Video Game Review - Cotton Reboot!

Rob reviews Cotton Reboot! on Nintendo Switch...

I've always been a fan of the old school shmup. It's a mixed genre of themes that vary from space combat to the more bizarre, and  let's not talk about the often punishing difficulty. There's just something about these games that draws me to them. In my younger years I would always gravitate towards After Burner II and would end up spending most, if not all of my pocket money on attempting to save the world.

Back in 1991 Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams was released and ushered in a shmup sub-genre - "cute 'em up". This sub-genre mixes the formula by replacing the monstrous-looking aliens with cute chibi-style characters. Whilst on the surface these games look cute and light, they're also often a gateway into some bizarre storytelling. 

Now, 30-years later ININ Games and BEEP have created the Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams remaster - Cotton Reboot!

Much like the original title the story in Cotton Reboot! has remained the same. You play as a young witch named Cotton who's tasked with returning light to a world shrouded within darkness. Aided by a fairy called Silk, Cotton sets off on this grand adventure. In turn for Cotton saving the world, she's to be rewarded with 'willow' - a candy that just happens to be Cotton's favourite. In a more bizarre twist, these willow candies are held by the game's bosses and upon defeating them all the collected candies turn into one gigantic one! 

In terms of gameplay, this too stays reminiscent of the original, albeit with a modern twist. The original game is also present and it's great to switch between the two to see just how the game has been modernised. Naturally, there are differences in how both games play. The most noticeable one being that in "Arrange Mode" Cotton fires a lot more projectiles. This makes the game somewhat easier as your given more chance to hit your targets. "X68000 Mode" which is taken from the games Sharp X68000 port offers a more conservative style to its "bullet hell" and is very much in style with other 90's shmups. 

When it comes to talking about shmups the term "bullet hell" gets bounded about quite a lot (I've already mentioned it above). This term as the name suggests describes is the screen as a "hell" of enemies and projectiles. When it comes to Cotton Reboot! the game is very much a bullet hell as it is a cute 'em up. Each stage has a vast array of enemies coming at you - often at all angles - with plenty of projectiles and aoe attacks the following suit. 

Much in the same vein as other shmups, Cotton isn't very hardy and as such, she'll take one hit of damage to lose a life. As you can imagine on the harder difficulties it becomes a literal hell as your navigating a crowded screen full of bullets, both the enemies and your own. Thankfully the game does have a few options that can make the game easier such as lowering the difficulty and upping the number of lives given. Yet even with these aids Cotton Reboot! still requires you to have some skill to succeed. 

Cotton Reboot! is a pretty game to look at. The games are filled with cute colourful enemies and some gorgeous scenery. Bosses are also varied in style with each fitting into their respective stages. For example, the second stage is set within a graveyard which sees you fight a stone head with rocks for shields and a giant spooky looking tree. Much like other shmups these bosses also have a variety of attacks which sees them shooting colourful projectiles at you.

In between stages, we're also treated to an animated cutscene which is presented in a colourful and almost cartoon style. There is also some voice acting that plays over these scenes. Whilst this is in Japanese, it's still a nice touch and shows Cotton Reboot! heritage. The soundtrack is also pretty good and it does a good job in bringing a "cute" atmosphere in amongst the carnage playing out on screen.

The Switch also handles the game pretty well. My experience of Cotton Reboot! came from both handheld mode and playing docked on a 55" TV. Whilst X68000 Mode looked a bit dated on a larger display, Arrange Mode kept its fidelity and looked pretty good. Naturally with this style of gameplay Handheld mode is normally the best way to play. This isn't strictly true when it comes to Cotton Reboot! as the game looks good regardless of how you play it. 

My only real criticisms of the title are the usual that this genre raises. Even with its wealth of game modes - remake, original, and a timed mode - Cotton Reboot! is too short. Of course, this is a double-edged sword as considering its arcade roots you wouldn't want to be standing at a cabinet for 8-hours.

All in all Cotton Reboot! is going to appeal to both fans of the games many guises, as well as shmup aficionados. It's a simple yet challenging game that whilst short will offer plenty of hours for those seeking high scores and those "one-life" runs. The inclusion of the Sharp X68000 version is also a nice touch. It not only allows you to see a part of gaming history, but it also shows just how far modern gaming has come since Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams was released back in 1991.

Rating 7/10 

A code was kindly provided by the publisher for this review. 

Cotton Reboot is out now and can be purchased from the Nintendo Switch eShop by clicking here. 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev