Entertainment. The word that can best describe the purpose of video games. From story to artistic direction, to gameplay, we play video games to be entertained. In more recent times, the balance of what is the main source of entertainment in these experiences has shifted. Compelling narratives have taken precedence over tightly refined game mechanics. And while many try to strike a good balance between the two, it’s not always meant to be. However, there are some cases where this script is flipped in its entirety, and gameplay is the absolute at the absolute forefront of the developer’s efforts, and Cotton Fantasy: Superlative Night Dreams (or just Cotton Fantasy if you don’t want to bite your tongue mid-conversation) is one such game.
Let’s dive in and see if this latest instalment in this side-scrolling, shoot-em-up series is a fantastical food hunt… Or a piled-high buffet table that is just too much.
A Story of Sweets
Despite what was said about Cotton Fantasy’s flipping of the story-to-gameplay balance ratio, it does, in fact, have a story. In Fairyland, the Willows, a magical delicacy, are disappearing.
The Fairy Queen has no choice but to reach out to the titular witch, Nata de Cotton, for help. In exchange for a lifetime’s supply of Willows, Cotton agrees to help and embarks on a quest to save the kingdom, and most notably herself, from a Willow-less life.
The story doesn’t get much more complicated than that. As mentioned, Cotton Fantasy focuses much more on the gameplay, but the brief narrative gives you something to look at and a sense of purpose and direction during your adventure. It does its job and does it well, allowing for a few food-based comments from this humble reviewer.
A Delicious, yet Daunting Challenge
Going through this game felt, funnily enough, like going through a meal at a restaurant. The story is the starter, simple yet pleasant, and the gameplay is the main course, intense and full of flavour. Each run of this game follows an arcade system. Choose from an iconic selection of six different characters from other games, all of whom come with their own mechanics and attacks. This line-up allows for a variety of playthroughs across the potential sixteen stages.
Play through the presented levels, all whilst racking up a score across each level. Then aim for the high score at the end while doing your best to avoid the three hits that will bring you do the dreaded “Continue?” screen.
Cotton Fantasy very much feels like an old arcade game. On the Switch, it gives you plenty of time to sink your teeth into its flashy and fun gameplay, all while giving you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you see your name on the scoreboard at the end.
Variety in Play
As you attempt different runs, you can pick from the aforementioned roster of characters. Each has their own shoot styles and specials and every character having access to the Auto ability, where players can just hold the button down to continuously fire whilst manoeuvring.
With Cotton herself, your standard attack is simple but will change in response to in-game changes throughout the levels. And with her bomb special you can clear the screen when things get too crowded.
This doesn’t just clear the enemies, but also their projectiles and transforms them into score-boosting items. This gives you time to breathe whilst also giving your points a quick boost. The other characters have different specials, so multiple playthroughs will help you find which character playstyle is most enjoyable for you.
Whilst you get to grips with the characters, you’ll also have to get to grips with the ever-moving environments. Each level features a unique environment that provides challenges on top of the enemies and projectiles you will be dodging, such as castle battlements that, if not destroyed, will stop you progressing with the screen and causing a loss of a life, of which you have three per run.
Should you hit zero, the game will ask you if you wish to continue your run. Like the arcades of yore, this restores lost lives in exchange for your score being reset to zero.
Attempted Balance
This feature greatly helps inexperienced players get to grips with the game, allowing them to see every level if they want and even practice them with the game’s Training Mode before they go back in and aim for the high scores. On Normal mode, the game will throw waves of enemies and projectiles at you, pushing your hand-eye coordination to its limit.
However, the Hard and Extra modes are the true tests of your reflexes.
Greater amounts of enemies with more HP and, on Extra, enemies that throw out projectiles on death, make for a frustrating challenge. One that will make you want to throw your Switch against the wall when you inevitably die because you moved slightly too far or didn’t see a stray projectile float towards you.
Which brings us to some of the negatives of the gameplay. Cotton Fantasy does it’s best to wow and amaze you with tight gameplay and flashy on-screen visuals, which it certainly succeeds in doing, but only to an extent. As the screen fills with enemies and projectiles, players will also fill the screen with their attacks and this, especially on a handheld, causes the screen to become very crowded very quickly.
The Struggle is Real
Some playthroughs felt like more of a struggle as a result and while this may be an intended aspect, it can be incredibly off-putting, even on Normal mode, to have to struggle to see your character amidst the chaos and while series veterans may be used to this struggle, it can be daunting for newcomers who want to get into this genre of gaming. Another challenging aspect of the gameplay is, ironically, how tight your movements must be.
This could easily be attributed to the difficulty of the game, however it does, at points, feel too restrictive. Too often it feels like the slightest move can ruin your entire run and have your points sent spiralling back down to zero.
Once again, this can be an incredibly off-putting part of this game’s difficulty that can make this game a difficult entry point. A final point of frustration is that, due to its arcade nature, when you start a run, you must finish it. You cannot back out on the spot and must close the game to be able to restart. While a minor point, it is one that could easily be remedied.
If the story of Cotton Fantasy is the starter, then the gameplay is the main course. Filled to the brim with dynamic and intense gameplay, all while offering a variety of playable characters to keep things fresh as your quest for willows continues. However, this particular course is filled with too much and threatens to overwhelm players. As a result, this type of gameplay will very be a hit or miss for players, based on their ability to cope with bright, flashing screens.
Presentation is Paramount
Alongside all the pizazz of the actual game, the artistic and audio presentation also helps to prop up this cute-em-up game. Each level is a 3D environment, unique in their own way and can be admired as you zoom about, trying to avoid impending projectiles.
For what is essentially an arcade game brought to console, there was a lot to see, and it helped breathe life into my many, many runs through this game, from the beautiful backdrops to the varied enemy designs.
The game also features a number of cutscenes. However, these are all from Cotton’s perspective, regardless of which character you choose. While it would have been nice to see scenes involving the other members of your roster, this choice is understandable.
Sweet Sounds
Audio in Cotton Fantasy does its job well, lending much to the anime style the game uses. From the aforementioned enemies to the anime-esque cutscenes the game features throughout each of its levels, it all helps reinforce the vibrancy of this game and works well to give you a colourful world to fly through as you reach for the high scores.
Keeping with the meal-based categories of this review, the art and audio are splendid side dishes that complement the overall game well. However, as mentioned before, too much can cause it to be overwhelming, which this game suffers from at times.
A Mixed Meal
Cotton Fantasy: Superlative Night Dreams brings a lot to the table with its cutesy visuals and dynamic gameplay. It is an impressive experience that, if you just throw your head at the wall and abuse the “Continue” system, you can get through in just over an hour.
The game’s true value comes from its replayability and sense of accomplishment it can give from when you get through levels without having to give up your hard-earned points. Despite the aforementioned frustrations, this is still a game worth the £30/€39 price of admission to sink your teeth into.
If you’re returning to the series to pick up this new entry, you’ll find plenty to love and if you’re someone new not only to this series but the genre as a whole, then you can do worse than starting here.
Review code provided by publisher