We’ve been following the release of Trouble Witches FINAL! Episode 01 Daughters of Amalgam on Switch and PlayStation, and we’ve now had a chance to try it for ourselves before its release on December 15th. The cute ’em-up was originally released on PC and consoles back in 2007 by developer Studio SiestA, and had a bundle of extra content, in the form of DLC purchases, over the years. Now, everything has been brought into one single package and brought up to date for Switch and PlayStation, with a physical also available via publisher ININ Games.
The entire pack being under one roof means Trouble Witches FINAL! Episode 01 Daughters of Amalgam comprises twelve different playable witches and eight game modes to play through. This is on top of the multiple difficulty levels, as well as online leaderboards. There is a lot of replay value here, especially for those who want to see all the stories and how the witches interact. You’ll essentially have to complete the main six levels twelve times just to see all the story arcs, although the story needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, as almost every scene is anime girls bickering.
The story aside, the actual gameplay is fun and very straightforward. Trouble Witches feels like the perfect shmup for newcomers to the genre, as well as those who enjoy the satisfaction of a 1cc run and hitting high score chains. For newcomers, the simple mechanics will help them focus on dodging bullets and staying alive long enough to get to the end of the game, although we did the easy setting in one sitting without taking a hit. For veterans, ramp it straight to the hardest setting, and there is a competent shmup that will take some time to clear in one credit.
The real beauty in Trouble Witches isn’t its cutsey anime witches, but in the easy-to-grasp gameplay mechanics. All the witches have a simple shot that fires forward and can be used to blast away small enemies. Then, through a series of special abilities bought at conveniently placed shops, you can unleash a mega attack that clears the screen. The only other main aspect of the gameplay to grasp is collecting enough coins to buy the special move cards. You achieve this by releasing the shot button, and all coins on screen magically fly towards your witch. Everything about the controls of Trouble Witches is devilishly simple, this allows the player to focus on staying alive and building a huge score.
As with other shmups, judging whether this is for you or not greatly depends on how deep you want to go. For those who love nailing every boss and stage in one credit on hard difficulty, Trouble Witches is good value for money. If you just prefer to play through the main game and try a couple of the different witches, this may feel like a high cost, especially as the game is almost twenty years old. For those that really enjoy cutsey anime arcade games, however, this has some high-quality visuals as well as great use of color mixed in with the right amount of humour and wackiness.
Overall, Trouble Witches combines excellent graphics, fun music, wacky anime characters, and tight arcade shooter gameplay. There is also a lot of content, especially for veterans who love smashing through modes and attack styles. This shooter still holds up well today, and hopefully, with the curious ‘episode 01’ in the title, will reignite the series going forward. We had a real blast with Trouble Witches and recommend anyone who enjoys quality arcade shooters to check it out.
