DoDonPachi
DoDonPachi
DoDonPachi (commonly abbreviated as DDP) is the second entry in the DonPachi series of shoot-em-ups. It expanded upon the chaining system innovated in the first game in the series, and introduced a "variation system" that allowed you to pick two different styles of three ships (Shot and Laser types), giving the player a slightly higher degree of playstyle customization.
This game in particular is considered by most to be the grandfather the first true bullet hell sub-genre of shooting games, pushing bullet counts into the hundreds, especially if the player is able to reach the second loop. DoDonPachi is also the first game in the series to introduce a True Last Boss -- known as Hibachi -- who would appear in all future DonPachi games as a challenge for particularly skilled players.
DoDonPachi was originally released in the arcades in 1997. It was later ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn home consoles. There is also a hidden, albeit very lean, port of DoDonPachi that can be unlocked in the Xbox 360 visual novel, Instant Brain. All three console ports of DoDonPachi are considered inferior to the PCB / arcade version of the game for various reasons, and are typically not played for score or competitively.
Gameplay Overview
DoDonPachi is a three-button shooter (although the C button is turned off by default, and can be enabled in the dipswitches in service mode).
There are six stages in the game, with a hidden second loop accessible by achieving certain tasks in-game.
- A (Press): Fires the standard "spread" Shot weapon
- A (Hold): Fires the ship's "focus" Laser weapon
- B: Releases a Bomb, clearing the screen of bullets and dealing massive damage to enemies on screen
- C: Auto-fire for the player's Shot
Ships
- Type-A: A red jetplane with fast movement that fires a concentrated straight volley of bullets
- Type-B: A green helicopter equipped with options that rotate their firing direction with the player's movement direction
- Type-C: A blue plane that moves slowly, but has the most powerful shot, which fires in a wide spread
Ship Types
- Shot Type: Increases the strength of the player's Shot, dealing more damage and firing greater shot spreads, but with a weaker Laser and slower movement speed when Lasering
- Laser Type: Increases the strength of the player's Laser, movement speed when Lasering, producing a bigger and more damaging aura, and instantly destroying zako
