Triggerheart Exelica (Dreamcast)

Vertical
Checkpoints OFF
3 Difficulty levels
5 Stages
Ship speed fixed, start selectable
- - - - - - -
Developed by Warashi
Published by Warashi in 2007

Is a shooter with a unique gimmick always a worthy experience, even if this gimmick isn't unanimously approved by everyone? Tricky question, yes. Triggerheart Exelica's claim to fame, for example, is the ability to capture enemies and throw them around as you please, only abiding by the elementary rules of rotational momentum. Many games had already used the same idea of grabbing enemies for a defensive or offensive edge, but this one takes the concept to a whole new level, much beyond what was done in titles like G Darius, Gaiares or Macross - Scrambled Valkyrie.

Ported roughly a year after its arcade debut, Triggerheart Exelica was the second to last official release for the Sega Dreamcast, coming out just a few weeks before Karous. Packed with three game modes (Arcade, Story and Arrange), configurable controls, practice mode, TATE and save function, the game was also available in regular and limited editions, the latter in a DVD case including a soundtrack CD and an extra art booklet.

The story here is trivial and a bit convoluted as usual. Suffice it to say players are able to choose from two sexy sisters that must battle inside advanced mecha suits through five increasingly tough stages. Exelica fires a spread pattern, while Crueltear has a straight shot and moves a little faster. Besides shooting, they can also activate bombs and latch onto any enemy with an anchor/spear. Extra bombs (B) and power-ups (P) appear from specific enemies in the level. Just two power-ups are enough to maximize their firepower, however the more you play the more you realize that regular firing isn't as effective as the ability to use the anchor, especially in the last couple of stages.

Playing Triggerheart Exelica for the first time
(courtesy of YouTube user Random Gaming Moments)

 

By destroying enemies gold flocks/medals are generated for collection. If you let go of the shot button these will be automatically sucked into the character, adding to a medal count and a multiplier. Using captured enemies to destroy other enemies cashes in this multiplier in exchange for points and even more medals. Medals increase in size and value if they're left floating on the screen, so it's always best to hold the shot button for a while. You lose 30% of your medal count if you die, and 15% if you collide with a harmless obstacle, such as those originated during boss fights.

Anchoring and throwing enemies requires some basic steps: grab the target with the anchor, draw it close by pressing the shot button, keep shot pressed as you spin it around either left or right and release the anchor button to throw the enemy in the intended direction. Besides the direction you can also control the speed of the spin with the shot button, but if the captured enemy isn't moving it will explode it you let go of the anchor button. Finally, the larger the anchored enemy the longer it takes for you to take control. Those that can't be captured (such as ground targets or bosses) will still be latched onto so that you can inflict damage by firing. Once the enemy is thrown it will not only hit whatever lies ahead with destructive power, but also convert all bullets in its path into gold medals.

One thing is definitely true about Triggerheart Exelica. Being able to reliably control the anchoring mechanic is easier said than done. I'd say that fully understanding and using this mechanic is the shmup equivalent to striking decent forehands or backhands in tennis. It takes practice and it takes time. And on a bad day it can destroy your ability to play, let alone win. There is an alternative to make it less cumbersome though: a switch in the options called "autospin" makes enemies rotate automatically after being captured. Note however that by activating autospin you lose the ability to use enemies as static shields (by avoiding to spin them with the shot button).

Another important aspect of the game is how it treats boss confrontations, in what's normally referred to as V.B.A.S. or "Variable Boss Attack System". All bosses have multiple phases, which evolve according to your current number of medals. This means that if you don't have enough medals boss fights are abbreviated. The only boss whose forms do not depend on the medal count is the last one. On the other hand, if you have at least 3.000 medals by the time you beat the last boss phases in stages 1 and 3, a secret character named Faintear will appear and prolong the fight. It goes without saying, but extended boss fights allow for a lot more opportunities for scoring.

 

Exelica taking to the skies in stage 3

Even though I like Triggerheart Exelica's soundtrack, I'm not a fan of the thumpy choice for impact sound effects. As for the game's aesthetics, they're decent but the graphics could've certainly used a little more detail. While the cinematic transitions help to keep a dynamic flow, which is often interrupted by bulkier enemies that cause the scrolling to cease, the game is generally built upon a fine balance that gives you a constant flow of aerial enemies to use as shields or projectiles. But what if someone doesn't want to use the anchor at all, I wonder? Could you beat the game? I believe this is virtually impossible. Denying the use of the anchor could be done until stage 3, but once you enter the drone field of the 4th stage you won't get anywhere without throwing those huge blocks around.

The extra game variants add even more spice to the original Arcade mode. Story mode is identical to the Arcade, but makes you confront Faintear in stages 1 and 3 regardless of your medal count. She also appears halfway the final level. A bonus of Arrange mode is that finishing the game with no continues lets ou see a more optimistic ending than the sad one from Arcade mode. Arrange mode, on the other hand, has more bullets and more medals to collect, doing away with the multiplier. All modes share the same thresholds for extra lives at 50 and 100 million points.

I was able to get the 1CC in Arcade mode in the Normal difficulty, playing with Exelica with default controls (no autospin). I can't say I was having good fun all the time though, mostly because the varying efficiency of my touch with the anchor mechanics often ruined my runs in the most awkward ways. I might return to the game in the Playstation 2 port Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced, which has the distinction of allowing you to play with extra character Faintear.