Sin and Punishment: Star Successor Review - Punishment Achieved

Sin And Punishment: Star Successor for the Wii is the answer to the cries that Nintendo does not make games for the hardcore anymore, aiming to only please the "Wii Fit" crowd. The sequel to Sin And Punishment: Successor Of The Earth (which was only released in Japan, but carried a cult following in the U.S.), players assume the role of Isa or Kachi and mow down enemies as Isa attempts to protect Kachi from a group called the Nebulox, who were sent by The Creators to kill Isa for betraying their wishes (who sent Isa to kill Kachi). The focus is not the story, but the insane amount of action that happens on screen.

Loved:
+Bullet Hell/Rail Hell At Its Finest - Although Cave is considered the company that sits on the throne of the bullet hell genre, Treasure is responsible for creating what is widely considered to be the golden child of bullet hell games with Ikaruga (plugging it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j94vB5hf28w). Now, admittedly, I never played the first Sin And Punishment, which was released for the Nintendo 64. And after playing this, I knew that playing the original was not needed in order to understand how solid the sequel was. The game has you controlling Isa or Kachi, both of which have various styles of firing their weapon. Like in Star Fox, you shoot towards the back ground as enemies come at you, firing insane amounts of bullets. There is never a feeling like doing the impossible in a bullet hell game, when somehow you are dodging every single bullet shot at you with 2% health remaining. Take note to that feeling, because this game is absolutely punishing. Very few games make you want to throw a controller at the wall like this.

With that said, Treasure really outdid itself making the bullet hell transition to 3D seamless. You never get the feeling that you misread the depth of a shot because the game had "tricked you" as to where it was. The game creates a world that realizes the insanity of a top down bullet hell shooter pulled off in multiple dimensions.

+Dynamic Styling - Every now and then in the game, the perspective of the camera will switch and have you attacking the level as a side scroller, or even as a Gyruss style shooter. This shakes up the formula pretty well and kept me from losing engagement with the action, which, for most people, ends up happening with most shooters by the 7th or 8th levels.

+Well Implemented Controls - I am usually opposed to the nunchuck combo with the Wii, but Sin and Punishment really implemented the style well, and I prefer it to using a classic controller for once. The nunchuck allows you to move and dodge, while the Wiimote aims and fires. Pressing Z repeatedly causes a melee combo, and A allows you to charge up your "special shot." Isolating the controls out like this allows for some insane micro-multitasking, which is required to survive in bullet hell games. Also - melee attacks need to be included in bullet hell shooters from here on out. This became one of the most interesting elements once utilized correctly, and added a layer of strategy to the game.

+Big, Bad, Burly, Buff Bosses - I gotta admit, one of my favorite moments in games is epic boss fights, and this game is loaded with them. Unfortunately, it's hard to me to expand on this without spoiling parts of the game, but what I can say is that the sheer size and scope of these battles amazed me - even the sub bosses give way to the feeling of a huge showdown.

+Environments - Never once did I play a level and wonder if I felt a sort of "sameness" to them. Each level is drastically different - one places you in a dark forest with nothing but a small shroud of light, another has you underwater, and each environment presented comes to life by the talents of Treasure's design team, whether through the usage of downtrodden buildings in a war zone or plant and marine left caught in the middle of a shoot out.

Hated:
-Weak plot - For such an interesting concept, they really did not take it much farther than a "survive and kill" plot. I was really expecting some decent twist, but I guess, with the bullet hell genre already lacking in real plotlines, I had my expectations set way too high for that.

Treasure created a great game to inspire the bullet hell transition to 3D, as most of the genre still sits in the 2D realm. Through patience and reflexes, the real reward comes from letting the game teach you how to beat it; and for the brutality that Sin And Punishment throws at you, the reward couldn't be sweeter. I can't recommend this game enough if you're into rail or bullet hell shooters like Ikaruga, Star Fox, Panzer Dragoon, or Espgaluda.

Played through the game on Normal with Isa and Kachi separately, attempted to complete the game on Hard with Kachi.