Guwange (ぐわんげ Guwange) is a vertical scrolling shooter developed by Cave and published by Atlus in 1999.
Story[ | ]
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The story of Guwange is set during the Muromachi period of Japan. During this time, increasing numbers of people suffer possession by shikigami. Although the shikigami grant great spiritual powers, the strain inflicted on the host causes them to die exactly one year after possession. However, a legend has sprung up regarding Guwange, the malevolent god trapped in Mt. Gokumon (i.e. Hell Gate). If one possessed by a shikigami can gather talismans of the five Chinese elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, water—from five demons serving Guwange, then infiltrate Gokumon and slay Guwange, the shikigami will be destroyed and the one possessed will not suffer a premature death.
Gameplay[ | ]
Unlike most other shooters, the player can shoot in any of eight directions, rather than only forward. In addition, the screen will often scroll horizontally, or even diagonally, depending on the course the protagonists must take to reach the demon leader. Each character has a limited bomb attack in the form of a rapid pulse of energy spheres that, like the normal shot, can be sent in any direction, and will dispel any bullets it touches. Another special attack involves sending the shikigami into the midst of the enemies, with two particular advantages. First, the shikigami does not have to attack in the same direction as the player is firing, and can even get past obstacles that would otherwise thwart normal shots. Second, if an enemy projectile touches the shikigami, it will turn purple and be drastically slowed down until it gets past the shikigami. This is crucial for making enemy shot patterns manageable. In addition, if an enemy is slain while any of its shots are slowed, those shots will become point bonuses.
Other versions[ | ]
On December 30, 2007 Cave fest, Cave unveiled a special edition of the game, which included increased difficulty in later chapters.
The mobile version was split into two separate games:
- I-mode version was designed for FOMA 900 and 901 series.
- Yahoo! Mobile version was designed for SH53, V601SH series.
Guwange DX is a version for mobile platforms in which the two-part mobile game was merged into a single game, with enhanced graphics.
In July 2010 cave announced the game would be coming to the Xbox 360 via Xbox live Arcade
Soundtrack[ | ]
Cave released soundtrack for the game under the title Guwange/ESP Ra.De. original soundtrack album.