Extras

Every once in a while, I find a game that isn't Touhou-related that I believe is awesome enough to share with you guys.  Here are some of the gems I've discovered.  You can tell I've become a huge fan of Platine Dispositif's games, but I do offer a few other things as well, and more is constantly on the way as I hear I should play things, and find games on DoujinStyle that are actually good.

~ I promise: Full versions only, no demo crap. ~

---

Current Offerings

* Bunny Must Die & Chelsea and the 7 Devils [E]
* Desktop Dungeons [E]
* CastleVania: Symphony of the Night [E]
* Trouble Witches [J/E]
* Rosenkreuz Stilette [E]
* Cave Story [E]
* Melty Blood: Act Cadenza (Version B) [E/J]
* Duo Princess [J/E]
* Gundemonium (original and Recollection) [J]
* Gundeadligne [J]
* Hitogata Happa [J]
* Engage to Jabberwock [E]
* Royal Edoma Engine [E]
* Zangyura: The Right Maid [E]
* Magical Battle Arena [J]
* eXceed 2nd: Vampire Rex [J/E]
* eXceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate ~Black Package~ [J/E]
* Feather Raid [E]
* Pocket Tanks
* DX-Ball 2

Coming Soon

Definitely
* AngerAze 2 [J/E]
* BloodOver [J/E]

---

Bunny Must Die & Chelsea and the 7 Devils

Release Information
Type: Platforming & Exploration
(of the "MetroidVania" subset)
Year of Release: 2006
Version: Revision 0609 16
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: English-Patched

Keys (Configurable in Menu)
[Z] = Attack
[X] = Jump
[C] = Time (Bunny) / Switch (Chelsea)
[P] = Pause
[S] = Snapshot

Extras

Ace Of Hearts Guide
A complete strategy guide written by yours truly; 53 full-color pages with pictures, strategies, and both characters' 100% maps.

Unlock Data
This doesn't overwrite your saved files, but it might overwrite you control config (I dunno; check it and change it back if necessary).
* Unlocks "Chelsea and the 7 Devils"
* Unlocks Sound Test

Fun Facts
* If you take a Snapshot when standing still during Bunny's game, Bunny will pose for your picture!  (Chelsea doesn't; she's all business.)
* The game does have a bit of voicework; in case you're wondering: Bunny is voiced by Rio Kisaki, Chelsea is voiced by Haruhi Sakai.

* Do you have the Hyper Heels, and they're proving to be annoying in close quarters when you don't currently need their effect?  (Particularly in the Dark King's Lair, where destroying torches eliminates light.)  There's a way to switch off three of the items you pick up:
-- Itaden's Sandals (Dash/Phoenix Kick)
-- Dr. N's Bizarre Shoes (Wall Kick)
-- Hyper Heels (Torch Step)
-> Hold [Up] and hit [Pause] (P by default); this cycles between possible status mixes of those three items in case you have all three, enabling you to turn them on/off at will.
-- This tip is not in my guide; I just recently discovered it.

Download

Plot Point
Bunny: She was wandering around, and happened to be in the vicinity of a catular power plant producing cattomic weapons for war when it exploded; exposure to the catular energy has caused this bunny-girl to grow a pair of cat ears.  Recalling a rumor she'd heard that if you can best the trials in the Cavern of the 7 Devils, you can have a wish granted, she figures that must have the power to lift her curse, so she heads for the Cavern.
Chelsea:  She's heard of time-stealer Dechronos's escape from being sealed underground from her grandfather, the elf king, and has heard that he's headed for the Cavern of the 7 Devils because a certain time-able rabbit has decided to take on the trials there, so she heads off to go find him so she can seal him again before he can get his hands on her.
Clearly, Bunny and Chelsea are destined to meet...
How It Works:  Similar to Super Metroid and CastleVania: Symphony of the Night, you play as Bunny (then later, Chelsea) and explore the cavern.  You'll pick up various weaponry to switch between (like subweapons in CastleVania) and add permanent abilities to your list (like Metroid) so you can battle against bosses.
Guide:  If you want lots of details, I have actually written a full guide to the game (see "Extras" on the left), which includes a full walkthrough, weaponry details, and maps for both characters' games.
Extras: If you clear Bunny's game ("Bunny Must Die") with at least 7 Hourglasses, you will unlock Chelsea's game ("Chelsea and the 7 Devils"); Chelsea's route is different from Bunny's, and she plays differently as well, making a Chelsea runthrough unique in its own right.
Extras 2: The game also has an Achievements system that adds replay value; after clearing both games (so you have some skill), see if you can clear either game in under 2 hours, and/or get a perfect 100%.  If you like truly insane challenges, you may even end up getting the Achievement for clearing either game with less than 15% item collection (you'll no longer take your extra abilities for granted again after forcing yourself to go without all but one for an entire game - if you choose the Gears over the Shoes, good luck getting through the Imperial Prison).
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen 2) Load Screen 3) Gameplay.

Nuko Du Maron:  "I curse you!!"
Bunny: "I'M ALREADY CURSED!!"

Desktop Dungeons

Release Information
Type: Quick-Play Roguelike
Year of Release: 2008
Version: 0.15
[O] Latest version.
Language: English

Extras
Unlock Data for Frustrated People
Since death is so commonplace in this game even if you know what you're doing (as the game is easy to play but hard to beat), and since you do start with so little, I'm providing some unlock data for those frustrated with dying over and over.  For both of these cases, stick the unzipped file in the CharData folder and type in the name of the file as listed here as your profile name.  (And yes, I do intend to upload another file for UnlockMe3 just as soon as I finish unlocking everything else.)
UnlockMe
* Unlocks all the basic classes, tiers 1-3, and all the dungeons except for Campaign.
UnlockMe2
* Unlocks as above plus 3 more classes and all of the races.  (The last 3 classes and Campaign Mode are still locked.)

Download

What It Is:  If you've ever played a full-length roguelike game, this is meant to be a compact, quickly-played offering for people who like such games.
How It Works:  After choosing a race and a class, you choose a dungeon to attempt.  Gameplay mechanics are pretty simple: you start each attempt at level 1, clicking around to move and attack monsters, which gains you experience and levels you up (max level is 10; your level never saves between runs, as each session is meant as a standalone: the only two things that are ever saved between games are how much gold you have and which dungeons you've cleared with which classes so the game knows what you've unlocked), and you'll stumble across magic glyphs that let you cast spells that damage enemies, blow up wall chunks, or do other stuff.
Race Selection:  Your race determines what you convert magic glyphs to when you destroy them; for example, Humans get attack power bonuses, and Halflings convert them to more health potions.
Class Selection:  Your class determines what special abilities you get; some classes can see locations of monsters or glyphs in unexplored area, or have permanent first strike or other special traits.
Easy to Play, Hard to Beat:  Even the creator of the game tries to get this across in the ReadMe - this game is easy to pick up, comprehend, and play, but it's difficult to actually beat it; you'll end up dead at or before the boss the vast majority of the time unless you know how to use your race and class selections to your advantage.
Extra:  For more information on basic how-to, and stuff regarding how races, classes, glyphs and deities work, see my add-on folder included with the game.
Screenshots: 1) Main Menu, 2) Gameplay.

CastleVania: Symphony of the Night (through emulator ePSXe)

Release Information
Type: Action/Adventure RPG
Year of Release: 1997
Publisher: Konami
Language: English with Voice Acting

Download

What This Is:  The emulator ePSXe, and included is one of the best action/adventure RPGs of all time, "CastleVania: Symphony of the Night."  I am providing this so every person on the face of the planet can experience this masterpiece even if they don't own a PlayStation - I have become sick and tired of hearing people say they haven't played it, because they are missing out: no more excuses!!
How It Works:  After playing a short "Bloodlines" intro as Richter, you'll get into the main game as Alucard, where you will hack and slash your way through more rooms than you can count, including various enemies and bosses, gaining experience to level up, as well as finding equipment and transformation magic to help Alucard on his epic quest to locate and defeat his own father Count Dracula, spanning over one of the largest 2D maps ever devised, including 2 castles with several hundred rooms each that you gain progressively more access to with each new ability you gain.

Trouble Witches

Release Information
Type: Side-Scrolling Shooting Game
Year of Release: 2007
Publisher: Studio Siesta
Language: English menus, Japanese story text

Download

What It Is:  You want a really awesome side-scrolling shooting game with bright colors and enticing gameplay that was released as an actual arcade game?  Look no further; you have your answer.  "Trouble Witches" has all the eye candy you need, offering up 3 witches plus one unlockable one to play as, magical spell cards you can purchase from in-stage shops to use later, and a pet for each character who helps you along the way.  I don't know about you, but I don't care about the fact that the story text is in moon runes I can't read; the truly necessary stuff is in English, and the gameplay is solid, so I am hooked.
How It Works: There are 4 difficulties to select from (you choose that after picking your witch), and you fly around, shooting stuff down.  In each stage is one or two Pumpkin Shops; fly in to use your coins to purchase new spell cards, which allows you to change your attack for a bit.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Unique Gameplay Mechanic: Magic Circle
Your pet can generate a magic circle at its current position.  To do this, hold the [Magic Circle] button briefly; the longer you hold it, the bigger the circle will be.  Bullets caught in your circle will be slowed, and when you destroy an enemy, any bullets that enemy fired that are in your circle get turned into Gold so you can buy more spell cards and extensions at the Pumpkin Shop.  To turn off your circle, just tap the button again.  Generating a magic circle gradually drains your Mana (which is why purchasing extensions can be very helpful for the later stages), so make sure you make wise use of it.  Your Mana will recharge slowly on its own when you're not using a circle, but charges faster if you're hitting things with your shot.

Rosenkreuz Stilette

Release Information
Type: Action Game
(MegaMan-style.)
Year of Release: 2009
Version: 1.06b
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: [erka:es]
Language: English-Patched

Extras
You can unlock Grolla Mode if you feel like playing as a Zero-like character.  To do this, on the very first intro screen (the black one with the moon with the name of the publisher, [erka:es], on it), press Left, Right, Next Weapon, Previous Weapon before it goes to the next screen.  If you do this correctly, you'll hear Grolla yell, and a message will pop up in the lower-right corner telling you what you just did.  Playing as Grolla is more difficult than playing as Tia, as not only is she a short-range fighter like Zero, but also because she does not gain any new abilities for defeating bosses; however, in exchange, you get to learn more about the nature of the story.  As far as I presently know, you can't reverse the process in-game, but if you quit and restart, Grolla Mode will be re-locked so you can play as Tia again.

Download

Plot Point: A while ago, the Holy Empire and Orthodox Church started accepting magi into its ranks after a war waged for the purpose of ending discrimination.  Those magi who were in the army were part of a faction called "Rosenkreuz Stilette: The Blades of the Rose Cross."  Now, Spiritia Rosenberg is an instructor for the Imperial Army.  She has trained for six months in the Black Forest, making friends with a forest fairy, Lilli, who has become her new best friend.  Upon her return, Count Zeppelin's daughter Iris is abducted by a dragon, and the Black Forest is set ablaze.  The one responsible is none other than one of her dearest friends, Freudia Neuwahl.  Tia must determine why her friends are now siding against her, and put an end to this diabolical plot.
Extra Notes: This version of the game has very nice graphics, and the translation team spent a lot of time creating the English patch, doing a professional job.  No misspellings or grammatical errors in this title!
Guide: There is a full guide to Rosenkreuz Stilette thanks to a wiki, including all the boss's weaknesses, story details, and item lists, here.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay, 3) English dialog.

Cave Story (Plus)

Release Info
Type: Platformer
("MetroidVania"-style.)
Year of Release: 2004
Version: 1.0.0.6
Publisher: Studio Pixel
Language: English-Patched

Controls
Configurable using DoConfig.exe.
[Z]: Jump (Confirm)
[X]: Fire
[A]: Previous Weapon
[S]: Next Weapon
[Q]: Inventory Screen
[W]: Map (must have Map System item)

* Press Down to examine things, go through doors, or talk to NPCs.

Extras
My "Plus" version of Cave Story offers not only the full original game, but also a large number of tools to use with or for it, such as a player to listen to the game's 8-bit music, a map editor, and for the lazy or impatient, an easy-to-use save editor and a trainer (in-game cheating tool).  All of the directions you could possibly need on how to play and configure the game, as well as how to use the extras, is in the ReadMe.  Seriously, I wrote the ReadMe, so you can trust that it will tell you everything you need to know in a nicely-organized fashion.

Download

Plot Point:
Ten years ago: There was a war; humans, along with their army of robots, waged war on an aerial island where the mimiga race lives in order to get their hands on a relic known as the Demon Crown.  Though the mimigas - and some humans who knew better and sided with them - defended the island valiantly, they lost, and the one known as the Doctor found the Demon Crown.  In a last-ditch effort, this game's robot hero - Quote - and a friend, Curly Brace, tried to defeat the Doctor, but also lost.  The mimigas became enraged, and consumed the forbidden red flowers, which both draw out latent powers and destroy the ability to reason, in order to retaliate.  They manage to repel the robot army.
Now:  A scientific team is trying to find a way to defeat the Doctor, though many of them have been captured by him and are forced to do their research under his radar.  The Doctor has finally figured out how the mimigas repelled the robot army ten years ago, and has begun his search for the red flowers.  It is at this point that Quote awakens...
What It Is:  Though it's a 2004 title, Studio Pixel specializes in creating retro-feeling games, and has done so with Cave Story.  However, don't let that fool you; the game is awesome.  Throughout, you'll find life extensions, weaponry, and accessories that will help you in your quest to find and defeat the Doctor.
Screenshot: Gameplay.

Melty Blood: Act Cadenza (Version B)

Release Information
Type: Fighting Game
Year of Release: 2007
Version: B1.03a
Publisher: Type-Moon
Language: All the really important stuff is in English; the story text and the special move descriptions on the pause screen are about the only things in Japanese.

Download

What It Is:  Type-Moon's cult-classic fighting game.  If you like both anime and fighting games, you're pretty likely to enjoy this game.  Version B features gameplay improvements and some re-balancing over the original, and a full 32-color palette for each and every character, selectable after you choose your character; chances are very good that if you want a specific alternate hair color or clothing color scheme for your favorite character, it's probably in there.  Special moves are generally pretty easy to perform; most are like Ryu's from Street Fighter (down-to-toward or away, attack), though some especially powerful Heat moves are more complicated; thus, the game is pretty easy to get into, but can take a while to master.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Character Select (featuring color selection), 3) Gameplay.

Duo Princess

Release Information
Type: Linear Action Game
Year of Release: 2003
Publisher: EasyGameStation
Language: Mostly Japanese; English main menu.

Controls
[Z]: Attack (Confirm)
[X]: Jump
[C]: Magic
[V]: Change Spirit

Download

What It Is:  This is a cute and fun 2.5D beat-'em-up, created by EasyGameStation as a kind of fan-made sequel to "Threads of Fate."  You can play as either Mint, a close-range fighter who has tons of HP, or Maya, a long-range magician who has more MP; either way, you can run around, jump, and perform attacks.  The game has two-player capacity so you can play with a friend.  Though each stage, you'll battle enemies and grab the gems they drop to increase your score, and find crates containing more gems or food to restore your health.  You'll also find new spirits whose magic you can use so that the boss at the end of each stage is a bit easier.
Other Notes:  Other than the title screen, the vast majority of the game is in Japanese; however, there isn't an inventory screen like you might think, so it's not necessary to be able to read moon runes.  The only thing that's a little hard to figure out is the config window; the keyboard bindings are on top, controller bindings on the bottom.  You hit the left button to change the keyboard controls, and the right button to alter the controller setup.  It has you set up all of your buttons in the following order: Up, Right, Down, Left, Attack, Jump, Magic, Change Spirit.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Gundemonium

Left: Original cover; Right: Recollection cover.

Release Information
Type: Side-Scrolling Shooting Game
Year of Release: 2003
Version: Original is 1.11; Recollection is final.
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: Original Japanese

Other Information
This game is first in the "Gundemonium Collection" series released for the PlayStation 3 in 2010.  I offer the original in case you'd like to play it, but most fans have moved on to Recollection, which has better graphics, and allows players to use settings that retain the original playstyle and level setups for purists if you like, but also makes available new characters and a revised level set for those who like modernization.

Keys
[Z]: Fire
[X]: Mana Ability
[C]: Bomb

Fun Facts
* Eryth Millfall appears as a doll in "Hitogata Happa" (as "Fourtuner").

Download Original
Download Recollection (Adds New Chars & Updated Graphics)

Plot Point:  It is the 18th century; 1785, to be exact.  Mankind has discovered six Philosopher's Stones, which they have called the Matrices; this led to advances in alchemy, which at first led to a new age of prosperity.  However, these Matrices were found in the hell-realm of Que Pholith, where the Demonium race resides, and they were not happy with the Matrices being stolen: they attacked in full force.  As a result, the Rozenkreuz Foundation hired six humans who were asked to learn how to better-control the Matrices, so they could use them to fight against the Demonium race; those six who owned and mastered use of a Matrix were called the Matrix Masters: Pearl, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Onyx (Jet), and Diamond.  However, even this proved not to be enough when the seventh Matrix - Gundemonium - made its appearance.  To counter this new threat, not yet having a weapon capable of defeating the Gundemonium, the humans used what they had learned about the other Matrices to create a brand-new, artificial Matrix: the Chrome Matrix Proxy known as Elixirel.  She was meant to be the saving grace for the humans.  However, in an unfortunate incident, she was captured by the Demonium, actually given the Gundemonium, and was reprogrammed - and as a result, rebelled against those she no longer remembered to be her original creators.  The Foundation rushed into action to put a stop to Elixirel before it became too late, hiring gun specialist Eryth Millfall, with her famous twin guns Golden Dawn and Nameless, to do what the Matrix Masters could not.  The Rozenkreuz Foundation called this endeavor "Mission Gundemonium."
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Gundeadligne

Release Information
Type: Side-Scrolling Shooting Game
Year of Release: 2004
Version: 1.03
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: Original Japanese

Other Information
This game is second in the "Gundemonium Collection" series released for the PlayStation 3 in 2010.

Keys
[Z]: Fire
[X]: Mana Ability
[C]: Bomb
[W]: Face Opposite Direction

Unlock Info
Normally, Nagi would be locked (she is among the game's final bosses, and you must usually clear the game without continuing to unlock her); however, the copy of the game I am providing already has her unlocked.  Do not play as her unless you are a skilled player, as she concentrates on short-range attacks.

Fun Facts
* Elixirel appears as a doll in "Hitogata Happa" (as "Lovers").

Download

Plot Point: It is 1795; it has been a full 10 years since Mission Gundemonium.  Though the Demonium have not yet been defeated, as their attacks continue, the Foundation has made significant progress: as a result of Mission Gundemonium, Elixirel has been successfully recaptured by the Rozenkreuz Foundation, and has been reprogrammed again to serve in the Foundation - and she still has the Gundemonium.  The Foundation now has a new plan; alongside all the others who have been drafted into the war, Eryth Millfall has again elected to assist the Foundation, having made contracts with the six original Matrix Masters for assistance, and Elixirel, who now seeks to help Eryth as thanks for saving her from the Demonium, has signed on as well.  The Foundation now believes it stands a good chance, but only time will tell if they're right.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Hitogata Happa

Release Information
Type: Vertically-Scrolling Shooting Game
Year of Release: 2005
Version: 1.12
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: Original Japanese

Other Information
This game is third in the "Gudemonium Collection" series released for the PlayStation 3 in 2010, but it is chronologically first in the storyline; it is technically a prequel to the two proper Gundemonium titles.

Keys
[Z] Fire
[X] Mana Ability
[C] Switch Next Doll

Main Menu Translation
The only menu you'll need to be able to read that's in Japanese is the main menu; all the other in-game menus are in readable English.
* Start Story Game
* Continue Last-Played Game
* Mission (Practice) Mode
* Extra Modes (Solo/Destiny 13)
* Records
* Options
* Exit Game

Difficulties
Nifty names here.  In Gundemonium terms:
"Euridice" = Novice
"Noblimente" = Standard
"Allemande" = Advanced
"Doomsday" = Demonic

Unlock Information
Ordinarily, you must unlock the 4 extra dolls; I've unlocked them for you.  Also, those who are extremely familiar with Platine Dispositif's works will recognize many of the powerful dolls:
* Basic doll Peco was the star of "Dicing Knight," one of Platine's first games.
* Advanced doll Platina, at first glance, looks like Revaia, the star of "Royal Edoma Engine;" however, her doll is actually representative of the final boss of "Gundeadligne," Lotus.
* Advanced doll Lovers is clearly Elixirel from "Gundeadligne," and plays exactly the same.
* Advanced doll Fourtuner is modeled after none other than Platine Dispositif's Gundemonium mascot, Eryth Millfall!  She plays the same as she ever did (and her discarded bullet shells can damage enemies as well).
* Advanced doll Fool is modeled after Raechel, the star of the hilariously bad game "Zangyura: The Right Maid."  Her playstyle is equally as hilariously awful (though her mace mines are powerful, they're slow).

Fun Facts
* Easter Egg: Normally, when you boot the game, Rosa says the name of the company ("Platine Dispositif"), but there's about a 1 in 3 chance that instead, she will say "Welcome to Phantastique Tea Party!" (The codename of their mission.)

Download

Plot Point (Modified from Gundemonium.com)
Diary of Rosa Christopher (Page 1)
"It is 1757.  The Genoremasody Reich presently reigns supreme over East Prussia.  With an immense and powerful military, backed by their great technologies known as Universal Science, they're quickly conquering everything around them.  They've burned towns to the ground, and they've ruined the land; many people have died.  I myself have lost family to this war.  That is when I met her.  Her name is Kreutzer, and she is capable of creating dolls with various amounts and styles of firepower, which she wants to use to fight back against the Reich.  However, though she can create them, she evidently has not yet learned to control them very well; she said she could sense that I would be more gifted than herself in that aspect, which, with some practice, I have learned is true.  I want to help her defeat the Reich; their reign is terrible indeed, and I can only imagine what they might do if they manage to take over the entire world.  Together with Kreutzer and her magical dolls, I am setting out to destroy the scientific empire.  My name is Rosa Christopher, and this is my story."
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay, 3) Doll Purchase

Necessary Knowledge
* Kamikaze Attacks This game focuses on having tons of extra lives for your dolls, for a reason: many of your dolls, especially your weaker ones, must fight the bosses mainly by kamikaze-ing; if your Flow meter is full, you can purposely run into an enemy to create a large, powerful explosion.  Characters whose normal shots are weak have very powerful kamikaze blasts, wheras characters who have very powerful normal shots have weak kamikaze attacks (but, of course, shouldn't have to kamikaze anywhere near as often).  In the normal Story mode, this is the only way to beat the first boss; Leaf can't defeat the boss in time with his regular attack.
* Doll Purchasing In the Story Mode's first mission, Mission 0, you are forced to play as Leaf, but have 9 lives (infinite on Euridice) to force you to get used to Kamikaze-ing, but after that, before each stage, you can use the gems you've collected to purchase any dolls you like as a stock to draw from in the next stage (you can switch which doll is next up when your current one dies, allowing for advanced strategy).  Costs are proportional to how often you should be using the doll to kamikaze; thus, weak dolls who must kamikaze a lot are cheap (especially Leaf), wheras strong dolls who should not be committing suicide are very expensive (like Lovers).
* Solo Mode Solo Mode is more like what a Touhou player would call a "normal game;" you pick a doll, and you play the entire game as that doll; you start with a specified number of lives, and the moment you qualify gem-wise to buy another copy of your doll, it's automatically purchased extend-style (cha-ching!) and added to your stock.
* Don't run out of time during a boss fight.  This is NOT Touhou; these bosses don't run away or die when your timer runs out: instead, they gain a new, powerful, and usually sporadic attack on top of whatever they're already doing, which is generally very hard to avoid.  They also jam Rosa's doll retrieval system (you'll see "Error" in red on the sides of the screen), which means that if you die after time runs out, you get an automatic Game Over because Rosa can't access her backup dolls.  Thus, make sure that if you're using weak characters, you're kamikaze-ing as much as you should be.
* Zone of Control.  Each enemy has a circle around them called a Zone of Control, or ZOC.  If you enter that circle, you activate it, and any bullets that enter it are slowed down.
* Dolls are different.  I mentioned this earlier, but each doll differs in firepower (some even have different attacks when you repeatedly tap the fire button as opposed to when you hold it down), movement speed (again, sometimes this differs between whether you tap or hold the fire button), kamikaze blast power, and mana abilities, and some even have special abilities.  The game will be a bit difficult at first when you don't know the dolls very well, but once you learn what each is good at, you'll be able to make better purchase decisions.

Doll List
Costs listed for each doll are their base cost on Noblimente difficulty and up; playing on Euridice difficulty gives you a half-price discount.  Also, for the most part, a doll's price slowly rises as you purchase more copies of it.
* Leaf (Basic; 120 Gems)
Shot: Leaf Cutter (Regular Shot, low power.)
Mana Ability: Soma Twilight (Slows time, fills Flow gauge faster.)
Notes: Easy to use, but normal shot is terrible against bosses.  Use kamikaze-ing, or play other dolls during boss fights.
* Clover (Basic; 500 Gems)
Shot: Lucky Ray (Beam, powerful.)
Mana Ability: Rizing Sword (Frontal attack, drains both Mana and Flow.  Also very powerful.)
Extra: Auto-collects gems.
Notes: Good choice for nearly any situation, though she will still need to do some kamikaze-ing against bosses.
* Rooty (Basic; 400 Gems)
Shot: Drill Cannon (Drills, normal power; can be re-angled by pressing the Mana button.)
Mana Ability: Blazing Spinner (Barrel Roll, deflects damage; tap left then right quickly.)
Notes: Difficult to play as; takes a lot of getting used to.
* Assam (Basic; 440 Gems)
Shot: Magic Missiles (Missiles; these home, and are of approximately normal power.)
Mana Ability: Unlimited Storm (Fires more missiles much faster at the cost of Mana.)
Notes: Easy to play as, and excellent for normal stage sections, but will still need to kamikaze a bit against bosses.
* Earl (Intermediate; 880 Gems [Special: Price goes down instead of up])
Shot: Rallyman's Beam (A solid beam that bends to find its targets.  Has good power.)
Mana Ability: Dath Whisper (Slows time, shots become piercing.)
Notes:  Those who have played "Raiden II" will love Earl.  Others will probably like him too, though.
* Sikkim (Intermediate; 480 Gems)
Shot: Panzer Knuckle (Short-range fist attack.  High power, but short range.)
Mana Ability: Missile Smash (Fires a flaming fist forward.)
Notes: If you want a short range attacker, Peco has more power if you can handle getting a little closer to your targets.
* Dimbula (Intermediate; 480 Gems)
Shot: Tap: Spread Shot / Hold & Release: Buddha Charge  (Focuses on quality over quantity; Charge pierces.)
Mana Ability: Sawada Sacrifice (Kamikazes right then and there.  Good for those who are terrible at doing it normally.)
Extra: Teleport (Teleports from one side of the screen to the other.)
* Peco (Intermediate; 640 Gems)
Shot: Blazing Edge (Very close-range sword attack.)
Mana Ability: Zaion Saber (Slices and dices, and has your dinner ready before it's even in the oven.)
Notes: She's terribly hard to play as in normal sections, but positively tears bosses and minibosses to shreds.
* Platina (Advanced; 3,600 Gems)
Shot: Lotus Vale (Fires in all directions; normal power, but doesn't miss anything.)
Mana Ability: Black Blossom (Fires a burst a little ways above her.  Good for fighting bosses.)
Extra: Has her own ZOC.  (This is actually nowhere near as useful as you'd first think.)
Notes: If you don't do a good job with Blossom placement during boss fights, Platina has very good kamikaze blast strength.
* Lovers (Advanced; 3,600 Gems)
Shot: Tap: Star Fire (5-way shot) / Hold: Star Beam (Bazooka, VERY powerful.)
Mana Ability: Dath Wind (Slows time, Star Fire gains piercing.)
Notes: She's expensive and slow, but VERY powerful; she should never have to kamikaze.
* Fourtuner (Advanced; 2,800 Gems)
Shot: Dual Shot (Discarded bullet shells also cause damage.)
Mana Ability: Fortune Wheel (Slows time while the wheel is in contact with an enemy.)
Extra: Auto-collects gems.
Notes: She's good for regular stages, but doesn't do so well against some bosses, and her kamikaze strength sucks.
* Fool (Advanced; 400 Gems [Special: Price stays the same])
Shot: Raechel's Hammer (Powerful but slow mace mines.)
Mana Ability: Jump (Seriously, she jumps.  This evades bullets, and does not drain her Mana.)
Extra: Her vertical movement speed is faster than her horizontal movement speed, making her difficult to control.

Engage to Jabberwock

Release Information
Type: Old-School Action/Adventure Game
Year of Release: 2004
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: English-Patched

Keys
Just go reassign them.  Seriously.  It gets pretty complicated.  (There's a key for your regular fire blast, then there are also keys to perform Bombs, the Magic Shell, and the Dash, as well as keys for the Targeting Circle, Pause, Map Screen...yeah, just go reassign them.)

Download

How It Works:  You go around blasting enemies, looking for various items that will allow you to fight the 12 Zodiac bosses.  (Kinda sounds like "Final Fantasy Tactics," doesn't it?)  You must first acquire a Zodiac Grimoire of the proper sign before you can go to the Zodiac Orb; if you have it, the orb will glow, and after a few moments, the boss will appear. Beating all twelve opens up the final boss fight.  Along the way, you will find Life extensions, Mana extensions, and several other helpful items; you will also have to open doors in the shape of blocks of four different colors - to do that, you must find large, colored spheres, which you blast in order to flip them.  When you do that, one color becomes locked if it was unlocked before, and the other color becomes unlocked. You can check your block access status in the lower-right of the screen, and you can also check your inventory and map by hitting the Map button as well.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Royal Edoma Engine

Release Information
Type: Isometric Shooting Game
Year of Release: 2005
Version: 1.03
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: English-Patched

Other Notes
* Note that the game is isometric, which makes it approximately 2.5D; if you're positioned correctly, some of the danmaku might seriously go right over your head.
* When you hit max Power, your shots are powered up, signified by their turning from their usual yellow to a light blue color.
* You can also use Burst Mode when you're at or close to Max Power; doing so turns all enemy bullets and regular sushi onscreen into gold sushi, which restores your Life when you eat it.

Keys
[Z]: Fire
[X]: Engage Maximum Mode (refills your Life gauge and powers you up)

Download

Plot Point:  It's 1888.  In the previous year, several misunderstandings about seafood led to government management of sushi and several other types of seafood; possessing some without the permission of the Shigeru Iwao Edoma Royal Authority is illegal.  Of course, you can't stop people from eating, and some especially enjoy the taste of seafood.  Enter ex-chef witch Revaia one dark and stormy night, who has a request from a dying friend to get her some sushi.  She is a sushi lover herself, but has no idea what she can do to fulfill this request.  While she's pacing around pondering, an ethereal gate opens up, and Kojiake blesses her with a new ability to create sushi by destroying things.  Revaia now knows her destiny: relinquish the Edoma empire's iron grip on seafood by destroying them and turning them into the very food they are trying to prevent anyone from having.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Zangyura: The Right Maid

Release Information
Type: Linear Castle Exploration Game
Year of Release: 2004
Version: 1.07
[O] Latest version.
Publisher: Platine Dispositif
Language: English-Patched

Keys
[Z]: Mace
[X]: Jump

Fun Facts
* Raechel appears as a doll in "Hitogata Happa" (as "Fool").

Download

Plot Point:  In medieval Europe, for once, two small countries are at peace.  Seeing their peaceful state, however, they want some warlike entertainment without actually going to war, so they arrange for a castle to be built that kills intruders, complete with beam turrets, tricky passages, false walls, and bosses, to which they will send various individuals to see if they can survive it.  The first of the victims to be sent to this castle for their entertainment is Raechel Vanpaiyahanta, a maid whose only two skills are knowledge of how to wield a mace, and a sprint ability.  With these and a normal trait of being able to jump, Raechel sets out to see whether she can best the castle's numerous traps.
How It Works:  First of all, you need to understand that this game is meant to be a humongous joke.  Anyway, you'll mainly be looking for keys to unlock doors, but will be repeatedly frustrated as, again and again, despite all the checkpoints scattered everywhere, you'll accidentally get yourself killed by enemies, smashers, spike pits, and false floors that make you fall onto spike pits.  If you're in a low-ceiling area, the only way to deal with a false floor - marked by blood where there is no smasher - is to dash across it.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Magical Battle Arena ~Complete Form~

Release Information
Type: 3D Battle Game
Year of Release: 2008
Version 1.70
Publisher: Fly-System
Language: Original Japanese

Characters
From "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha"
* Nanoha Takamachi (Young version from A's)
* Fate Testarossa (Young version from A's)
* Hayate Yagami
* Vita
* Nanoha Takamachi (Teen version from Strikers)
* Fate Testarossa (Teen version from Strikers)

From "Slayers"
* Lina Inverse
* Naga the Serpent

From "Cardcaptor Sakura"
* Sakura Kinomoto

From "PandaDanpa"
* Sarara Hoshizora
* Kirara Hoshizora

From "Mahoujin Guru-Guru"
* Kukuri

The bosses are unlockable:
* Lulu Gelad
* Noel Diatasis

From "Magic Knight Rayearth"
* Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji
(Please note, they play as one character selection.  If chosen, you start as Hikaru, but can change to Umi or Fuu [and back to Hikaru] by performing the appropriate specials: melee for Hikaru, ranged for Umi, guard for Fuu.

Download Game (ver. 1.70 Rayearth)
Download Ver. 1.70 Patch (to use on 1.60/1.62)

This game can be played online!  Use Hamachi.
* All match participants must have the same version of the game to play together; those using the original version or the first "Lyrical Pack" patch cannot play with "Complete Form" players. 
What It Is: You can play as one of a decent number of adorable protagonists from some of the world's cuter anime and several other original characters in this game.  There are multiple modes to choose from, such as Story, Mission, and Versus, and the game has voice acting as well.  It is yet another brightly-colored, well-done game like "Trouble Witches" (though it's not a shooter), and is only less addictive if you hate having to do guesswork on the moon runes.
English Guide: An English guide as to which menu options are which can be found here.
Special Moves Guide: A list of each character's special moves can be found here.
Patch Notes: The version I am providing is 1.70, which is the latest version including the girls from "Magic Knight Rayearth."  You can choose to download the entire game if you didn't have it already, or just the 1.70 patch if you previously downloaded the version 1.6x game.
Extra Notes: I've bothered to unlock both of the bosses (Lulu and Noel) for you; the full cast of 15 selectable characters is available to you (see the notes on the left as to how the Rayearth girls work as one selection).
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Keys (These are all configurable in the Config menu, and can be assigned to use a controller.)
It's a complicated game; you'll be using all three of the letter tiers of your keyboard.
[Z]: Ranged Attack (Menu Confirm button)
[X]: Guard (Menu Cancel button)
[C]: Dash
[A]: Melee Attack
[S]: Magic
[D]: Switch Targets
[Q]: Fly Down
[W]: Fly Up
[Enter]: Pause (Brings up Pause Menu)

Gauges
There are a ton of gauges, but they're easily understood after playing for ten minutes.
HP Gauge: The big green gauge is your current HP bar; the green notch marks above it are your spare HP bars (go ahead and say it; you're "like a boss").  If you're in good health (first few bars), it will be green, but as you take a thrashing, it starts turning yellow-green, yellow, orange, then red to warn you that you're on your last bar.
Stamina Gauge: The blue gauge beneath your HP bar is the Stamina Gauge, which depletes as you Dash or Guard, and slowly replenishes itself automatically when you're not doing either of those things.  If you find a good safe spot, you can also recharge your Stamina Gauge simply by holding just the [Magic] button.
Magic Gauges: The three yellow gauges above your HP gauge; these tell you the charge status of your Melee, Ranged, and Guard specials, respectively.  If full, you can perform specials (see details below).
Burst Mode Gauge: Hard to miss this one; it's the red gauge that goes around your character's avatar.  If it's fully charged (it'll be flashing), you can enter Burst Mode (see details below).

How to Perform Special Attacks
It's actually very easy; since the game is 3D, there are no directional button motions to memorize.  To perform a special attack, hold [Magic] and hit [Melee], [Ranged], or [Guard]; the three yellow gauges above your green HP gauge tell you whether your character is ready to use any of those three attacks.  Keep in mind that usage is instant for some characters when you hit the combination, whereas other characters require charge or incantation time (like Lina); if you must charge/incant, continue holding the [Magic] button after hitting the combination until your move is fully-charged and ready (the yellow gauge will fill with a red charge gauge), then let go to execute.  Weaker attacks require less charge time, powerful stuff requires long charge periods.  If you're hit while charging/incanting in this manner, your concentration will be broken, and the attack will be cancelled.  (You'll note some characters can move during a charge/incant if they were moving when you hit the combination, so you can try to avoid attacks that way.)

About Burst Mode
The red gauge around your character's avatar is the Burst Mode gauge; if it is full, you can hit [Magic] + [Dash] to enter Burst Mode (which, as appropriate, causes your character or their weapon to transform or change appearance; for example, Nanoha's Raising Heart goes into Excelion Mode); you then have around 10 to 15 seconds to position yourself for and use an Ultimate Special Attack.  Your regular Ultimate is performed by hitting [Magic] + [Dash] + [Melee] (this is how you do things like Nanoha's Starlight Breaker or Lina's Dragon Slave), but if you're down to your last HP bar (are critical), your Super Ultimate becomes available; press [Magic] + [Dash] + [Ranged].

"Arigato, Raging Heart. ^.^"
"All right."
If you didn't just smile, you never watched the actual anime of "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha."

eXceed 2nd: Vampire Rex

Release Information
Type: Vertically-Scrolling Shooting with Polarity changeability ("Ikaruga"-style)
Year of Release: Unknown
Publisher: Tennen Sozai
Language: English menus, Japanese story text

Download

What It Is:  If you've tried to play "Ikaruga," and liked the concept of polarity affiliation, but were frustrated to no end by its insane level of difficulty like I was, then eXceed 2nd is something you absolutely want.
About Polarity:  For those not familiar with the concept, you can change in this game between white and purple anytime you want.  You can safely touch bullets that are the same color as your current affiliation, and you absorb them as energy for your special attack.  Obviously, if you touch a bullet of the opposite color, you lose a life.  If you're brave enough to fight an enemy when you're using the opposite color, you cause double damage and earn double points, though you can still take them down if you're the same color (it just takes a bit longer).
Extends & Ranks:  Aside from earning Extends (extra lives), earning enough points without dying will also cause you to Rank Up; this changes your difficulty level live during gameplay, from Easy, to Normal, to Hard, to Exceed, so you can see if maybe next time you'll be ready to try the next difficulty full-on.  If you die after a Rank Up, you rank back down again (you can't go under whatever difficulty you originally selected).  This is a major change, obviously, and there are two ways you'll know you've Ranked Up; Ria will actually say either "level up" or "rank up," and the difficulty designation in the upper-right corner will change to let you know what your new difficulty level is.  Conveniently, you  have both an Extend gauge and a Rank gauge so you can tell how close you are to earning either of those things.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

eXceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate ~Black Package~

Release Information
Type: Vertically-Scrolling Shooting Game
Year of Release: Unknown
Publisher: Tennen Sozai
Language: English menus, Japanese story text

Download

What It Is: I have forgotten whether this is simply a ramped-up version of the original X3JP, or whether it's different.  In either event, it is more like a Touhou game than its predecessor, eXceed 2nd (which played far more like "Ikaruga").  This takes a bit of a cue from what "Mushihime-Sama Futari" did with their Black Label title; I am guessing this is supposed to be harder than the original X3JP (I never played the original, so I dunno).  Regardless, it plays, is fun, and comes complete with voice acting.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Gameplay

Feather Raid

Release Information
Type: Side-Scrolling Shooting Game
Year of Release: 2002
Publisher: Ichigo-Citron

Other Vitals
Playable Characters: 6
(Ayu, Nayuki, Makoto, Shiori, Mai, Sayuri)
Difficulty Levels: 3
(Basic / Hard / Mirage)
Stages: 10
(All selectable from the beginning.)

Extras
Profile Data with Extra Levels (1)
If getting around at your starting level of 1 is too hard, this data puts the girls at a slightly easier starting point of around level 4-6, which enables them to clear stages on Basic difficulty more easily.  It goes in the main game folder.

Download

* This game may have some trouble with freezing on load screens unless you set it to play in compatibility mode for Windows 98/ME, where it will have no problems.  Be nice to it, and it will return the favor in kind.  ^.^
What It Is:  A unique, lighthearted combination of easy Gradius-style shooting gaming mixed with the RPG element of experience levels with characters from the anime "Kanon," excellent for killing time.
How Leveling Works:  It'd be rather difficult to clear stages on Hard or Mirage difficulty without doing some leveling first. To gain experience, simply play through stages, as many times as you like.  You'll gain experience at the end of each stage based on how late in the game the stage is and which difficulty level you cleared it on.  Leveling up increases your girl's HP so she can take more of a beating.
How Weaponry Works:  Just like Gradius, you collect little power-ups (heart-shaped in this game) to move spaces along your inventory bar; when it's on something you want to upgrade, press the Power-Up button to confirm.  Each girl's basic Vulcan shot (though that's not always what it's called) is upgradeable, as well as acquiring a type of bomb, a type of missile, speed increases, familiars, and a magic crush that wipes out everything onscreen.
Screenshots: 1) Title Screen, 2) Character Select, 3) Gameplay.

Pocket Tanks Deluxe

Release Information
Type: Tank Battle
Year of Release: Unknown
Publisher: BlitWise

Download

You can play this game online!  Use Hamachi.
What This Is:  You and your opponent (which can be a computer, or if you are on a network, such as through Hamachi, a human opponent) take turns trading fire.  You each select 10 weapons from a randomly-selected assortment beforehand, and after all 10 volleys, whomever scored more points wins.  There are a variety of weapons, from those that score high because of a need for accuracy, to many that assure a bit of scoring through area coverage, to dirt creation weapons that bury your opponent and dig tools that will get you out from under dirt.
Extras:  This comes with all the weapon packs currently available (a total of 250 weapons).
Screenshot: 1) Gameplay.

DX-Ball 2

Release Information
Type: Breakout Game
Year of Release: Unknown
Publisher: Longbow Digital Arts

Download

What This Is:  Basically, it's a REALLY awesome breakout game; perhaps the best one ever devised (the only thing that could possibly make it better is an edit mode).  See the powerup list in the title screenshot to the left?  That's all the possible stuff you might bump into.  All kinds of stuff make the boards interesting: each board is modeled after something in a theme in each boardset, and the powerups include everything from lasers to catching and holding the ball to transforming it into a fireball.
Extras 1:  This download includes all the boardsets released to date.
Extras 2:  If you type in "EUREKA" during gameplay, you activate a cheat that allows you to hit the [Spacebar] to generate a random power-up anytime you want.  Using this disqualifies you from registering a high score that round.
Screenshot: 1) Gameplay.