We must be dreaming: Bangai-O for DS

by JC Fletcher { Sep 12th 2007 at 9:50AM }

We hope you're ready for a Wednesday morning freakout, because that is exactly what is going to happen in this post. We didn't dare speak our secret wish that the new Treasure game would be Bangai-O; it seemed too beautiful a thought for our real world. But according to the kind NeoGAFfers who post the news from Famitsu every week, a new Treasure game called Bangaioh Tamashii (Bangai-O Spirits) is on the way, with 4-player local wireless and a stage editor.

Of course, there's always the chance that it'll be a spinoff puzzle game or something, but we doubt that kind of behavior from Treasure. No, get ready for tiny sprites and huge chain-reaction explosions.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bangai-O, it's a free-scrolling shooter originally for the Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast, in which players, as a pair of mecha-piloting kids, shoot thousands of missiles and laser beams at tiny enemies. Special attacks gain power based on the number of bullets and explosions on the screen, leading to a constantly-escalating feedback loop of super attacks.

If this DS game is a real Bangai-O with multiplayer and a level editor, then the Nintendo DS will have crossed the line as the best game system ever released. Whatever it is, it's got a level editor and 4-player mode. Cheer and hurrah past the post break for a scanned page from Famitsu showing off the first screenshots for the game.

Tags: bangai-o, bangai-o-tamashii, shooter, treasure

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Acceptable Risk @ Sep 12th 2007 11:03AM

Ho Lee Crap! They read my letter!

Pookieman @ Sep 12th 2007 11:14AM

FACE_DROOL!!! :O :O SWEET! I loved this game on Dreamcast.

Lard Of Dorkness @ Sep 12th 2007 12:04PM

Man, why couldn't this have been announced last week, *before* I paid $40 for the Dreamcast version of the game?

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Sep 12th 2007 1:52PM

I've never played it, but they had me at 4 player and level editor.

Orville the Unfathomable Time Walrus @ Sep 12th 2007 2:34PM

Sweet, I just got this game in a stack of Dreamcast games I picked up at a flea market the other week. Didn't even give it a second look before filing it away...I probably should now. I'm not big into this particular genre, but it looks like it could work well on the DS.

Pixelbotgo @ Sep 12th 2007 3:09PM

You found Bangai-O at a flea market? That is a damn lucky find.

stickmanfc73_ @ Sep 12th 2007 3:21PM

My DC version of the game was hella busted. After like 6 or so levels the backgrounds and sprites looked like glitch hell. It was terrible. Couldn't play the game. And it had loading problems.

This is the best news ever. Screw Contra 4! I GOT BANGAI-*freeka freeka*O!

zenprism @ Sep 12th 2007 4:33PM

Nerdgasm. All over myself.
Best news ever. I'll buy 5. Thank you.

Orville the Unfathomable Time Walrus @ Sep 13th 2007 12:55AM

Follow-up to my previous post, having fired up the Dreamcast and trying out Bangai-O:

Like I said, I'm not big on shoot-em-ups, and it showed--I died a lot, but generally through my own ineptness. I found the control scheme a bit awkward because the placement of the analog stick in relation to the D-Pad made it to where I couldn't move and 360-degree shoot at the same time, being forced to toggle, but I eventually got the hang of it and, although I wasn't to the point of destroying everything in my path effortlessly, it was nonetheless really fun. Now I think I can really see the potential for a great DS adaptation of this.

@6: Yeah, I guess I should be pretty proud of that find. Yard sales and flea markets have been abnormally good to me this summer.

JC Fletcher @ Sep 13th 2007 1:02AM

Try the other control scheme. You might like it better.

Mitch @ Sep 13th 2007 12:15PM

I was just playing Bangai-O earlier this week. I kept saying, "Why haven't they made this for another system yet? Why is there no sequel on the 360 or something? Why must this game be relegated to systems that died over half a decade ago?" It seems someone heard me.