The arcade version of Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete
Shimatta was released on Naomi cartridge
in the summer of 2008 at the price of JPY178,000.
There was no way we were paying nearly US$2000 for a
cartridge-based game but we did pick up a used copy
from an operator for about $600. Mamoru-kun has
already been released on the Xbox 360 at a much
lower price than the coin-op kit and a PS3 version
is headed home.
The game follows the adventures of a lad named
Tomoka Mamoru who's been involved in a car accident.
After he's hit by a speeding vehicle, his soul is
immediately spirited to the underworld by a
priestess who calls herself Fululu Jigokudani. As
the story goes, the gateway to the underworld is
under attack and the spirits who reside there have
been cursed by malevolent forces. Since Fululu can't
fight the oppression by herself, she has summoned
Mamoru and three other heroes to fight on the
underworld's behalf. The summoned protagonists are:
» Tomoka Mamoru - A grade school student who
enjoys baseball
» Miyuki Mayuno - Passive girl with no memory of her
previous life
» Narai Kinya - High school rebel with a yen for
riding motorcycles
» Higatera Beniko - A posh young lady who seems to
enjoy the underworld
Upon starting the game, the camera settles on a
revolving tree which is what Fululu conspired with
to bring Mamoru and company to the underworld.
Players may select any of the five heroes who differ
in their firing patterns which is shown on the lower
right corner of the character selection screen. For
example, Mamoru shoots straight ahead while Beniko
fires her shots in a outwards radiating arc. Fululu
is also a straight shooter but her shots are
governed by orbiting spheres which give her shots a
bit of a twist. Although Mamoru-kun is
a shooter which features vertically scrolling
stages, the stages share commonalities with the old
school run 'n gun games such as Commando,
Ikari Warriors, or Guerilla War.
In game, the characters walk around on the ground
and players move at their own pace instead of being
continually forced upwards. You can walk left, stop,
shoot, walk right, shoot, stop, and then move
upwards towards the inevitable end-level boss.
Similar to the Xbox 360 home conversion,
the upcoming Playstation 3 version of Mamoru-kun features updated
graphics, two new playable characters (downloadable), a
Practice Mode, a new Story Mode, and an Image
Gallery. Preorders for the
regular edition are welcome along with a
limited edition package which includes a
150-page Art Works booklet, a BGM Soundtrack CD, and
a Superplay Capture DVD "The Perfect Terror" that's
published by INH of Insanity DVD fame.
According to the preorder solicitation, the first production of the
game includes a bonus DLC code card. Please note
that the ratio of the DLC was not mentioned in the
preorder details but we'll update this information
once it is revealed. Reservations for the
regular and
limited edition are welcome to ship on
March 31, 2011.
