<s>
The	O
last	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
created	O
by	O
Toaplan	O
,	O
the	O
title	O
takes	O
place	O
on	O
a	O
distant	O
Earth-like	O
planet	O
where	O
a	O
global	O
takeover	O
operative	O
led	O
by	O
king	O
Renoselva	O
A	O
.	O
Gladebaran	O
VII	O
is	O
set	O
into	O
motion	O
,	O
as	O
players	O
assume	O
the	O
role	O
from	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
fighter	B-Application
pilots	I-Application
conforming	O
the	O
Skull	O
Hornets	O
squadron	O
taking	O
control	O
of	O
submersible	O
jets	O
in	O
a	O
last-ditch	O
effort	O
to	O
overthrow	O
the	O
invading	O
military	O
force	O
from	O
the	O
planet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Headed	O
by	O
Fire	B-Application
Shark	I-Application
designer	O
Yuko	O
Tataka	O
,	O
Batsugun	B-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
team	O
that	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
several	O
projects	O
at	O
Toaplan	O
and	O
who	O
would	O
later	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
join	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
offshoots	O
after	O
the	O
company	O
declared	O
bankruptcy	O
in	O
1994	O
to	O
continue	O
working	O
in	O
the	O
bullet	O
hell	O
sub-genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
first	O
launched	O
for	O
the	O
arcades	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
by	O
Gazelle	O
and	O
published	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Banpresto	O
on	O
25	O
October	O
1996	O
,	O
featuring	O
various	O
changes	O
and	O
additions	O
compared	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Batsugun	B-Application
garnered	O
positive	O
reception	O
from	O
during	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
in	O
arcades	O
and	O
but	O
was	O
later	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
critical	O
reception	O
on	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
as	O
an	O
import	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2019	O
,	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
project	O
are	O
owned	O
by	O
Tatsujin	B-Application
,	O
a	O
company	O
founded	O
in	O
2017	O
by	O
former	O
Toaplan	O
member	O
Masahiro	O
Yuge	O
and	O
now-subsidiary	O
of	O
Swedish	O
video	O
game	O
and	O
media	O
holding	O
company	O
,	O
Embracer	O
Group	O
,	O
alongside	O
many	O
other	O
Toaplan	O
IPs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Batsugun	B-Application
is	O
a	O
science	O
fiction-themed	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
bullet	O
hell	O
game	O
where	O
players	O
assume	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
Skull	O
Hornets	O
pilots	O
taking	O
control	O
of	O
their	O
respective	O
fighter	O
jets	O
through	O
five	O
increasingly	O
difficult	O
levels	O
in	O
a	O
last-ditch	O
effort	O
to	O
overthrow	O
a	O
global	O
takeover	O
led	O
by	O
the	O
army	O
of	O
king	O
Renoselva	O
A	O
.	O
Gladebaran	O
VII	O
as	O
the	O
main	O
objective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
also	O
have	O
only	O
two	O
weapons	O
at	O
their	O
disposal	O
:	O
the	O
main	O
gun	O
that	O
travels	O
a	O
max	O
distance	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
's	O
height	O
and	O
three	O
bombs	B-Device
capable	O
of	O
obliterating	O
any	O
enemy	O
caught	O
within	O
its	O
blast	B-Device
radius	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
weapon	O
can	O
only	O
level	O
up	O
twice	O
and	O
after	O
achieving	O
its	O
maximum	O
level	O
,	O
experience	O
points	O
will	O
grant	O
players	O
an	O
extra	O
bomb	B-Device
stock	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
maximum	O
of	O
five	O
"	O
P	O
"	O
icons	O
can	O
be	O
collected	O
per	O
experience	O
level	O
and	O
getting	O
more	O
after	O
this	O
gives	O
extra	O
points	O
instead	O
,	O
while	O
collecting	O
"	O
B	O
"	O
icons	O
increases	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
bomb	B-Device
stock	O
to	O
a	O
maximum	O
of	O
seven	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
gameplay	O
feature	O
,	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Aero	B-Application
Fighters	I-Application
,	O
is	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
choose	O
between	O
three	O
fighter	O
ship	O
variations	O
:	O
Sky	O
Mirage	O
(	O
type	O
A	O
)	O
,	O
Dragon	O
's	O
Whisper	O
(	O
type	O
B	O
)	O
and	O
Judgement	O
Flasher	O
(	O
type	O
C	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Type	O
B	O
ships	O
shoot	O
a	O
straight	O
beam	O
of	O
lightning	B-Architecture
for	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
the	O
fire	O
button	O
is	O
held	O
,	O
while	O
tapping	O
the	O
button	O
causes	O
sparks	O
to	O
appear	O
and	O
travel	O
along	O
the	O
beam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Getting	O
hit	O
by	O
enemy	O
fire	O
will	O
result	O
in	O
losing	O
a	O
life	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
penalty	O
of	O
decreasing	O
the	O
ship	O
's	O
firepower	O
to	O
its	O
original	O
state	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
of	O
all	O
medals	O
collected	O
and	O
once	O
all	O
lives	O
are	O
lost	O
,	O
the	O
game	B-Application
is	I-Application
over	I-Application
unless	O
the	O
player	O
inserts	O
more	O
credits	O
into	O
the	O
arcade	O
machine	O
to	O
continue	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
summary	O
of	O
Batsugun	B-Application
is	O
explained	O
through	O
supplementary	O
materials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
that	O
stands	O
between	O
the	O
military	O
forces	O
of	O
Renoselva	O
and	O
world	O
domination	O
are	O
the	O
Skull	O
Hornets	O
:	O
a	O
squadron	O
of	O
fighter	B-Application
pilots	I-Application
led	O
by	O
prince	O
Olisis	O
R	O
.	O
Gladebaran	O
VIII	O
,	O
son	O
of	O
Renoselva	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
war	O
veteran	O
who	O
was	O
previously	O
cryogenized	O
and	O
the	O
main	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Flying	B-Application
Shark	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
hired	O
mercenary	B-Application
with	O
a	O
turbulent	O
past	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Batsugun	B-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
team	O
that	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
several	O
projects	O
at	O
Toaplan	O
such	O
as	O
Grind	B-Application
Stormer	I-Application
and	O
who	O
would	O
later	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
join	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
offshoots	O
after	O
the	O
company	O
declared	O
bankruptcy	O
in	O
1994	O
to	O
continue	O
working	O
in	O
the	O
bullet	O
hell	O
sub-genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
development	O
was	O
helmed	O
by	O
a	O
small	O
group	O
at	O
the	O
company	O
and	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
members	O
had	O
several	O
roles	O
during	O
this	O
process	O
,	O
with	O
Fire	B-Application
Shark	I-Application
designer	O
Yuko	O
Tataka	O
acting	O
as	O
both	O
producer	O
and	O
co-designer	O
alongside	O
artists	O
Junya	O
Inoue	O
and	O
Takeshi	O
Kawamoto	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cave	O
co-founder	O
Tsuneki	O
Ikeda	O
served	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
programmers	O
prior	O
to	O
DonPachi	B-Application
alongside	O
Satoshi	O
Kōyama	O
,	O
Seiji	O
Iwakura	O
and	O
composer	O
Yoshitatsu	O
Sakai	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Batsugun	B-Application
was	O
first	O
launched	O
in	O
arcades	O
worldwide	O
by	O
Toaplan	O
,	O
Taito	O
and	O
Unite	O
Trading	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	O
edition	O
,	O
titled	O
Batsugun	B-Application
Special	I-Application
Version	I-Application
,	O
was	O
showcased	O
to	O
attendees	O
at	O
the	O
1994	O
AOU	O
Show	O
in	O
Japan	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
never	O
officially	O
released	O
in	O
arcades	O
,	O
as	O
Toaplan	O
slid	O
into	O
bankruptcy	O
and	O
this	O
special	O
version	O
appeared	O
on	O
the	O
secondary	O
video	O
game	O
collecting	O
market	O
after	O
the	O
company	O
vanished	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
special	O
version	O
featured	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
changes	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
version	O
including	O
a	O
much	O
smaller	O
hitbox	O
,	O
a	O
shield	O
protecting	O
the	O
player	O
from	O
one	O
hit	O
,	O
more	O
powerful	O
bombs	B-Device
,	O
new	O
scoring	O
items	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
multiple	O
loops	O
of	O
increasing	O
difficulty	O
after	O
completing	O
the	O
initial	O
loop	O
,	O
among	O
other	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
25	O
October	O
1996	O
,	O
Batsugun	B-Application
received	O
a	O
conversion	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
by	O
Gazelle	O
,	O
an	O
offshoot	O
of	O
Toaplan	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Banpresto	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
featured	O
various	O
changes	O
and	O
additions	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
both	O
the	O
original	O
and	O
special	O
versions	O
as	O
a	O
2-in-1	O
package	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
arranged	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Batsugun	B-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
positive	O
reception	O
during	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
in	O
arcades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
conversion	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
such	O
as	O
Famitsu	O
and	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Famitsu	O
,	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
sold	O
over	O
7,017	O
copies	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Readers	O
of	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
voted	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
port	O
a	O
8.4	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
score	O
,	O
ranking	O
at	O
the	O
number	O
245	O
spot	O
,	O
indicating	O
a	O
large	O
popular	O
following	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
reviewed	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
,	O
deeming	O
it	O
"	O
not	O
a	O
classic	O
in	O
designs	O
terms	O
,	O
perhaps	O
,	O
but	O
one	O
that	O
wo	O
n't	O
disappoint	O
those	O
yearning	O
a	O
show-off	O
2D	O
title	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
French	O
magazine	O
Joypad	O
commended	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
released	O
for	O
its	O
boss	O
encounters	O
,	O
arsenal	O
,	O
multiplayer	O
and	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
taken	O
from	O
the	O
arcade	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
name	O
,	O
this	O
Saturn	B-Device
shoot'em-up	O
is	O
n't	O
just	O
another	O
shoot	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
own	O
if	O
you	O
want	O
to	O
see	O
how	O
the	O
genre	O
has	O
evolved	O
today	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christian	O
Blendl	O
of	O
German	O
magazine	O
MAN	O
!	O
AC	O
gave	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
an	O
overall	O
mixed	O
outlook	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zverloff	O
of	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
criticized	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
additions	O
in	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
conversion	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
arranged	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Batsugun	B-Application
has	O
been	O
regarded	O
by	O
multiple	O
publications	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
manic	O
shooter	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
evolution	O
of	O
complex	O
enemy	O
waves	O
,	O
bullet	O
patterns	O
,	O
firepower	O
and	O
hitbox	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
cited	O
as	O
an	O
inspiration	O
for	O
other	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
genre	O
since	O
its	O
release	O
such	O
as	O
Cho	B-Application
Ren	I-Application
Sha	I-Application
68K	I-Application
and	O
Eschatos	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
initial	O
launch	O
of	O
Batsugun	B-Application
,	O
Toaplan	O
would	O
cease	O
development	O
of	O
shooting	O
projects	O
prior	O
to	O
their	O
closure	O
on	O
March	O
31	O
,	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
was	O
planned	O
but	O
never	O
released	O
,	O
however	O
Inoue	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
gender-based	O
firepower	O
pairing	O
envisionsed	O
for	O
the	O
title	O
was	O
integrated	O
into	O
Progear	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
more	O
recent	O
years	O
,	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
title	O
and	O
many	O
other	O
IPs	O
from	O
Toaplan	O
are	O
now	O
owned	O
by	O
Tatsujin	B-Application
,	O
a	O
company	O
named	O
after	O
Truxton	B-Application
's	O
Japanese	O
title	O
that	O
was	O
founded	O
in	O
2017	O
by	O
Masahiro	O
Yuge	O
,	O
who	O
are	O
now	O
affiliated	O
with	O
arcade	O
manufacturer	O
exA-Arcadia	O
.	O
</s>
