is a

bullet hell Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs ) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of charact ...

game by

Cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

, released in 2009. It is the third Cave shoot 'em up to be played using a horizontally-oriented monitor (preceded by ''

Progear ''Progear'' is a 2001 Shoot 'em up#Types, horizontally scrolling Shoot 'em up#Bullet hell, bullet hell Arcade game, arcade video game developed by Cave (company), CAVE and published by Capcom for the CP System II Arcade system board, board. Set i ...

'' and the original ''

Deathsmiles is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game by Japanese developer Cave, released in late 2007. It has heavy occult and gothic influences. It is the second Cave shooter to be played using a horizontally-oriented monitor (the first being ...

''). ''Deathsmiles II'' is also the first

CAVE A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

arcade game to use polygons instead of their traditional sprites for graphics. A compilation of ''Deathsmiles I'' and ''Deathsmiles II'' was released on

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

, and

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

in Japan in December 2021.

Gameplay

In ''Deathsmiles II'', players control a character armed with a magical weapon, navigating through levels filled with enemies and obstacles. The game features multiple characters to choose from, each with their own unique abilities and playstyle. As players progress through the game, they can collect power-ups and items to enhance their character's abilities and make them more powerful. ''Deathsmiles II'' also features a "Mega Black Label" mode, which is a harder version of the game with different levels and challenges.

Development and release

''Deathsmiles IIX'' was ported to the Xbox 360 with additional modes in 2010. It was released both regular and limited editions which included a soundtrack CD. On release week, Deathsmiles IIX sold 16,112 copies in Japan according to

Media Create is a Japanese company that gathers and analyzes data from the digital entertainment industry, specifically focusing on the Japanese console gaming market. Business operations include publishing, market research and consulting. It is a popular webs ...

. A platinum edition was released in 2011. The unlocalized Japanese release was made available on the US "Games on Demand" store in 2011.

Reception

In Japan, ''

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...

'' gave the X360 version a score of 30 out of 40.

GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...

rated the

XBLA Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independen ...

release a 3.5 out of 5 and commented that "despite everything it has going against it, ''Deathsmiles 2X'' stands out as one of the better shooters available in the Western market. It’s action-packed, easy to play, tough to master, and has a certain charm to it that makes you forgive its lackluster presentation."

References

External links

* 2009 video games Arcade video games Cave (company) games Christmas video games Dark fantasy video games Horizontally scrolling shooters Video games scored by Manabu Namiki Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Video games with 2.5D graphics Xbox 360 games Multiplayer and single-player video games {{Shmup-videogame-stub