Deathsmiles domesticated in June

Deathsmiles on XBOX360 is a Gothic, frantic, horizontal shooter that was released in Japan last year by CAVE and has been localized by Aksys. The Gothic and horizontal elements are easily observed, and the frantic begins mid-boss when the bullets start filling up the screen. Luckily the character sprite is not totally vulnerable, only the tiny hitbox that glows in the character's center. I used the trigger buttons to easily switch my character's fire from left to right, which was necessary when enemies invaded from both sides. The screen was filled with vibrant color, at times with tons of enemies, and at other times with giant ghouls and monsters, fitting its Gothic theme. Think of games like Gradius or Darius Gaiden but on steroids.

New at the PAX booth was a release window for Deathsmiles. I asked Aksys representatives for a more solid date, and was told "June 29." Aksys is assembling a limited edition package that will be announced in the next couple of weeks. The price is not yet determined.

Comment below if you think the Goth cosplay girls above are helping or hurting the promotion of this game.