125. KiKi KaiKai (Taito, Arcade (PS2), 1986)

KiKi KaiKai (literally translated as "Mysterious Ghost World") is a multidirectional shooter starring a shrine maiden fighting a bunch of typical Japanese ghosts. Mechanically it is a very simple game, with 8-way movement and 2 action buttons: one for a projectile and one for a close range attack where you wave a purification wand. This close range attack is fun to use, as it sweeps enemies off the screen, and doesn't require as much aiming as the projectile.

KiKi KaiKai does not have any kind of continue feature, so I will admit I spent about 8 credits just getting to the first boss and failing many times until I realized that defeating waves of enemies meant that I could grab powerups to increase my projectile range, making the boss much easier. The game is pretty cute and has a unique theme, but the gameplay itself is pretty one-note.

The game would eventually see a successor in Pocky and Rocky, developed by Natsume for the Super Nintendo. That game crucially added a sliding dodge button, which along with other tweaks to make the gameplay feel better, made for a really great time, and it's hard not to compare the two.

2/5, a decent, cute shooter that is simultaneously too hard and too boring