For the first time on console. You don't often see such a claim when it comes to video games. Even when it's shmups from Asia. That being said QUBytes did indeed bring to us the "Vasara Collection" in all it's wonderful glory for the first time on consoles, and modern consoles at that. Included in the collection are the two older game ports titled, "Vasara" and "Vasara 2" from the respective series developed by Visco as well as "Vasara Timeless" which seems to be a more modern version of those older releases with it's own unique mechanics for an up to four player local co-op session. All in all it's a three for the price of one kind of deal which may or may not be worth it to you depending on what kind of game genres you like ...
Most of you reading this are probably wondering what theme this particular shoot 'em up series contains at this point, and if you guessed samurai you'd be close. The two main games take some of the real life feudal Japanese history/lore, and put a sort of fantasy anime twist on it all. As one of a handful of various fully named male, and female protagonists sporting different period attire according to profession (Ninja, Samurai, Rogue, Shogun, Monk), and piloting a variety of different mechanized ships you go into battle against the forces involved in the fall of Osaka Castle of 1600 as well as against Oda Nobunga, and his army of loyal generals. At your disposal on your journey to rid the world of the nefarious opposition is a blocking melee attack, and rapid fire shot of varying types according to ship/character as well as the usual bullet hell clearing bombs. Utilizing your tools of destruction you must clear out enemies large, and small in order to face off against the main enemies that lie in wait within the six stage playthrough. Whether it be soldiers, sub-boss generals, or boss type generals piloting enemy craft. With each defeated enemy leaving in their wake a banner that adds to an end score tally along with other tallied loot found hidden away you could find yourself on at the top of the games' global leaderboards, and in the footnotes of feudal fantasy history if you can prove yourself worthy enough to capitalize on such point earned fame and fortune.
What is the "Vasara Collection"? ...
At base level the "Vasara Collection" is your standard console shmup port enhanced with tweakable features for fine tuning your gameplay experience. You'll find that through the main menu mode selection, and touchpad pop-up menu that you can change various options regarding the games' staple features. For example, you can change the display to vertical, or horizontal left and right as you see fit. Each display choice altering the way the action scrolls, and how the directional controls function. Supposing you play in vertical, or standard mode you'll be able admire the anime borders with the thin play screen at dead center. The control functionality being the norm that you'd expect from this type of top-down shmup. If the anime art borders, and your PSN ID on display therein aren't your cup of tea then there is an option to turn it off when playing vertically. The right, and left display options are an exception to this rule though in that their main display covers more screen area, and voids the border option altogether. It should also be noted that in left or right mode controls are reversed, and the direction the stage scrolls is either to the left or right, accordingly. Regardless how you want to see your playthrough play out onscreen you will find that the stages, enemies, and objectives are all the same, thankfully.
Along with those visually altering options you'll find other complimentary gameplay options in the previously mentioned listings including difficulty settings (Easy - Hardest), vibration on/off, bomb count, lives count, coin or free play mode, and smooth or sharp screen filters. The coin, and free play options, as they are, basically effect how you setup continues, or if you need continue updates at all. The coin option, in particular, adds a sort of arcade feel to it as you press "L1" to add coins, and continues to your allotment. Of course you can also change how many continues each coin counts for making it easier to get the fullest amount of continues possible. Needless to say there's a lot of options to toggle on and, off. Thus allowing you to play a game that caters more to your preferences than to a fixed standard for everyone.
The Gameplay ...
The first thing you need to pay attention to when starting any of the Vasara games or modes are the onscreen directions that are displayed to let you know how your ship functions in-game. As the still image inclusive tutorial screens show you can hold down "X" for a melee attack, press "TRIANGLE" for bombs, and hold "R1/R2/CIRCLE" for rapid fire. The melee attack within the game serves a few purposes of it's own that are useful in achieving top scores. It can briefly deflect bullet hell shots from enemies, kill or damage enemies, or even reveal hidden gold in buildings or other structures. Killing enemy ships with the melee attack also drops more gems which feeds into your Vasara meter. A meter that acts a special attack in the games that basically equates to a more powerful, and longer lasting version of each character's melee attack. In "Vasara" you have a single bar to fill, and in "Vasara 2" three bars with single uses each. The bombs which are also useful in staving off bullet hell, and encroaching enemies can be used by pressing "TRIANGLE". Bombs are limited use, and only refill after a death or with collected bomb power-ups. Another thing to note is the power-ups that increase shot damage, and spread. You can collect several power-ups allowing for quicker enemy destruction, but if you are hit all power-ups that were collected will scatter away from your ship until you collect them again.
When it comes to shooting the enemy that function is done by pressing and holding down one of three different buttons including "R1", "R2", and "CIRCLE". Whichever one is more convenient for you will do as they all produce the same constant shot. It should also be noted that "X" can be pressed for single fire shot bursts instead of being held down for melee attacks. Going back to the Vasara special attack explanation you can activate it when your meter is full by pressing or holding "SQUARE". This effect will last for a little while longer than the melee attack which sometimes gives off a similar effect. When it comes down to in-game movement the movement of your ships is done using the "Left Thumbstick". As far as I know there are no slowdown mechanics so minding the ships hitbox while you move about in all directions is the key to long play. Besides all that, all the mechanics, ships and characters also have their own significant features to mind. As far as roster differences are concerned each one has a different pilot, and a different ship with a different shot/melee. That, and a star rating for speed, and power. Each characters' roster listing details their power, and speed stats to better help the player gauge which character best suits their play style. In total there are three different characters in "Vasara", four in "Vasara 2", and a collective eight in "Vasara Timeless" including an unlockable character. Finding out which character best suits your style of play is also the key to making it big.
The Modes ...
Both "Vasara", and "Vasara 2" play out in a similar manner with the end goal being to clear out lesser, and greater enemies while collecting the fallen banners as well as the hidden gold in each of the six stages before facing off with the end boss, and reaching the final score screen. The only difference there is, is in the stage design, enemy design, assortment of playable characters and the meter HUD system included in each game. Should you make top leaderboard listing when your final score is uploaded at the end of a full playthrough or unfortunate "GAME OVER" you'll also see the general rank you've earned. Things like "Clever General", and "Great General" among others are included for those who can best the best. Along with the two series originals you can play through comes a modernized four player optional mode known as, "Vasara Timeless". Unlike the other two games this game looks more visually updated, and features a focus on a wider, and fuller screen. In this mode the gameplay is basically like that of "Vasara 2", meter-wise, but it has a focus on speed dashing from side to side quickly using the "L1/L2" shoulder buttons. With the screen being fully horizontal, but scrolling upwards vertically there is more screen to cover, and more enemies to focus on to the left, and right of the stage. If you are in a party though doing so can be made easier. Just know that once you die all your lives it's "GAME OVER". There are no continues in Timeless. Thus making it a more hardcore mode/game than the others. I should also mention that the first two games can be played solo or with a second player. I believe in all multiplayer cases though the multiplayer is local only.
The Verdict ...
I always love playing new shumps I've never heard of. For me they offer the nostalgia from a bygone gaming era. An era where we had local arcades with people waiting in line for a turn to try, and get that fabled highscore. It's something I deeply miss, and something that games like the 'Vasara Collection" bring back in a different sort of way. I think for what it's worth QUBytes did an excellent job porting this collection of early 2000's shmups to the PS4. Each game plays smoothly, and stays true to the original while adding in worthwhile tweaks for modern console gamers. That having been said some of the game is sadly lost in translation. The names on the banners you collect, and some of the other Japanese text remains unreadable for those who cannot read and understand Japanese. It's the only downside there is, but in the end it takes away little to nothing from the experience. For what you are getting I'm going to say it is worth a buy, especially if you are a diehard shmup fan. As previously mentioned it's the first time this game has made it to console, and that alone is a good reason to nab it while you can.
Most of you reading this are probably wondering what theme this particular shoot 'em up series contains at this point, and if you guessed samurai you'd be close. The two main games take some of the real life feudal Japanese history/lore, and put a sort of fantasy anime twist on it all. As one of a handful of various fully named male, and female protagonists sporting different period attire according to profession (Ninja, Samurai, Rogue, Shogun, Monk), and piloting a variety of different mechanized ships you go into battle against the forces involved in the fall of Osaka Castle of 1600 as well as against Oda Nobunga, and his army of loyal generals. At your disposal on your journey to rid the world of the nefarious opposition is a blocking melee attack, and rapid fire shot of varying types according to ship/character as well as the usual bullet hell clearing bombs. Utilizing your tools of destruction you must clear out enemies large, and small in order to face off against the main enemies that lie in wait within the six stage playthrough. Whether it be soldiers, sub-boss generals, or boss type generals piloting enemy craft. With each defeated enemy leaving in their wake a banner that adds to an end score tally along with other tallied loot found hidden away you could find yourself on at the top of the games' global leaderboards, and in the footnotes of feudal fantasy history if you can prove yourself worthy enough to capitalize on such point earned fame and fortune.
What is the "Vasara Collection"? ...
At base level the "Vasara Collection" is your standard console shmup port enhanced with tweakable features for fine tuning your gameplay experience. You'll find that through the main menu mode selection, and touchpad pop-up menu that you can change various options regarding the games' staple features. For example, you can change the display to vertical, or horizontal left and right as you see fit. Each display choice altering the way the action scrolls, and how the directional controls function. Supposing you play in vertical, or standard mode you'll be able admire the anime borders with the thin play screen at dead center. The control functionality being the norm that you'd expect from this type of top-down shmup. If the anime art borders, and your PSN ID on display therein aren't your cup of tea then there is an option to turn it off when playing vertically. The right, and left display options are an exception to this rule though in that their main display covers more screen area, and voids the border option altogether. It should also be noted that in left or right mode controls are reversed, and the direction the stage scrolls is either to the left or right, accordingly. Regardless how you want to see your playthrough play out onscreen you will find that the stages, enemies, and objectives are all the same, thankfully.
Along with those visually altering options you'll find other complimentary gameplay options in the previously mentioned listings including difficulty settings (Easy - Hardest), vibration on/off, bomb count, lives count, coin or free play mode, and smooth or sharp screen filters. The coin, and free play options, as they are, basically effect how you setup continues, or if you need continue updates at all. The coin option, in particular, adds a sort of arcade feel to it as you press "L1" to add coins, and continues to your allotment. Of course you can also change how many continues each coin counts for making it easier to get the fullest amount of continues possible. Needless to say there's a lot of options to toggle on and, off. Thus allowing you to play a game that caters more to your preferences than to a fixed standard for everyone.
The Gameplay ...
The first thing you need to pay attention to when starting any of the Vasara games or modes are the onscreen directions that are displayed to let you know how your ship functions in-game. As the still image inclusive tutorial screens show you can hold down "X" for a melee attack, press "TRIANGLE" for bombs, and hold "R1/R2/CIRCLE" for rapid fire. The melee attack within the game serves a few purposes of it's own that are useful in achieving top scores. It can briefly deflect bullet hell shots from enemies, kill or damage enemies, or even reveal hidden gold in buildings or other structures. Killing enemy ships with the melee attack also drops more gems which feeds into your Vasara meter. A meter that acts a special attack in the games that basically equates to a more powerful, and longer lasting version of each character's melee attack. In "Vasara" you have a single bar to fill, and in "Vasara 2" three bars with single uses each. The bombs which are also useful in staving off bullet hell, and encroaching enemies can be used by pressing "TRIANGLE". Bombs are limited use, and only refill after a death or with collected bomb power-ups. Another thing to note is the power-ups that increase shot damage, and spread. You can collect several power-ups allowing for quicker enemy destruction, but if you are hit all power-ups that were collected will scatter away from your ship until you collect them again.
When it comes to shooting the enemy that function is done by pressing and holding down one of three different buttons including "R1", "R2", and "CIRCLE". Whichever one is more convenient for you will do as they all produce the same constant shot. It should also be noted that "X" can be pressed for single fire shot bursts instead of being held down for melee attacks. Going back to the Vasara special attack explanation you can activate it when your meter is full by pressing or holding "SQUARE". This effect will last for a little while longer than the melee attack which sometimes gives off a similar effect. When it comes down to in-game movement the movement of your ships is done using the "Left Thumbstick". As far as I know there are no slowdown mechanics so minding the ships hitbox while you move about in all directions is the key to long play. Besides all that, all the mechanics, ships and characters also have their own significant features to mind. As far as roster differences are concerned each one has a different pilot, and a different ship with a different shot/melee. That, and a star rating for speed, and power. Each characters' roster listing details their power, and speed stats to better help the player gauge which character best suits their play style. In total there are three different characters in "Vasara", four in "Vasara 2", and a collective eight in "Vasara Timeless" including an unlockable character. Finding out which character best suits your style of play is also the key to making it big.
The Modes ...
Both "Vasara", and "Vasara 2" play out in a similar manner with the end goal being to clear out lesser, and greater enemies while collecting the fallen banners as well as the hidden gold in each of the six stages before facing off with the end boss, and reaching the final score screen. The only difference there is, is in the stage design, enemy design, assortment of playable characters and the meter HUD system included in each game. Should you make top leaderboard listing when your final score is uploaded at the end of a full playthrough or unfortunate "GAME OVER" you'll also see the general rank you've earned. Things like "Clever General", and "Great General" among others are included for those who can best the best. Along with the two series originals you can play through comes a modernized four player optional mode known as, "Vasara Timeless". Unlike the other two games this game looks more visually updated, and features a focus on a wider, and fuller screen. In this mode the gameplay is basically like that of "Vasara 2", meter-wise, but it has a focus on speed dashing from side to side quickly using the "L1/L2" shoulder buttons. With the screen being fully horizontal, but scrolling upwards vertically there is more screen to cover, and more enemies to focus on to the left, and right of the stage. If you are in a party though doing so can be made easier. Just know that once you die all your lives it's "GAME OVER". There are no continues in Timeless. Thus making it a more hardcore mode/game than the others. I should also mention that the first two games can be played solo or with a second player. I believe in all multiplayer cases though the multiplayer is local only.
The Verdict ...
I always love playing new shumps I've never heard of. For me they offer the nostalgia from a bygone gaming era. An era where we had local arcades with people waiting in line for a turn to try, and get that fabled highscore. It's something I deeply miss, and something that games like the 'Vasara Collection" bring back in a different sort of way. I think for what it's worth QUBytes did an excellent job porting this collection of early 2000's shmups to the PS4. Each game plays smoothly, and stays true to the original while adding in worthwhile tweaks for modern console gamers. That having been said some of the game is sadly lost in translation. The names on the banners you collect, and some of the other Japanese text remains unreadable for those who cannot read and understand Japanese. It's the only downside there is, but in the end it takes away little to nothing from the experience. For what you are getting I'm going to say it is worth a buy, especially if you are a diehard shmup fan. As previously mentioned it's the first time this game has made it to console, and that alone is a good reason to nab it while you can.
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