Mamorukun ReCurse! Review: Not Your Average Bullet Hell | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Also on: PS4/5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)

Price: $24.99

I have grown to love bullet hells, especially ones that are based on arcade games, so when I got the opportunity to play Mamorukun ReCurse! I couldn’t resist. It’s a wacky Japanese arcade game that plays much differently than any other games in the same genre. It’s not easy either. But it wouldn’t be much of a bullet hell if it was easy.

The original Mamorukun Curse! was released in arcades in 2008 before eventually making its way to the Xbox 360 and PS3 in Japan. Mamorukun ReCurse! revives the original arcade experience for modern consoles. There are three main modes: Arcade (complete with online leaderboards), Netherworld Adventures (a challenge mode), and Story Mode. I spent most of my time bouncing between Story Mode and Arcade.

The narrative is pretty simple, but for a game like this, I don’t expect much story. A demon summons five people to protect the Netherworld from the forces of darkness. One thing I didn’t expect was the short manga-style intro, complete with full voice acting for each character. I really like the game’s art style, it feels straight out of a 90s anime. After the brief introduction, I was thrown right into the action.

One of the most unique aspects of Mamorukun ReCurse! is that, unlike most bullet hells, it isn’t an auto-scroller. I can take my time dodging bullets and taking down waves of enemies, which opens up opportunities for branching pathways. I don’t think I’ve ever played a bullet hell that forgoes auto-scrolling in favor of exploration, and I really appreciated this design choice.

This feature is a welcome addition, because one hit from a bullet means instant death. In Story Mode, I choose the order of my five playable characters; once one falls, the next steps in. These essentially serve as my lives, so in a sense, I have five. Losing a character feels more meaningful, though, since they’re gone until I find a heart to revive them.

Each character plays a little differently, mainly due to the placement of the demons that surround them. The demons are where the bullets originate, so their positioning directly affects how my projectiles fire. In addition to that, every character has a unique curse ability. Holding down the curse button fires a large energy ball at enemies, while tapping it drops a circle on the ground. Standing inside that circle makes my bullets more powerful and grants invincibility, though it’s very short-lived.

I mentioned earlier that branching pathways aren’t something I’ve seen before, and while it’s a neat feature, the most difficult sections came when I was moving sideways. It wasn’t always easy to see where enemies were coming from, partly because the game seemed to struggle with enemy placement during those segments. When moving straight ahead, though, this wasn’t an issue.

There are two main ways to play: using the left stick to control movement while pressing buttons to fire, or using the left stick for movement and the right stick to aim and shoot. I preferred the twin-stick method, and it feels like this is the way the game was truly meant to be played.

The boss battles are some of the game’s highlights. Each one is distinct and visually creative. One of my favorites had me riding on the back of a stingray while taking out pirate ships, a perfect example of how imaginative the designs can be. It’s clear a lot of effort went into making each boss feel unique. That said, a few encounters felt unfair. For instance, one boss fired two lasers that slowly crossed the screen, and I couldn’t see any way to dodge the attack. It felt like a cheap death. Thankfully, having five characters (or lives) helped. Losing them all meant restarting the current level, not the entire game, a feature I appreciated.

Final Grade: B

I had a great time with Mamorukun ReCurse! It introduces ideas I haven’t seen in other arcade shooters, particularly the lack of auto-scrolling and the addition of branching pathways. The boss fights are all uniquely designed, though some are definitely more fun than others, especially when certain attacks feel impossible to dodge, leading to a few cheap deaths. Overall though, if you’re a fan of bullet hell arcade games, Mamorukun ReCurse! is an excellent addition to your collection. 

Review code provided by Overload PR