UKI-UKI-TENGOKU2

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UKI-UKI-TENGOKU2 is a horizontal shmup which takes place under water with a pretty unique art style. Gameplay is a bit unusual with inertia, oxygen meter and attack mechanics that require some practice but overall it's a challenging shmup with lots of bullets. A bit weird but fun. You can choose between three characters, a penguin, a fish and a human. There are two difficulties: Normal and Hard. According to the in-game guide there are six stages.

The short: An artistic horizontal shmup that is a bit overpriced at 10 US dollars The long: Absolutely beautiful 2D side scrolling retro shmup if you love art. I can imagine that there will be huge fans of this art style, but also some claiming that there isn't enough content or variation. I was in a zen state the entire time I played. I like that there were unlimited continues, and I just felt like I wanted to immerse myself with this beautiful art style. This may not be every persons cup of tea, but I loved every second.

UKI UKI TENGOKU2 is a wonderfully strange retro shooter that I enjoyed mostly because it feels like something that could have come straight out of an old arcade cabinet. I can choose between a penguin with a laser, a fish with a fire attack and a human with a railgun, then blast my way through a series of side scrolling stages while chasing a higher score. The whole thing has a bizarre charm that I really liked. The controls are simple on paper, but there is more depth than I expected. I can move in multiple directions, fire, use bombs and perform special movement tricks when I learn the right inputs. I enjoyed the movement because the game expects me to stay active rather than simply holding down the attack button. Managing direction, attacks and movement together gives the combat a nice arcade rhythm. Each character also changes how I approach the stages. The penguin, fish and human all have different weapons, so switching between them gives me a reason to replay sections and try a different approach. I especially liked that the penguin has to surface for air, because even that silly restriction becomes another part of the challenge during a fast stage. The retro presentation …