Psyvariar - Complete Edition from Japanese developers Success compiles both the original Taito G-Net arcade releases into one package for Sony's priviledged console. Medium Unit, released in 1999, set the main foundations upon which the appropriately namely Revision later refined. Both versions were previously available for the Playstation 2 seperately as part of the ongoing SuperLite budget release series for the Playstation 2 in Japan. Success have also released two special editions of this package to coincide with its release: Capture Box - including a bonus DVD containing videos of a master Japanese player displaying superhuman control, knowledge and reflexes in both games - and Sound Box: which includes the worthy CD soundtrack. At a glance, both Medium Unit and Revision appear to be almost identical, however there are some key differences between the two 'modes' - explained later.

Radiant Silvergun's profound effect on the traditional shooter could quite easily be compared to that of Mario 64's influence over the classic Platform genre. Arriving at a key transition period between the old and the new, Treasure's acclaimed Sega Saturn opus offered a much needed boost of originality into the decaying SHMUP code of conduct, effectively rejuvinating the genre and providing a modern blueprint by which many titles have since adhered too. Treasure achieved this by successfully implementing an extremely obvious yet relatively new modus operandi into the gameplay: the scatching system - which imbues the player with extra power / points for flying dangerously close to enemies and their bullets.

Initially, one might assume that Psyvaiar follows quietly in Silvergun's footsteps and deviates very little from its forebear's shadow - but it does manage to bring several new and unique touches into focus. From the outset, Psyvariar - Complete Edition is built almost entirely around its own adaptation of the scratching system, renamed 'buzzing'. Buzzing in Pysvariar requires you to graze your craft's wings against any enemy or bullet humanly possible without getting so close as to allow direct contact with your ship's central hitbox. Doing so brings certain death. Sounds very familiar, right? Well, whilst 'buzzing' through symetrical patterns of glowing bullets and disposing of waves of enemies, you not only accrue the expected buzz combo points but you also level your ship up in an experience point-like fashion. At certain level increments your shot power increases and your craft even begins to morph into new shapes. Further to this, your firepower can be concentrated into a powerful 'Rolling Shot' beam by shaking the controls from side to side ( or simply assigning it to a specific button ). This technique cuts your movement speed in half, thus requiring thoughtful use. The moment your ship attains a new level of experience it emits a dazzling electrical flash ( striking nearby enemies ) and is rendered invincible for a very short period of time. This moment of godliness can be used to freely buzz or 'eat' more bullets or swiftly slam into enemies themselves.

This is really where Psyvariar comes into its own and differentiates itself from other new-gen shooters, as your intentions are not only to stake a claim on the mandatory highscore table, but to activate the invicibility / power-up methods required to actually survive some of the more insanely busy areas and involving boss battles. The first few times through each game, particularly Medium Unit, it feels as though the buzzing system was implemented with little forethought. Although enhanced via tension-inducing controller vibrations, the experience feels like a lightweight 'homebrew' affair where the buzzing system is little more than a novelty. But once you start playing the game in the way it was created to be played, Psyvariar comes into its own. To match the quick pace of the action, the stages may appear extremely short in length ( mostly less than a minute each ). However, they become increasingly intense as you buzz around the bullets and risking your precious few lives to wipe out waves of enemy enemies is immensely satisfying - since it is possible to 'jump' from one moment of invincibility to the next, creating some impressive combos in the process.

At the end of each stage your score is tallied up depending on your level attained, kill-count ( Destruction Rate ), maximum and total buzz-counts, time remaining etc. You can even view or attempt to better that particular stage's score at anytime through the Replay mode - though a halfspeed slowdown function is disappointingly absent. A 100% Destruction Rate will reward you with another vital Short Bomb which can be deployed in the most hectic of times when you know there is no safe path through the bullet traffic. This all adds a certain ammount of puzzle-like strategy ( ala Ikaruga / Shikigami no Shiro ) to the mix and will be especially enjoyable for elite Zen players to conquer and master. Finally, a Darius-esque route selection after each boss not only injects a little extra variety but also allows several new stages to be accessed if the most difficult path ( and applicable score ) has been conquered. This brings a natural feeling of adaptation as the game responds to the player's abilities, allowing them to play through the game in a straight-forward twitch blasting fashion, or methodically abuse the buzz system to reach the more difficult highscore-friendly areas.

The key difference between the Medium Unit and Revision variations revolves around the core mechanic of the buzzing system. Medium Unit allows the player to buzz an enemy / bullet once, while Revision relents the player to buzzing them multiple times. The effect is such that leveling up takes place far more often in Revision, which equates to a decidedly more frenzied style of gameplay. Combined with a slightly smaller hitbox, Revision dares the player to take serious risks and is thus the more enjoyable and satisfying of the two. Other differences include ( obviously ) new scenery and various other layout and subtle / minor changes.

Graphically, Psyvariar is a mixed-bag. Although falling well short of the mark set by Silvergun - on the surface, first impressions appear very promising indeed. The package houses some polished graphic design right from the cover of the box to the initial opening sequence - giving the product an extra glossy sheen of quality. But during play we are treated to the good, the OK and the bad - ranging from gorgeous areas ( such as the very first stage set above the Earth ) often contrasted against drearingly repetitious polygonal boredom adorned with crude textures. The enemy craft fare in a similar manner with some reasonably inspired designs, leaving others unsuitably bland. Granted, the enemies and their vividly flourescent patterns of luminous bullets cause no noticable slowdown at all. The real problem is the fact that the enemies follow very simplistic movement patterns, giving them little distinguishable character at all. Still, the occasional churning background zoom or rotation in eye-pleasing 3D overlayed with lavish particle / transpacency and spark effects may take your eyes off the action to enjoy the visuals, if only for a brief opportunities. Boss encounters are signalled by the classic 'WARNING!' pop-up and many of them, like their main stage counterparts, take on some rather impressively detailed tech / mech forms. As expected, these bosses spew out some infinitely dazzling yet ultmately deadly bullet arrangements, requiring a balance of graceful and agressive techniques to negate. During these encounters your level meter slows down so all of the players tactics must be utilised to survive the onslaught.

The audio portion of the package delivers a fairly limited set of crisp, clear sound effects accompanied by a suprisingly strong soundtrack. It must be mentioned that most of the game's music sounds suspiciously like 'Children' era Robert Miles, leaning heavily on the progressive / melodic trance side of the electronica spectrum with the occasional techno / jungle rhythm included for variety. The mood change from the usual stock standard hairmetal meets hyperactive J-Techno Pop that usually pervades in most shooters is positively welcomed here. It is unfortunate that the options menu screen does not include a 'soundtest' to fully digest the audio tracks - intentionally, the Sound Box special soundtrack is much more alluring than it should be.

Psyvariar - Complete Edition unifies two variations of an engrossing gameplay system into an intense and addictive experience. The intelligent buzzing system and entire enemy / bullet patterns are clearly optimised for maximum score / power milking. Fans of Ikaruga and Shikigami no Shiro will be especially pleased to see that under the surface the game offers considerable depth and challenge, where enjoyment factor mirrors the skill curve. The graphics, while neither phenominal nor earth-shattering, are certainly nothing to sneer at either. Incidentally, Psyvariar is also a thoroughly enjoyable two-player experience topped off with a customizable vertical ( TATE ) screen option and a professional electronic soundtrack to boot. But ultimately it is a shooter conceived purely for a certain breed of hardcore players - those with the skill and patience to reap its true rewards. Love it or hate it, Psyvariar certainly gives an indication that there is a general consensus among many developers to explore new facets of gameplay and scoring in new-gen shmups. Surely Success will fine tune and unlock the full potential of Psyvariar's buzzing system in future instalments.

Screenshot source: Success Corp ( JP )
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