I am a computer expert who loves a challenge. When I am not managing servers and fixing flaws, I write about it and other interesting things on various blogs.
Omega Five (or Omega 5) is a side-scrolling shooter developed by Natsume and published by Hudson Soft for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. Hudson released the game on January 9, 2008. Various Japanese sites including Famitsu had listed Omega Five as also heading to the Nintendo 3DS in Spring 2011. However, the 3DS port was canceled shortly following Konami's acquisition of Hudson, along with the company's other planned 3DS titles.
Omega Five features four selectable flying characters shooting enemies in a horizontally scrolling environment, with enemies emerging from the 3D background as well as screen edges, using both ranged and melee attacks. Each character can pick up icons to choose from one of three attack types, A, B, or C, and each weapon can be upgraded three times.
Characters
Ruby is a lingerie-clad female with three attacks, as well as a satellite that can lock on to enemies and damage them. In addition, Ruby will auto-aim at an enemy the satellite has latched to. Her A-type weapon is Vulcan Cannon, gaining power and spread with upgrades. B-type is Laser Beam, which at full power will reflect off surfaces, allowing it to hit around corners. C-type is Lightning Gun, which at top strength shoots off sparks that damage nearby enemies as well as the target.
Tempest is a brawny four-armed alien, though he only carries a weapon in one hand. Instead of a satellite, he has an alternate attack for each of his weapons. Tempest's weapons eschew typical shoot 'em up weapons like vulcan/laser/missiles, instead they provide one of Omega Five's most novel touches. A-type is Volcanic Fire, a flamethrower that gains power and length when powered up. Its alternate attack is a lock-on that will allow it to curve around obstacles to hit the enemy. B-type is Corrosive Acid, which resembles a fire hose, and can be changed between a tight flow and a wide spout. C-Type is Molten Metal, which bursts in arcs causing heavy damage. For its alternate attack, Tempest spins and fires homing bursts from all four arms at once. In addition to his unique alien weaponry, Tempest features a bullet reflecting shield. As bullets approach him, the shield slows them and turns them green. If the player stops firing briefly, all the slowed bullets reflect back at the enemy.
R.A.D becomes selectable by beating the game with Ruby, and she is basically Ruby's faster twin. Although her movement is faster than Ruby, her aiming is slower. Also, when her satellite locks on to enemies, R.A.D. is free to attack other foes instead of being locked on.
Sensei is unlocked by beating the game with Tempest. He is a skinny old samurai riding a flying sled with his warrior dog Rikimaru. Rather than carrying a gun, Sensei swings a sword in whatever direction the player presses. This attack is probably the most potent in the game - besides dealing great damage to enemies, it can hit through walls, and it destroys bullets fired at the player. The drawback is that Sensei must be close to enemies to attack them, but the ferocity of his sword makes up for it. For his alternate attack, Rikimaru flies off and latches onto enemies, and Sensei switches to throwing projectiles that home in on Rikimaru's target. Weapon A is a bomb, weapon B consists of throwing knives, and weapon C is a shuriken. Also, by spinning the aiming stick in a quick circle, Sensei will swing his sword in a circle and hit everything around him.
Rikimaru is the "fifth" warrior of the Omega Five.
Special Attacks
Dimensional Field - hitting right bumper on the 360 controller enables Dimensional Field, where the player temporarily enters another dimension and can move freely without being hit. It uses a small amount of life, and acts as an escape when the player is overwhelmed.
Ultimate Burst - hitting the left trigger releases Ultimate Burst, a bomb that destroys all minor enemies onscreen and greatly damages larger ones. The player gains this ability by collecting p-chips, tiny flying triangles left by defeated enemies. 80 chips equals one Burst, and up to three Bursts can be stored.
Audio
The original score for Omega Five was composed by long-running Natsume employee Hiroyuki Iwatsuki. Most tracks include two versions: an original theme and retro remix. The latter category of songs were meant to simulate the electronic sound effects of 16-bit videogames and are played during the Retro Mode. An album release for the game had not been planned, until the idea was suggested by game composer Manabu Namiki after listening to the soundtrack prior to the release.
Omega Five sound track (オメガファイブ サウンドトラック) was published by the Sweeprecord label on March 19, 2008 under the catalog number SRIN-1041. In addition to the original and retro themes, the album included arranged tracks by the members of Super Sweep. The album includes the participation of Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, Hiroto Saito, Yousuke Yasui and Takanori Sato. Iwatsuki also provided an arrangement of his own ending theme "Road to the future."
Reception
IGN awarded Omega Five a 7.6/10, calling it "one of the prettiest games on 360." Eurogamer's 7/10 review criticized the game's "overly fussy control scheme", but stated, "technically the most impressive exclusive XBLA title." Team Xbox praised, "pure, old-school, side-scrolling action wrapped up in a gorgeous visual package" but added, "if you’re not a hard-core shooting fan or if you like a little extra substance with your video-game meal, Omega Five will likely leaving you with an unfilled appetite and hungry for more", with its 6.5/10 score. 1Up.com published the most disparaging review, giving it a D+ and stating, "it seems to rely more on fancy effects than challenging fun."
