Following the successful launch of Deathsmiles: Deluxe Edition earlier this year, the decision for Rising Star Games to partner with critically acclaimed Japanese studio CAVE was surely a forgone conclusion. As Electronic Theatre has noted many times over the years, the UK publisher is keen to deliver all aspects of those forgotten Japanese treasures to Europe, whether they be designed for pick-up-and-play style experiences or obscure, hauntingly unique adventures. Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition is neither of those however: it’s a balls-out shoot-‘em-up experience through-and-through.
Deathsmiles: Deluxe Edition was a notable experience for many reasons, ranging from art design to accessibility. Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition has those same qualities, but wraps them all up in a score-based experience that has so many layers to it that only the most hardened gamers will be able to penetrate it. 
The nuances of power-ups and weapon abilities will come to players slowly with repeated play as what at first looks like a very simple ‘bullet hell’ shoot-‘em-up slowly reveals itself to be a deep and methodical system set across a series of immaculately designed stages. There’s a belief amongst western gamers that the scrolling shoot-‘em-up has had its day at retail, and that it should be confined to the realms of digital distribution a an enjoyable, but infrequent pastime. Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition shouts in the face of this argument, proving that when it’s done right, bullet hell is just as vital as any big budget first-person shooter.
What affords this release of Dodonpachi Resurrection the ‘Deluxe Edition’ is the four different variants of the basic campaign included, Xbox 360, Novice, Arrange A and Arrange B. Each variant is playable offline, or as a score attack in which all score will be automatically posted to the online leaderboards. All modes ate playable with two players on a single system, but contrary to the indication on the back of the retail packaging, online play is not available.
Each of the gameplay variants offers the same five stages, but fills them with different enemy arrangements and offers a different scoring mechanic. The Xbox 360 is very forgiving, offering players a health counter that lasts far greater than in the Arrange modes, and Arrange B is based on a very peculiar – but intriguing – scoring system. Here, players don’t score points for each enemy killed, but
instead by collecting the power-ups dropped by enemies upon death. The kill is simply an effort to clear the screen; reaching for the pellet dropped is where you gain points for your effort. Each stage features a hidden route, unlockable only when certain conditions within the stage have been met. This series of arrangements and hidden extras add a great deal of replayability to Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition, with the potential to keep secrets hidden even after many hours have been invested into the videogame.
The visuals are a mix of detailed 2D sprites and backdrops and 3D boss models and scenery elements. It’s an interesting combination of extraordinary science-fiction presentation and brightly coloured splashes of neon. While it makes good use of the high-definition capabilities of the Xbox 360, Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition uses a box display only – it’s a shame players aren’t given the option to adjust the screen ratio at all.
While scrolling shoot-‘em-up titles may not have the audience they once did, there are still many gamers that enjoy the score-based challenges they present. Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition offers exactly this opportunity, though it must be said that it was a wise decision to bring Deathsmiles: Deluxe Edition to Europe first. Deathsmiles: Deluxe Edition acts as a stepping stone for the ridiculously hectic gameplay that is not just a regularly occurrence in Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition, but the entire foundation for its design. There’s a reason CAVE has a reputation for developing some of the finest modern scrolling shoot-‘em-ups, and Dodonpachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition is further proof supporting that acclamation.
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