Danmaku Unlimited 3 on Nintendo Switch is the latest entry in the bullet hell shoot ‘em up series, one that I’m new to, and of which I’m now a fan. Find out why in our Danmaku Unlimited 3 review!

 

The mechanics of the game are very simple. You can pick out your drone formation and the type of fire power you would like to use, and the game will then offer you an opportunity to go through a basic tutorial which will explain you the basics. The tutorial explains the control set up and how to use the weapons at your disposal. It only lasts a few minutes, but it definitely gets the job done.

When you begin, you can choose a variety of difficulties to suit your skill level, from Easy being the, well, easier one and True being the most difficult option, one that only veteran shoot ‘em up pros should select. There’s a considerable difference in each of the difficulty settings, so be sure to try them all as you learn the ins and outs of the game so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.

You can fire your weapons with the A button, and by pressing the X button at the same time, your drones will fire a powerful beam towards your enemies. The disadvantage of this is that your ship will move at a much slower speed, which might leave you very vulnerable. You might want to look into changing the number of lives you start with since you only start with two, which might not be enough.

 

Enemy bullets change color if you destroy the ship that sent them your way, turning them into pale blue bullets that are very much harmless. Collecting the pale blue bullets will fill up your spirit meter, and when the meter is full, your ship will enter Trance mode. What does Trance Mode do? It will turn your firepower gold, and you will be able to deal extra damage. Oh, and don’t forget to grab the diamonds that enemies drop when defeated since they will help to boost your score.

When you are low on lives or are in a desperate situation, you can drop a bomb by pressing the B button – this will certainly turn the tides of battle in your favor. Bombs are limited and should only be used as a last resort since they will destroy a good number of the enemies on screen, so it’s definitely a lifesaver.

As you progress through the game, you will unlock new weapon and fire power types by pulling off certain feats, and this is where the bulk of the replayability is. Feats add an extra layer since they require you to focus on extra objectives as you try to stay alive in each of the game’s stages – on top of being busy working on beating your overall high score.

The graphics look great on the TV, and it looks great as well in portable mode. As is the case with most shoot ‘em ups, Danmaku Unlimited 3 is devoid of a story, placing its focus entirely on its gameplay. This is not a deal-breaker since the gameplay is top-notch for this bullet hell release on Nintendo Switch. If you’re a fan of the genre, then you should definitely check out this game on Nintendo’s latest console.

Disclaimer
This Danmaku Unlimited 3 review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Doragon.