DoDonPachi DaiOuJou

This review will not comprehensively explain the underlying systems - other places and replays do that better, and it would claim too much space/time.

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou is a game that exactly defines its mechanics and executes around those mechanics with near perfection. Fundamentally, the game is about navigating terrain (bullets) while shooting enemies. The timing and order of actions is incredibly important - at first just for basic survival, and later for optimizing score.

Small taps on the stick result in micro movements. No acceleration or deceleration are present - this game is about extreme precision, and movement is appropriately precise. The three buttons immediately shoot, bomb, or hyper - they are quickly internalized, so that the player does not need to think about them.

This game has several systems that drive the gameplay:

• Scoring System
• Rank System
• Hyper System
• Chaining System
• Bee Collection

Scoring System

Scoring is fundamental to this game and most shmups. It is influenced by all other systems. The goal of the game is to achieve the highest possible score with the highest numbers of remaining lives and bombs. The ideal is a perfect score with no mistakes (a bomb or life lost is a mistake). Note that this exact formula does not apply to all shmups. This system is complex and difficult to master. That design results in a game that unfolds over years for players, constantly giving them new goals.

Rank System

The rank system is hidden - behind the scenes, based on player actions, the game becomes more or less difficult. Using hypers (another system) increases rank. Bombing and dying reduce rank. The best players also play a more difficult game due to the impact of rank. Similarly, less skilled players are given a fighting chance to learn the game.

Hyper System

The hyper system is introduced by DOJ and copied across huge numbers of games. Aside from being iconic, in introduces a key risk/reward where using a hyper increases rank and also temporarily increases bullet speed. The player has more power and more scoring potential, but also increases their overall risk each time they use a hyper. Using a more powerful hyper further increases that risk. Hypers are fundamental to playing DOJ, and the game (damage scaling, difficulty scaling, routing, etc.) is near-perfectly balanced around this system.

Chaining System

Chaining is another key scoring mechanic, where the player must destroy enemies or otherwise preserve their chain to increase score. Each hit against an enemy increases the chain. Going too long without hitting an enemy (typically < 1 second) or collecting a bee breaks the chain, which limits scoring potential. Chaining is incredibly important to routing the game - getting a high score mandates preserving the chain.

Bee Collection

Bee collection is another routing and scoring impact. Players must find hidden bees and collect them. Missing any bee negatively impacts scoring potential. While not required for survival, this background system adds another layer of complexity and potential for high level players. The results of bee chaining are fascinating to watch in high level play.

All of these systems work together incredibly well and produce a game with nonstop engagement that never gets stale. Games with poor gameplay systems cannot withstand thousands of playthroughs, but DOJ has withstood literal decades of play.

DDP DOJ is an example of graphics perfectly complementing the gameplay. Graphical design decisions are not necessarily obvious at first, but make a massive impact under scrutiny.

Consider the following (low quality - not the game's fault) screenshot from loop 2.

Even with the extremely degraded quality of the screen grab, the following are evident:

• Bullet hit boxes are obvious and distinct.
• Enemy bullets always utilize the top layer - nothing can obscure bullet visibility.
• The background colors are desaturated in a way that retains full detail, but highlights bullet visibility.
• The player shot/laser hitboxes are also obvious.
• All colors are distinct in ways that make distinguishing different types of bullets unambiguous.
• Overlapping bullets do not cause problems with visibility.

The necessary information is obvious at a glance: - Current chain state (hit count and how close it is to breaking) (top left). - Hyper/bomb stock (bottom left). - Stock count (top left).

Less important information is deprioritized - for example, the score does not consume excessive space. HUD/supplemental information is minimal, prioritizing screen real estate for the player. The bee (an important item) is obvious/distinct upon reveal, but not overbearing or distracting.

In a game this difficult, graphics matching the gameplay is incredibly important. All of the above factors add up to an extremely precise experience. It always feels fair, and there are no surprise deaths.

Visual Design Quality

Now let's talk about the general look and feel. DOJ (and CAVE games in general) has an absurd level of quality in its backgrounds, enemy sprites, and enemy placement. The graphical design creates an entire detailed world. When enemy tanks are rolling out, they are rolling out on defined pathways that make sense. Despite being a top-down game, the levels have depth. Each stage is full. Especially given the constraints of the hardware, the graphical design of DOJ is an incredible achievement.

Sound has an interesting and important relationship with Shmups. While you aren't listening for footsteps approaching from around a corner, sound is also omnipresent and used to communicate other information to the player such as whether they hit an enemy. In such a compact format, with heavy replay, the sound must stand up to hundreds of repeated playthroughs. Background music cannot be annoying, or it can drive players from the game. Similarly, sound effects that are harsh or grating can result in player attrition.

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou makes no sacrifices in any aspect of game design. The music is listenable and matches the theme, sticking in your head after a dozen playthroughs without becoming annoying. Each sound effect has a purpose and successfully fills that purpose. Small cues tell the player whether they successfully collected a bee, gained a hyper, or fired their weapon.

While the music is often darker or foreboding (risky choices for this type of game), it's balanced just enough, and certain sections like the first half of stage 5 are simply motivating regardless of tone.

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou is one of the most difficult games one could select. At the same time, the difficulty curve for the game is designed beautifully, and the game is designed to be replayed to naturally guide the player through learning to master the difficulty.

Stage 1 is easy to clear, but not boring - an important distinction. It still requires practice for scoring, can still force a player to make mistakes, and is difficult to optimize.

Stage 2 immediately ramps up the difficulty, but in a way that makes the player more motivated rather than forcing them into an early wall. It teaches the player more about the game, and provides some soft checks on their understanding of the gameplay systems and controls.

Stage 3 then ramps up the difficulty, and deliberately creates a wall for players. It is satisfying to pass, but not overly prohibitive in the context of the game. When one can clear stage 3, they understand the gameplay to a certain extent.

Stages 4 and 5 challenge the player to be better, with escalating difficulty and massive scoring potential.

This game also has a second loop - once you beat the game once, if you meet certain conditions, you may choose to start again from the beginning. In different versions of the game this reset has a variance in difficulty, but loop 2 is uniformly more difficult regardless of version. It also provides a hidden true last boss (TLB) as one last challenge for the best players. This TLB is extremely difficult, but clearable in a consistent way for the best players.

The story is extraordinarily minimal, and may not even exist for many players. This is the perfect decision for this type of game, which is focused on dense gameplay in a short period of time. There are no distractions, just gameplay.

The theming of the game, informed by the minimal story, fits well and matches the graphics and sound. It engages the player while not getting in the way, and provides a strong layer of consistency across the game.

The controls are perfectly suited to the game. There are no excess controls or button presses. The player is not overly constrained. All controls are snappy and precise, which is mandatory for this type of gameplay. An arcade stick and 3 buttons are the exact correct controls for this game. That being said, it still adapts well to many controllers, and the same 3-button scheme makes sense across a wide variety of button layouts.

DOJ explores depth in:

• Pattern recognition: The skill of recognizing patterns in bullets and enemy behavior, fundamental to the genre.
• Patience and timing: Deliberate choices are required at all times to optimize score. Impatience or hesitation can lead to early death in an instant.
• Movement: Precise movement is required to survive in the first place. Studied movement is required to score.
• Reaction: DOJ does not rely entirely on memorization - it is a blend of planning and understanding the game mechanics to allow for proper reaction. Reacting to split second changes is critical for this game.
• Routing: Even surviving requires some form of plan. This game directly builds the routing skill of the player, which is deciding when and where to move and shoot.
• Consistency: Can the player play five times and win five times? Consistency is difficult to develop in this game, and most players will not clear the game every time they play it. This makes the game replayable even for survival, as consistency unlocks the ability to score or demonstrate the game.
• Scoring: The scoring system is deep and is one of the main factors in making the game replayable.

This is a deep game, where depth contributes directly to the replay value and overall appeal of the game. It is a difficult game made solvable via deep, precisely designed gameplay systems. It takes a long time to unpack the depth of the game, which directly enhances the player experience - depth provides an extremely positive feedback loop where the player can directly understand their improvement, but remain motivated to improve via other direct feedback (e.g. scoring, resource count, etc.).

This game, along with Ketsui, is a technically precise example of how to use a PGM board.

Since I love bullet hell games, it's hard to dislike anything about playing DOJ.

Others have described DOJ as "the best game ever made, and that will ever be made". The enjoyment factor is strong with this one.

The replay value of DOJ is nearly infinite. Over two decades after launch, players are still chasing higher scores across all ship types and game versions. Playing a perfect game might be impossible for a human, but the design of the game ensures that human players can almost always be slightly more perfect.