Gundemonium
Title screen
| Developer: | Platine Dispositif |
|---|---|
| Music: | Aeju Murasame (Arrange by DM Ashura |
| Program: | Aeju Murasame |
| Art: | Aeju Murasame |
| Release date: | 2003 (Gundemonium), 2007 (Gundemonium Recollection), 2018 (Gundemoniums) |
| Next game: | Gundemoniums |
Contents
( Gundemonium )
(Gundemonium), released in 2003, remastered as "Gundemonium Recollection" for PC in 2007 and remastered again for PS4 in 2018 as "Gundemoniums", is a fast paced, horizontal shoot 'em up created by Platine Dispositif, whose sole member is known as Aeju Murasame. The game is structured around five stages, which are farther divided into 40-second "sections" which have named enemies that must be defeated before the timer expires, creating somewhat of a hybrid between a traditional and a caravan style schmup. While there are technically only three characters, Eryth, Earl Types and the unlockable Elixirel, Earl Types are fully customizable, offering a choice between four shot types, four mana actions and four bombs for a wide variety of playstyles.
Gameplay Overview
Gundemonium only has four commands, but two macro options makes it a six-button game:
Controls
- Shot: Fire button. Can be tapped rapidly using some characters for a "Rapid Shot".
- Rapid Shot: Functionally the same as rapidly tapping the shot button, but can be bound as an individual command, the Rapid Shot changes shot properties for some shot types, notably offering a damage increase for Eryth.
- Mana Action: Fires the character's Mana Action, a special character-dependant shot.
- Bomb: Fires the character's bomb.
- Slow Movement: Bound to the same key as "Shot" by default, slows movement down for precise dodging.
- Demonic Shift: Can also be activated through pressing Mana Action and Bomb together, Demonic Shift consumes a life and 33 Mana to set the Phase Level at 11, significantly increasing both risk and reward.
Unlockable Secrets
A third character, Elixirel, can be unlocked by defeating the true final boss in Unlimited Mode.
Play Orders Section goes here Matrix Orders Section goes here
Characters / Ships / Styles
- Eryth: The game's main character, Eryth, is a good all-rounder with a lot of options and a lot of potential. Her main shot comes from alternating revolver shots, though Rapid Shot can make her fire both at once, significantly increasing damage. This, however, makes the weapons heat up, and improper management will lead to a weapon overheat, preventing Eryth from firing for a notable amount of time. Her Mana Action, the Fortune Wheel, is a slow-moving projectile that causes Plane Shift (slowdown) whenever it is in contact with an enemy unit, also slowly dealing damage as it passes through. Her bomb summons a large cannon which fires a high-damage wide-shot burst in front of her. Demonic Break used with Eryth not only raises the phase level, but also locks her weapon to Rapid Fire and prevents it from overheating, effectively doubling her damage.
- Earl Types: The Earl Types' customizable nature provides a wide variety of arsenals and speeds for anyone's needs. Their weapon choices will be covered in the weapons section. While having less overall options in a single character, such as multiple shot types and a Demonic Break buff, their customizable nature allows them to shine where the player needs them to.
- Elixirel: A secret unlockable third character. She can be unlocked either by acquiring 24 play orders (achievements) or by defeating the true final boss.
Earl Weapons
- 'Earl Primary fires:
Star Fire Wide-shot. The centre shot is the most damaging, and the shot type powers up during Planeshift. Using this weapon type will lock the character to the lowest speed grade, regardless of other equipped weapons.
Twin Drill High fire-rate weapon with piercing shots. The weapon can be aimed with upwards and downwards movement, making it one of the best weapons in the game, given the low health of most stage enemies.
Photon A unique weapon type that can only have a single bullet out at a time. This single bullet, however, will destroy most stage enemies in a single hit. The shots will also cause Planeshift to occur if fired at a high enough rate. While risky, Photon has the highest damage potential in the game, given one is proficient at point-blanking.
Lucky Ray Fires a narrow laser. The weapon has sub-par damage and no redeeming features. It is for the most part a completely useless choice.
- Earl Mana Actions:
Daath Whisper Activates planeshift while draining mana at a constant rate.
Derringer Mini-Earls are summoned and fire a line of shots forwards. The mini-Earl shots will trigger planeshift on hit. Costs 33 mana.
Rizing Sword Fires a massive laser that rapidly drains the mana gauge. It's excellent damage is offset by the fact that the weapon cannot cause Planeshift to occur. Using Rizing Sword will cause the Earl to have the highest speed stat possible, provided Wide Shot is not being used.
Hellspike Uses all mana for an extremely powerful melee attack.
- Earl Bomb Types:
Bloodrain Blood-colored bullets rain from above the screen, damaging the whole stage.
Shooting Star Summons a burning dragon to chase down foes.
Overdrive Powers up attack damage for some time.
Rozenkreutz Causes a chain of explosions that move forwards. It's position can be influenced by movement.
Items
- Mana Gems: Large green mana gems are the game's main scoring item. Every enemy drops an amount of mana gems that varies by rank. Every large gem collected counts for 10 gems
- Green Gems: Small green gems that drop from named enemy kills and bullet cancels, these are worth 10x your Phase Level in gems, but do not recover mana.
- Blue Gems: Blue gems appear from bullets cancelled from bombs or by getting hit. They recover mana, but decrease the Gem value by 10 each.
- Bomb pickups: Revolver cylinders marked as "bomb", adds a single bomb to the stock.
- Life extends: Heart icons marked "Life", these not only add a life to the stock, but unlike score extends, these also raise the maximum life count by 1, up to 5.
- Tetrabiblios: Completing play orders during a run will cause it's Tetrabiblios to appear. Collecting it will grand 50000 points and refill the mana gauge entirely.
Rank
Phase Level is the game's rank system. It is capped at 2 for novice mode, 5 for Revised difficulty and is uncapped in Unlimited. Rank is fixed at 11 for Demonic Challenge. Phase Level increases: After a named enemy is killed. Individual boss phases all count as a named enemy. After a successful counter-bomb. When entering demonic shift. After a Friction Break (500 grazes)
Phase Level decreases: When bombing, or getting hit. When being awarded with an Extend while on max lives.
Rank significantly affects bullet patterns. Enemies will fire more shots, they will fire them faster, and once Phase Level is high enough, patterns that were previously static will begin to be aimed. At Phase Level 11 and higher, every enemy will fire aimed suicide bullets when killed. This mechanic, combined with damage immunity from named enemy kills, can be abused for significant amounts of bullet grazing.
Some guides on the internet say Phase Level rises if Eryth's guns overheat. This is not the case, and is likely a mechanic in another Platine game.
(Ability Level should probably go here as well)
Scoring
We are in the process of learning the scoring. Come back later, or ask us about our findings anywhere the game is played.
Strategy
Keep an eye out on your score at all times. Getting an extend when at full life stock is a terrible outcome. Using the extend for a demonic shift or getting hit on purpose for rank control and a free bomb is far better in all situations. Killing enemies and collecting green gems is the main objective here. Milking bosses can be a good idea, but it's always important to weigh what the milk gives you, compared to the bonus enemies, considering enemy kill count plays into the stage bonus.
Bombing during extremely dense sections can be very counterproductive. Every cancelled bullet will become a blue gem and be magnetized to the character. This can completely erase accumulated gem value in bad situations. Lumiere can destroy bombs, but bullets will still be cancelled. Ereshkigal is not only bomb-immune, but has a counter-bomb mechanic which fires many bullets back at the player. Elixirel herself will heal from bombs, she can often completely heal.
This section details some particular strategic information about the game and its gameplay, such as hidden 1UPs and some basic scoring tricks. For anything particularly deep or highly complex, you can probably leave it in the Strategy page.
(Currently evaluating whether or not this specific section should even include information outside of the separated Strategy pages. Worth thinking about as a community.)
Story
TBA
Development History
I don't know much, but the game has been removed from steam.
Version Differences
- Gundemonium: The original 2003 game. Largely unavailable and considered inferior to the Recollection version, as such, little to no information is available.
- Gundemonium Recollection: Released in 2007, this remake of the original comes with new characters, improved bullet patterns, upgraded graphics and an overhauled engine. In 2011, it's been published by Rockin' Android on Steam and PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3; the former also has an arranged soundtrack by DM Ashura. Although it is no longer listed for sale on either platforms, Steam keys are still available, valid, and the only currently known way to obtain this version.
- Gundemoniums: Released in Japan by the publisher Mediascape in 2017, with a worldwide release in 2018 by publisher Strictly Limited, Gundemoniums is a remake of Recollection. This version is played in a fully horizontal 16:9 aspect ratio over the previous games' 4:3 resolutions. It sports much of the same core game as Recollection, yet adds several new features. To accomodate the new aspect ratio, most enemies have had their sprites changed, as have their bullet patterns. A new ability named "Alterburst" can be chosen instead of Demonic Shift, which briefly stops a stage segment's progression timer. "Signet" mode has been added, which features unlockable bonuses that the player can use to assist them in trying to clear the game, although scores and replays are disabled in this mode.
Trivia
Game is good!
Gallery
See (Template Page)/Gallery for our collection of images and scans for the game.
Video References
If the game already has an existing entry in the Video Index, please link to the page here. If you want to link to smaller clips perhaps not included in the Index, you can also leave them here.
Other
TODO: Basic scoring guide + basic scoring overview
Story section
Better explanation of gems (with fancy pictures and whatnot)
Explanation of Elixirel (None of us have unlocked her)
Stage overviews
Some pictures maybe?
References & Contributors
- Remember to include everyone that you can in your credits if they contributed information! | Having links handy is even better, when available.
- If you are a primary source of information for a game, be sure to link to your Shmup Wiki user account by including a link to your profile, such as: [[User:(You)|(Your Name)]]
- And while you're at it, make yourself a little profile page (if you want, of course)! As a contributor, you deserve to be recognized for your efforts.
- Written by FORECAST and InFireX, so far.
- Thanks to user Goshi on the shmups forum for his guide. It has been rather helpful.
- Information found mostly on the manual and Goshi's forum thread. Everything else found by the gundemonium players over on discord.
- Template page assembled by CHA-STG and Plasmo.
