At the end of the day, I’m happy that nobody really talks about shoot ’em ups being dead anymore. The reality is that they never were, but I suppose they weren’t as visible as they could have been for a while there. Anyway, that’s all settled business. I’m sure anyone can appreciate that shoot ’em ups are alive, well, and thriving. So, how about some of those shooters that hit back when people weren’t paying as much attention? We’ve seen some get modern reissues, and here’s another one for that pile: Trouble Witches.
Trouble Witches saw its original release on Windows PCs all the way back in 2007, which I must reluctantly remind everyone was almost two decades ago. In 2009 it got an enhanced release in Japanese arcades, and then in 2011 a further improved Xbox 360 version called Trouble Witches NEO!. This was the first version of the game to get a release outside of Japan, and it was one of those great Xbox Live Arcade shoot ’em up gems. Another improved release on Steam came after that, and then a slightly further improved PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch version. That came out a couple years ago in Japan, and we’re only now getting it in the West courtesy of ININ Games. I don’t want to break any hearts, but a couple of months ago another modestly improved release arrived for PlayStation 5 in Japan. These witches; they’re trouble.
Well, we won’t worry about that PlayStation 5 version here. At some point you have to jump on the train, especially if it’s not going to stop moving anytime soon. Trouble Witches Final! Episode 01 Daughters of Amalgam is a horizontally-scrolling shoot ’em up originally developed by Studio SiestA, ported by Rocket-Engine Co., Ltd (the developer of Cotton Reboot!), and published in the West by ININ Games. It’s a cute ’em up about three good witches who are in pursuit of a not-so-good witch named Amalgam. She’s made off with a magical artifact that holds great power and unleashed an ancient evil. Well, you know what you have to do: pew pew pew.
Originally, Trouble Witches allowed you to choose between those three good witches. Each release added more playable characters, and this Switch version gives you a whopping twelve playable characters to use. If you’re feeling spendy, you can drop a fiver and add Cotton to that roster, too. Each character has their own shot pattern and stats, and you’ll want to try them all out to see which one suits your playstyle best. Or, you know, if you really want to squeeze everything out of the game, play through the game with all of them. They’ve all got their own stories, for whatever it’s worth. Seeing them all is a noble enough goal, but you’ll also unlock new versions of each character by finishing the Story Mode with them.
The full game consists of six stages, which is just about the right length for something like this. You get a bunch of different modes to play, too. A few of those come down to whether or not you want cutscenes and dialogue, along with how hard you want things to be. There are some timed Caravan-style modes where you’re aiming to get as high a score as you can in a set amount of time. Finally, you get the usual Boss Rush mode, plus an Endless mode if you really want to keep pushing yourself. There’s also a Practice mode if you want to train on specific stages, and a tutorial to show you the ropes. Oh, and there’s also the option to play the Japanese arcade version of the game. There are online and offline leaderboards on offer, so score attackers have a reason to keep coming back. Lots of meat on the bones here, so long as you enjoy the core gameplay.
So, how is that core gameplay? I mean, you know the basics. This game ends up more in the bullet hell end of the pool, though the degree to which it flexes that depends on which difficulty setting you choose. You have your usual shot, which is again different based on your character of choice. You can also activate a Magic Circle, which will slow down any enemy shots that enter it and convert those bullets to bucks after you beat the enemy that fired them. The Magic Circle consumes a meter, so you can’t have it up non-stop. It’ll recover while you’re not using it, so deploy it strategically. Both its bullet-slowing effect and money-generating aspect are critical mechanics in Trouble Witches. You’ll want to pile up as much money as you can.
Defeating enemies will see cash will fly all over the place, and catching it can be tough until you learn that laying off on your shooting will suck it all in immediately. What’s the money for, anyway? Well, every so often a shop appears, similar to games like Fantasy Zone or Forgotten Worlds. Pop in there and you can spend your loot on Magic Cards, which are items you can equip and use at your leisure when you need some big kabooms. The cheaper cards work nicely as general use items and the pricier ones are very useful for bosses. There are quite a few different ones to buy and use, and they inject a considerable amount of variety into the action.
That’s important, because the game from start to finish is under a half hour, and if you want to fully complete everything you’re going to be running through those six stages quite a few times. I encourage you to go outside your comfort zone with those Magic Cards and try them all out, because along with the assortment of characters it’s a critical part of keeping the game fresh. Frankly, I prefer my shooters to be shorter and punchier rather than long and drawn out, so Trouble Witches hits the spot for me.
Not every shoot ’em up from the past stands the test of time, but Trouble Witches has held up quite well. It sure doesn’t hurt that each release has added a little something, making Trouble Witches Final! feel jam-packed. None of that would matter if the game wasn’t as fun as it is, though. The game’s systems are fairly easy to understand, but there’s so much here to play with that you can keep on going with it for ages. Yes, there will probably be Trouble Witches Final! Last End! No, This Time We Really Mean It later on with another character or mode, but I don’t think anyone jumping in on this Switch release is going to feel stiffed.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review Copy Provided by ININ Games
