Mushihimesama is a manic shooter developed by Cave and released by Taito in 2004. It was ported to the PlayStation 2 in 2005 and iOS in 2011. An Xbox 360 port was released in May 2012 (with ver1.5 as first print DLC). A significantly changed "version 1.5" was released to arcades in 2011. The game has an insect theme as all of the enemies resemble various insects such as beetles and butterflies. The game is set in various forest environments. It received a sequel in 2006, known as Mushihimesama Futari, and a spin-off iOS game entitled Mushihimesama Bug Panic.
If that wasn’t enough, there are multiple versions of Mushihimesama for you to experience including Arrange, 1.5, and Novice Mode designed for newcomers featuring simplified bullet patterns and the ability to auto-bomb. Each “version” of the game offers some differences such as remixed soundtracks and different scoring systems. Any good shoot ’em up...
Overall, Mushihimesama is a great title for both new players and veteran players alike. There's plenty of difficulty and challenge for the veterans, especially with Ultra mode, yet it's easy enough to get new players into with the combination of novice mode and infinite continues available. While the goal may be to complete the game without using a...
CAVE are likely the most well-known craft masters of the genre and for good reason. Mushihimesama is not only accessible for newcomers but challenging for pros. It’s addictive, it’s visually unique with its bug theme, and has all the nuance and quirk any good Shmup needs to succeed.
I couldn’t say if this is THE game that would convert the non-believers...
Mushihimesama was ahead of the pack when it came out two decades ago, and that hasn't changed at all in 2021. This is still a remarkable shmup and a must-play for hardcore fans, but thanks to the wealth of difficulty options it provides, it's the perfect way for newcomers to dip their feet into the genre too.
While there are a few nags in the overall package, MushihimeSama is a fantastic shooter, and one I'm glad I won't have to write the name of any longer.
