go!

I'm going! Not ......, but I'm going!

Oh, I'm copying Cotton!

I'm copying Cotton!

The size of the aircraft and the enemy are large, giving it a cartoonish atmosphere.

This unique graphic design is the flavor of the "Cotton" series, which is fun just to look at.

Hey, Sayuri, is there a life system in this game?

That's right, how did you notice that, Sweety? In some shooting games, once you are attacked by an enemy, your remaining airplanes decrease, but this game uses a life system, so you can withstand enemy attacks several times. However, once you run out of lives, the game is over, so you have to keep your head on straight!

Yes, yes! Oh, I found a colorful item after defeating an enemy!

This is a crystal. They appear when you defeat enemy formations or certain enemies with a normal shot. When you hit them with a shot, they change color, and if you get a yellow one, you gain experience and points, and if you get a red, blue, or green one, your shot attribute changes and the magic you can use also changes. By the way, there are other colors as well!

Wow, there are elements of experience and attributes! It's like an RPG, isn't it?

I'm sorry to bother you with this explanation, but I was so busy avoiding enemy attacks that I didn't have time to listen to it properly. ...... What's that? What's that? Cotton-chan grabbed the enemy!

That's right, it's a "catch"! Press the button again to throw the grabbed object and attack!

You can grab an enemy and throw it? I feel like I'm breaking the rules of shooting!

That's sweet, Suey! There is an element in this title that is even more out of the ordinary for a shooter! It's the "command shot"!

By entering special commands, the "command shot" allows you to fire a shot that is more powerful than a normal shot. There are four types of command shots in Cotton 2!

Wow, this is fun! It's like a fighting game!

Furthermore, if you hit an enemy with this command shot, you can "seal" the enemy. When you hit a sealed enemy, a "Recovery Willow" will appear, which restores life! You can also grab a sealed enemy, throw it, and detonate it in a chain of explosions!

You mean you can create a chain of explosions by smashing enemies! This is certainly a lot beyond the common sense of shooters. ......

And while we're chatting, Yuma is crossing the midway point!

Ohhhh, Yuma, you're doing great!

It's fun to grab enemies and throw them and smash them~♪ But I'm on the edge of my life ......... oh! I got hit by ......!

Don't worry, Yuma! In this game, you can continue!

If you were in an arcade, you'd have to put in money.

Yes, sir!

A while later, Yuma finally reached the boss .......

Boss, you're big~!

Mm! The boss battle with a great impact was another feature of "Cotton!

The weak point is where the "WEAK POINT" appears! Yumacchi, fire away~!

Yes, yes! But it might be dangerous!

That's when "magic" comes in!

Yumacchi, go!

Yes, I'll activate the magic! I'm activating magic!



Thus, after a fierce battle, Yuma defeated the boss!

Yay~, I won! What's that? TEA TIME" appeared on ......?

Wow, hot water bottles are falling like crazy!

The bonus time that starts after the boss fight, "tea time," is a Cotton specialty! You get a bonus score depending on the number of teas you take! Earn it~!

Ha, yes~!

By the way, this is a secret story, but if you finish the tea time without taking any ...... tea, you will get a secret bonus too~ .......

No, for a secret story, I hear you very clearly!

And so it was Yuma who successfully cleared Stage 1 of Cotton 2. ......

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