Being unique and standing apart from the rest can be difficult. This is especially true for games in a relatively niche genre like shoot 'em ups. But how do you set yourself apart when the core mechanics that define that genre are so explicit? Sure, you can change up the scoring system, but that’s been done before. You can also throw a bazillion bullets on screen, and give the player 50 different characters to choose from, but that’s just overwhelming. No, instead you have to do something truly different. Something like throwing your character into precarious situations with lewd and dirty intentioned tentacles!
Well, Rakugaki Games sends us out on a hellishly bullet filled adventure where we follow a strong headed fairy as she hunts down her missing one-winged friend in Tenta Shooter! It won’t only be naughty cephalopod-like appendages that stand in her way however, as she faces off against an onslaught of dangerous forest creatures and sexy monster ladies! But will Tenta Shooter's salacious twist on the shoot 'em up genre stick the landing, or will it only serve to distract us from what could have been a great game?
By default when you first buy Tenta Shooter most, if not all, of the NSFW content will be missing from the game, short of the odd scantily clad monster lady here and there. That’s because the developers have hidden that content behind a free DLC patch. Once you activate that DLC however, you’ll be able to unlock explicit scenes tied to various power-up cards that will feature the main characters, the bosses, and a boatload of randy tentacles. Aside from that you can also reveal a nude rendition of each boss sprite if you are able to achieve the “booby bonus” while fighting them. Although there isn’t much left to the imagination when it comes to the various NSFW scenes found within the game, most of the “action” happening in the “nether-regions” is obscured by either a pixel mosaic or clothing. So, I landed on a 2 for its level of content.
There's no getting around the type of content you’ll find though! Since it heavily features kinks such as tentacle sex, bondage, humanoid monsters, pregnancy, and peeing, I thought it would be appropriate to rate Tenta Shooter on the higher side and give it a 75%.
As I mentioned earlier, finding truly unique shoot 'em ups can be tough since the core mechanics of the genre are so well defined. As an avid fan however, I’m always looking for that diamond in the rough that'll blow me away, or at least one that does something different enough that it’ll leave an impression. So, when I ran across Tenta Shooter and found that it reminded me of some of my favorite CAVE shmups like Mushihimesama and Deathsmiles, only with a naughty twist, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to try it.
It seemed to have everything I look for in a good shoot 'em up. Fun character designs, interesting environments, tons of unique enemies to shoot at, booming sound effects that bring you back to the days of arcades, and of course swaths of pink bullets to dodge and weave around! All that was left was to pull it down from the backlog and actually dive in.
Despite the amount and type of adult content you are able to unlock while playing Tenta Shooter, it actually doesn’t play a very big part in the game at all. In a lot of ways, it’s just used as a reward for achieving specific feats. In fact, if you never downloaded the DLC and activated it, you probably wouldn’t even have missed it!
I say that because although the various sex scenes are technically attached to the power-up cards that you unlock, which you can equip for bonuses during gameplay, they have no real baring on the card’s effect. Actually, you’ll be able to unlock these cards regardless of if you have the DLC installed or not. Also, while you’re playing the game, you’re unable to see any scenes attached to these cards. You instead have to exit to the main menu and enter the gallery.
The only gameplay related lewd content would be the “booby bonus” that you’ll achieve by killing a boss with a 32x multiplier, and will bare the chest of said boss, but again that’s really just a reward for your feats. You can still achieve this with or without the DLC installed.
As a shoot ‘em up, there really isn’t much I’d want to change about Tenta Shooter. It may be relatively simple compared to some of the greats out there, but what it does in the gameplay department is fun and satisfying. I really enjoyed the bullet counter mechanic, which added a strategic element to your playthrough by allowing you to reflect enemy bullets back at them for big point multiplier bonuses. I also appreciated the DonPachi-esque hidden item bonuses you could find throughout each level. Not to mention the various modes, difficulties, and player shot patterns you could pick from. There’s a ton of replay value there, and that’s always good for a game like this.
When it comes to Tenta Shooter being an adult game however, I would have loved to see the NSFW content be more integrated into the actual game and possibly the gameplay. Give us more steamy environments, or alluring enemies to fight, or super suggestive special powers. Again from a gameplay perspective it doesn’t really need it, but I think a little more sexual intrigue would have been fun, and would have taken it from being a pretty good shmup that happened to feature lewd content, to a game that truly stands out. I mean, if you’re going to do it, you might as well go all the way, right?
It may not go down in history as the greatest shoot ‘em up of all time, but Tenta Shooter does a great job of ticking all of the boxes and leaving you feeling satisfied. So, if you’re a fan of the genre and you’re looking for something easy to pick up and play, I’d recommend you check it out. Plus, don’t forget to download the DLC, so all those extra naughty bits can tentacle your fancy too!!
If you’re interested in trying out Tenta Shooter for yourself, you can find it right now on Steam!
Have a curiosity for adult themed games, but are wary of what type and level of content they may contain? Use our at-a-glance After Dark Gauges, to quickly see if a game is for you! Check out the After Dark Gauges Primer page, for more information!
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