Deathsmiles

Deathsmiles
78
Metacritic
96
Steam
83.357
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$6.99
Release date
10 March 2016
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
96 (450 votes)

Deathsmiles is CAVE's bullet-hell shoot-'em-up where you take the role of one of five Angels to defend the magical land of Gilverado from an invasion by Hell itself! Eradicate this devilish assault!

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Deathsmiles system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10
  • Processor: Intel Core i3 2GHz or higher
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000, Geforce 9500GT, Radeon HD 3650 or better
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Storage: 3 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectSound-compatible sound card

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
Popularity
Reviews
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Rokitoru
Rokitoru

I love 💜 bullet hell games! Finished this game on XBOX360 back on its release date. Amazed it even made it to steam. Back than i had to get a copy from Japan as this game was close to nowhere to be found. Favourite girl: "Casper"

Emuser
Emuser

It's a hard af scoring game, but it is also a very fun game. This port is a little outdated compared to the DS1 + 2 release that happened recently, but scoop this up on sale if you are focused on DS1.

Euclase
Euclase

I really really really hate this game yet I still play it over and over again because I squeeze some satisfying power-up and big shiny skull gems that are bouncing on the floor. At the same time, I also get hit by that teeny tiny bullet that I often forgot to dodge.

I am really hesitating to give this a yes but I will go with the flow this time

brightfuture
brightfuture

A perfect game seasonal game for October. This game plays much like other bullet hell games, but from a horizontal perspective. Mobs will spawn from either the left or right of the screen, and using the unique control scheme you can attack in either direction. You also have control of a familiar which will fire automatically in the direction you are firing. The game has a variety of playable characters each with a different bullet spread and familiar. This game also has really quick play sessions, and i highly recommend it. Before playing the game a helpful tip is that the 1 key is used to access and pause screen and menus, and z is used as select.

Deejo Wellens
Deejo Wellens

If you don't love this game, you don't love videogames.

Exhilarating shooting bliss.

ZINE
ZINE

Surprisingly forgiving until the last level, then you are reminded it's CAVE game.

antocularis
antocularis

Crazy Halloween themed bullet hell shoot 'em up from Cave. Easy to learn but difficult to master, earning a high score takes timing and knowing when to grab crowns or skulls from enemies. This version of Deathsmiles comes with added game versions and a new playable character. It's fast, fun and very addictive.

Loganian Sobatron
Loganian Sobatron

Normally i'm not a fan of side scrolling shooters, but leave it to CAVE to make one that kicks ass. Halloween aesthetics combined with a pretty decent narrative topped off with that classic CAVE game play. I highly recommend it.

gareth.hibling
gareth.hibling

It's a Cave shmup, what's not to like?

Wish they'd do some of the others though :-)

Haqua
Haqua

Play with gothic lolitas.

And if you didn't like that, there's a witch to play with as well.

Bullet-hell type of game.

Laments terms, this means; many bullets.

Hellscream
Hellscream

Top 3 shmups
#1 Pulstar neogeo
#2 Triggerheart Exelica
#3 Deathsmiles

The_Electric_Underground
The_Electric_U…

Great game, it's Deathsmiles! The port is not accurate with the slowdown, but still enjoyable. You should get the 360 version if you can though.

Letande
Letande

La la la... Halloween party! La la la... Let's Trick-or-treat!
~HALLOWEEN JUNKY ORCHESTRA

If you're not the bullet hell enthusiast, then you may stop reading this review right now. Just because, like any other bullet hell game out there, this one is not for you. At least, not yet. Bullet hell games are known to be (way) harder than regular SHMUPs and, even though this one is not the hardest one of the kind, you'll still die a lot without having much fun. Sure, there are difficulty levels here, but... let's just say that as long as you're not an experienced SHMUP player, you're not ready for this. You have been warned. Now, if you are a fan of such entertainment, then, I guess, one word will be enough for you to get the idea about what do we have here. The word is – cave. CAVE Interactive. Creators of the DoDonPachi, Ketsui and Mushihimesama series.

In case if you want some details, though, here come some. Deathsmiles is a horizontal bullet hell game with Donkey Kong Country-like visuals (because why freakin' not?), Gothic-like design and Halloween as the main motif. In this game you control one of the four (five in the Mega Black Label version, but I'll return to it later) sisters, who use their familiars (which are the most unique thing in the game) and magical powers to fight things and should stop a desperate man from performing a dark ritual during the Halloween eve. In other words, the story is pretty close to what we had in Ibara, only this time we've got Halloween motif instead of technology. There are eight stages (one of which is optional) and the entire game takes about one hour to beat. Which probably won't happen from your first try, since you'll need to learn about how each level works first, but you know how it is in such games. You always need to build up some skill first.

Anyway, this exact release comes with not one, but two versions of the game. And every version comes in three different editions. First, there's the regular version of the game. Which can be played as the direct arcade port, the “normal” updated version, which comes in higher resolution, and re-balanced 1.1 edition. The second version is called Mega Black Label, or MBL. And it's pretty much the extended version of the game, which comes with extra content and extra ending, which creates the bridge to Deathsmiles II story (unfortunately, Deathsmiles II is not available in Steam yet, but, well, at least you'll be able to see its main villain here). MBL version adds a new difficulty level, an extra stage called Ice Palace, a new playable character (an NPC from the original game) and some small gameplay tweaks. And, like the original version, it can be played as both the direct arcade port, a “normal” updated version with better visuals and re-balanced 1.1 edition. That's pretty much it. Steam achievements included, three different soundtracks are available as DLC.

Now, do I recommend this game? Of course, I do! Don't be silly. CAVE Interactive is awesome and what we have here is a pretty impressive release that don't ask extra money for MBL content. The characters and overall design are pretty cool, every character has her own ending (two of them, actually, since you'll have a choice at the end of the game), soundtrack is fantastic, etc. And the actual ports? Those may not be perfect, but they're pretty solid. So, $24.46 for such a cool release with three different soundtracks to enjoy? It sounds like a steal. Deathsmiles is one of those bullet hell games that make you want to return to them again and again. Just because of their charm and their quality. Just keep in mind that the entire bullet hell thing is not for everybody. This kind of games is for people who enjoy building up their skill and re-playing the same levels for the million times. Just because of how satisfying they are. If you don't like dying a lot and trying again, then this game is not for you. But if you enjoy this kind of SHMUPs, then you're in for a treat. Deathsmiles is something every bullet hell fan should have in their library. Let's just hope that they'll release that Christmas-based sequel in Steam one day.

Osku
Osku

Awesome artstyle, great music, nice gameplay. It's like Darius but from Cave! What could go wrong?! Right? Right...

Ok so i would definitely recommend playing this game if you're fine with going the survival route, if you're one of those people who want to do everything at the hardest possible difficulty then this game will be a nightmare for you. In normal mode the shift between LV3 maps to the final Hades Castle level is so big that it's like jumping from one game to an entirely different one. You need to learn mechanics that had literally no relevancy before it and this is just for that one level. This wouldn't be that terrible if the mechanics you have to learn were fun and interesting but the fact is you have to learn how to cancel out suicide bullets with 8 way reversed directional movement when the bullets are completely analogue, and it is not fun to even practice. (IMO) If you're playing at 999 mode in mega black label it's the same kind of inferno from the start but that's on par with Mushihimesama on ultra, which is a ridiculously hard clear most people will never even attempt.

So all in all, i'd recommend getting it especially if you're going for a more casual approach. If not, get prepared for a game that will take you a while.

Cold_Comfort
Cold_Comfort

I said before that Mushihimesama is the best shmup on steam. That was a lie. As of time of writing, I think it's Deathsmiles - if you can stomach the art style. Mega Black Label (MBL) in particular is such an intricately designed game with excellent mechanics, a great difficulty system for newcomers, lots of different characters and ways to play, with one of cave's more unique aesthetics and Manabu Namiki's consistently fantastic music.

I didn't expect to like this shmup nearly as much as I did, and yet the more time i put into it the more I enjoy it's mechanics, strong level design and identity and how it manages difficulty with a cutesy-cheesy art style and great bosses.

egs5000
egs5000

Overall probably my least favorite of the 3 CAVE games on Steam, but still completely worth getting if you're a fan of STG/Shmups. 6 different modes are included with replay saving/upload and leaderboards.

Arthandas
Arthandas

It's a Cave game on Steam, if you like shmups you already have it.

Reisen942
Reisen942

I would recommend Deathsmiles to anyone who is a fan of Japanese shoot em'ups or who are Cave fans also Cave please make Deathsmilles 3 someday.

mettlegear
mettlegear

An absolute blast of a game...if you're remotely interested in shmups, this is a great one to start with, Cave games are special. I absolutely wish they would bring their whole collection to Steam, but people have to show interest and actually buy them for that to happen.

Ojama Lemon
Ojama Lemon

One of the best Bullet Hell games on the market. If you want to get into the genre, this is highly recommended

AlucardTheVampireLord123
AlucardTheVamp…

Thank you Tyrannosatan, a true hero to us all.

PeachTea
PeachTea

One of the classic Shmups. Excellent music, lots of replayability, super fun and challenging.

Gabe Newell's Submissive Shelf
Gabe Newell's …

I bought two copies of this game for twice the lolis at half the age.

frigoffbarb
frigoffbarb

Not a fan of anime or weeb garbage, but this game is a solid bullet hell shooter. Very approachable as a new comer to the genre. Looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.

Hajnal
Hajnal

A testament to Cave's exceptional ability to balance accessibility with an immense rabbit hole to dive down in search of that 1cc.

D-Black Catto
D-Black Catto

Overhyped piece of dated garbage

There are so many better modern bullet hell games than this little abomination, I bet people are only drawn to the "cave" brand or fetishize "muh fast paced" or perhaps are stuck in the world of nostalgia, unable to move on(a very possible option in community as niche as this one)

Leodash
Leodash

I love the gothic theme in this game. Love the soundtrack.

It is said to be the most beginner-friendly among the shoot 'em up games made by Cave. I still need to practice for the last stage though.

All CAVE games should really come up on Steam.

Last note, you can change the keybindings for gameplay, but the keybindings for menu will remain fixed, so I just use AutoHotkey, like so:

#MaxHotkeysPerInterval 150

w::Up
a::Left
s::Down
d::Right

h::z
i::x
u::c
o::v
y::d
j::a
k::s

nikki
nikki

the ultimate (gothic) cute-em-up.

CorvusRex
CorvusRex

I originally purchased Deathsmiles for my Xbox 360 back in 2010. Not gonna lie, it was mainly because of the box art. But what I found was a very challenging and fun bullet hell shooter with a Halloween theme, both of which are right up my alley. The thing I really enjoy is that you can choose your difficulty on the fly from level to level, although the final level is insane no matter what you do. With four (or five, depending on which version you play) different characters with different powers and Familiars, it has a lot of replay value. Extremely casual shooter fans may be turned off by the difficulty, but I think it's really worth giving it a try, especially if you're a fan of spooky themes, Gothic Lolita art styles, and giant telekinetic cows (you'll see...).

HimakaCapersCreator
HimakaCapersCreator

This is a very fun and challenging game.

generał lepper
generał lepper

It's the closest I'll ever get to 1cc'ing a CAVE game

S0/\/0faM0therD|_|c|<
S0/\/0faM0ther…

I don't like the characters and the story gets sillier with each play but holy shit is everything else great!! The bullet patterns are really fun , the enemy designs are creative , scoring mechanics are fun and It lets you choose the difficulty for each stage. I wish the game had more intermediary goals. I beat it once with continues and then kept grinding till I beat it with no continues.

EvilMathemagician
EvilMathemagician

I'm usually not into the cute-em-up games, but Deathsmiles is very well done, as you would expect from shmup master CAVE. Tight controls and beautiful high-res graphics vs. the arcade version. Definitely pick up if you're a shmup fan.

ThreeTwo
ThreeTwo

A fun gothic/horror themed shooter and one of the rare CAVE side scrollers. Easy scoring mechanics and satisfying difficulty system

時結无矢*レトロです*
時結无矢*レトロです*

This game is a Cute shoot em up like touhou and is once of the very few Horizontal Shmups CAVE interactive have ever made. I really like some of the Character designs too and the shot types feel very satisfying to play as well. Also the aesthetic for this game seem to be Metal or Gothic kind of like the EXCEED games which I do kind of like as well. I don't Like or Hate anything about the Gothic or Metal themes but Deathsmiles have pulled it off very well.

If you buy this then you will have Black Label and 1.1 versions along with the normal and Arcade mode as well which I do love when Shmups have "Buy 1, get All modes" type of deals, I mean I think it is a very Amazing thing to have all the Modes packed into 1 game. I'm happy more and more games are doing that nowadays and I'm proud of CAVE for doing that.

I don't know what else to say but Gameplay Wise I tend to like 1.1 better since you can Use your Power boost/Hyper more often but the Original modes are still fun as well, it isn't your typical shmup either as you can take different routes as well and it doesn't auto scroll to the Next stage so you have time to relax until the timer ends.

Starbug
Starbug

This is an extremely well crafted and very accessible bullet hell shooter title. It's a Cave game. For those reading who don't know who they are, they're a seriously respected - bordering on revered - company within the genre. Thus far there are only three Cave titles on steam. This, Dodonpachi and Mushihimesama. I do think that Mushi is the greatest of them all, and one of the best shmups ever devised. However, Deathsmiles is also really, really great too. More enjoyable than Dodonpachi's identikit military industrial complex backdrops - in my not-at-all humble opinion.

Unlike Mushihimesama and many of the other bullet hell titles available on PC, Deathsmiles is a predominantly horizontally scrolling game. Having grown up on a coin-gulping diet of R-type and the like, I really like this style. It also allows for more screen real estate when compared to the narrow display mode found in vertical scrolling bullet hell games.

You have four (five in the MBL mode) characters to choose from. Each play slightly differently based upon their shooting pattern and accompanying familiar. Unlike many other shmups you are able to mix up your path through the levels enroute to the final boss. This adds a nice dollop of strategy as to how you progress. Perhaps you want to play the trickier levels first to get them out of the way. Or maybe the opposite. Regardless of your path through the game, you'll still curse at the difficulty spike on the final castle level. The spinning dancing couples in the ballroom get me every bloody time.

I feel like it's worth trying to explain away the distasteful Gothic Lolita character art and deeply creepy backstory (abducted / presumed molested and murdered young girls go to a fantasy land to become witches) as being an idiosyncratic Japanese thing.. This is the only game I own which makes me feel self conscious about what people might think upon seeing me play a game with Loli art. In any case it's the core mechanics and superbly designed scoring system that override any such fears of being labeled as a creepy weirdo. I just can't afford to care about that when the game's just so damn good. Oh, yea, and it scores extra points for having toccata and fugue by JS Bach blast out during the final battle.

If you skim read this, you're a lazy person, but the take away is that this is one of the greatest bullet hell games, by one of the greatest shmup development studios.

Mr. Nobody
Mr. Nobody

This is a great game to play on Halloween. Looking forward to Deathsmiles I and II.

ma cherie
ma cherie

https://youtu.be/nY__ZVktwic

⠀♫ For Lost and Beloved Souls ♫⠀

───────⚪───────────────────────

⠀▐▐ ⠀►▏ ⠀⠀──○─ 🔊 ⠀₁:₂₅ / ₃:₅₀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ᴴᴰ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

nekovenom
nekovenom

this has been one of my favorite game devs since i was 11, i used to play the lite version of this on my iPad in like 2011. i remembered it existed a few days ago and i'm so very pleased to say that the game is just as fun as i recalled. i love bullet hell type games and this is a massive wave of nostalgia i desperately needed. it's pretty computer heavy and sometimes slows down even my gaming laptop, especially when more bullets are onscreen, but it is SO worth some lag for the beautiful artstyle, perfect soundtrack, and nostalgic feel!

Mike Brown
Mike Brown

I Can't Believe It's Not Touhou!

Moodoon
Moodoon

This has to be one of the most stylish shmups I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Give it a look if you're a fan of the genre!

Diffrent
Diffrent

feels a little weird to play as all these 14 year olds, but the game itself is great...

milotac
milotac

I really dig the halloween gothic style this game has which sets it apart from other shooters. CAVE bullet hell shooters are for the hardcore but Deathsmile's difficulty is very approachable. This game is recommended for players for those who are being introduced to CAVE games and are beginners to the bullet hell genre. The only parts I don't like are the loli characters especially the dialogue that some characters say. However, it isn't enough for me to dismiss the game because their presence complements its unique art style.

Dr. Shenanigans
Dr. Shenanigans

TVtropes was like "Deathsmiles is a bullet hell shoot em up, but it's got fetishized girls and is extremely hard so it alienates audiences,"

What?

I found this game back in 2011 thanks to youtube and wanted to play it because the music was banger as f*ck. The gameplay is fun too, it's just hard, really f*cking hard.

Live-action television puts kids in worse outfits and situations than deathsmiles does.

Rizu リズ
Rizu リズ

For your information, press '1' on the keyboard to get to the menu and start a game once you select a game mode (MBL, Arcade, etc...)... This bugged me so much until I figured it out... Game is fun but difficult. Don't be scared to use continues because you will. There are multiple game modes so it can get a little confusing so look out for a guide to decipher them. The scoring system is complicated but you don't have to worry about it if you play casually like I do. I hope one day Cave will get Deathsmiles II to Steam...

Big Bubba Hutchison
Big Bubba Hutchison

this game is insane but in the best way possible. quite difficult, but if you're bad at video games like me you can probably still enjoy it since there's infinite continues. even if you don't really play bullet hell games, i think you could like this just for how crazy the experience is. cool game, give it a shot

lesbian carwasher
lesbian carwasher

This game is so much fun I used to play it on the xbox 360

Duke Togo
Duke Togo

This is a very beginner friendly shmup. The scoring system is sort of weird and counter-intuitive, but it has some nice depth. However, playing to survive and clear the game is very straightforward and not too hard.

Here's a great feature: You can pick the stage order of the various stages and set the difficulty per level. This adds another layer of strategy and difficulty control that I like.

The Mega Black Label version (included with the original version) is much more fun. The characters are better balanced and your weapons feel more powerful. I would recommend playing that mode.

The loli artwork in this game is really uncomfortable though. If you can't stomach that, this isn't a good game for you.

Cloud Man
Cloud Man

Terrific, the best horizontal bullet hell i've played so far

Gildfried G. Rittz
Gildfried G. Rittz

What an amazing bullet-hell game, never played it on Xbox but this version is simply amazing for a game in this style, the overall graphics with 3D models looks a bit old as expected but the gameplay is in the classic challenging touhou way, the gothic themes fit really well with the world and the OST ! Some bosses goes from terryfing Like freaking Buried Man to downright hilarious Like the Cow.... A COW!? The characters are really cute and i loved pretty much all of them ones more than other, my favorite both in gameplay (For the damage) and in personality is Casper with her random german words all the time Her "Go back home Ending" is really scary tho I was not expecting it since i played her story after all the others with all being heartwarming "Going back to a lovely family" In the end is a good "touhou game" that didn't aged that well in graphics and effects but is a really good game for both PROs in Bullet-hell games and people new in it. Highly Recommended!

ADHD1986
ADHD1986

I despise "japanese goth lolita anime waifu" stuff or whatever this is supposed to be, but I love bullet hell shmups/STG, and I love CAVE. This one is a bit weird. I didn't like it very much at all until I figured out the scoring mechanics. Now I get it. On Steam I'd still recommend Mushihimesama or Dodonpachi Resurrection over this first, but this isn't bad.

david140371
david140371

One of the most fun bullet hell shoot em ups. It is expensive, but if that's alright its good.

derole
derole

To start off, deathsmiles is definitely one of the more beginner friendly shmups, so if youre just starting out playing cave titles (or shmups in general) you cant really go wrong.

Gameplay wise its very solid (as most cave titles are). The game has a very gothic style to it which may not be for everyone. Has what is (in my opinion) a memorable soundtrack and the levels are fairly diverse. Playing this for the first time the walls that are in the foreground can be confusing at first, since coming from shmups like touhou you expect stuff in the background to not have collision, definitely something to watch out for.

Also a very good shmup if you dont have a vertical monitor and dont want a letterboxed image (no one likes to tate a monitor, especially if its a CRT). Well that is unless youre a lucky bastard with a rotating LCD.

One criticism I do have is this game has a fairly steep difficulty curve towards the end of the game, while it isnt overly drastic it will absolutely murder any beginners who manage to make it anywhere near the final stages, also there seems to be an added type of bullet that is not present in the arcade version (at least on the default arcade difficulty). This does add a slight bit more challenge, however seems to be offset by the fact that some of the boss characters have FAR less health than in the arcade ver.

Overall I really enjoy the game, while there are some small complaints (especially the final stages which have the horrible difficulty curve) its a very solid shmup. Espgaluda (while not on steam sadly) is another very solid choice for beginners and also is pretty beginner friendly.

StoppedRockect (Offline)
StoppedRockect…

Fun little Shmup with a BANGER soundtrack. It's gonna be alot of trial and error as well as memorization if you're new to the shoot'em up genre.

If you wait for a sale to happen or willing to spend get the soundtrack. Or just look up the music out online.

Fluffy Wuffy
Fluffy Wuffy

I am just happy that it is now possible to own a legal copy of the game on PC.

It's a great game that I really enjoy playing.

clavichord
clavichord

So this is my first CAVE shmup.

Awesome game. Touhou meets Castlevania!
Did my first proper 1CC playthrough after ~30 hours.
I liked Mega Black Label better than the original version.
I know that some hardcore players prefer the original because of the scoring system, but I'm a "Normal 1cc" guy, and for me the MBL seems more balanced and has a better difficulty curve.

A few minor complaints, though.
First, I wish this game had a proper manual. There are many unobvious mechanics that are important even for a regular 1cc. And second, some nuances give away lazy porting. Like, the options menu in the training mode with settings seemingly taken from another game. Or the fact that you can't start training from the ballroom scene, but you can restart it.

Overall, great game.

specularr
specularr

Horizontal shooter with a fantasy theme by legendary developer CAVE. Tight controls. Intense bullet patterns. Familiar and focus mechanics. Beautiful presentation, graphics and audio. Go practice.

Listed on the Shoot 'em up Database

Crypt Kiddie
Crypt Kiddie

The visuals, music, and gameplay are all top notch. Very good horizontal shmup.

Caps_Lock420
Caps_Lock420

I'm fairly new to the genre so I cant go to in-depth, but I do find this game very enjoyable.

FrozenLionheart
FrozenLionheart

One of the most challenging bullet hell games I have played with a great atmosphere and soundtrack, truly wish the series had continued past 2 which I can't wait to play in the collections coming for consoles and hopefully to steam too.

Turbokiller
Turbokiller

Great gameplay and music with a really cool style.
But getting rewarding with naked children isn't what I signed up for.

vinagre
vinagre

flat girls, bullet hell, there's a giant cow. 10/10

play touhou

-Walker-
-Walker-

Played for years on XB360.

Deathsmiles is the actual most beginner friendly CAVE shmup. I don't know where people get Mushihimesama from.
If you want to get into CAVE games, this is where you start.

Shmups usually fall into two categories, made for all gamers, and made for shmup players. This one does a really elegant job of bringing those together with a unique style, memorable music, bosses and level design.

dogs beat me in sports
dogs beat me i…

Vote this up if yuou think lolicons are the scum of the earth i should have just pirated this im sorry please forgive me it is fun though

Nebiros
Nebiros

Good bullet hell game with a great soundtrack, some levels may feel a bit short.

Big Jim Montana
Big Jim Montana

Best. Shooter. Ever.

At least in my opinion. The graphics are gorgeous, the game play is great and it allows for any level of difficulty you want from credit-feed just to see the story to "How is a human being supposed to beat this?". Speaking for story it has a very solid story line who plot threads entwine with all 5 of its total characters across 11 total endings (Two for each character including one character with a secret ending that must be unlocked in a very novel way.).

The world map is quite large with alternate paths to take that can have varying effects on the difficulty (Which can also be selected on a per world basis, resulting in not only harder enemies and bosses but cosmetic changes in the world itself.).

There are also plenty of modes, leader boards and settings to customize your game play experience to be as challenging or easy as you want.

There is a lot to see and do here and thats not even getting into achievements. There is a lot of replayabilitiy in this shmup before you ever get into simply chasing high scores.

Its not just a great shooter, its a great game. If you are into shmups, this is easily a must have. Even if you arent, its worth a try for the story alone (Which isnt gated behind difficulty, so dont worry.).

10/10

GunToPa
GunToPa

Perfection incarnate, Cave games on Steam only need a scanlines filtrer and then I can die happy.

Rain
Rain

Played this quite a bit back in the day on Xbox 360. It still slaps and I'm still trash at it. Regardless, I definitely recommend it if you like arcade shooters. I just wish Cave would make the rest of their games available on Steam.

Elephoont
Elephoont

My favorite horizontal bullet hell.

ANF
ANF

A fantastic side scroller shmup. A truly great game with fun patterns, bosses and score system. The intense enemy layout with it's crowd-controlling playstyle make up for a dynamic gameplay, specially in late levels. This is a very beginner-friendly game too for people who want to get into shmups.

Visuals are great and music fits the mood really well.

There are various modes and arrangements so you can choose which one you like the most, nothing to complain about variety.

There's nothing to complain about this game at all, the only considerable problem is that the slowdowns aren't perfect. Sometimes the game doesn't slowdown properly and you take a bath in fast and dense danmaku, which is sometimes undodgeable.

hevy
hevy

Incredibly fun Shmup/Bullet Hell

Midnightkitty
Midnightkitty

Great Art, interesting story, cute characters, unusual Bosses, and full controller support.
It's a beautifully - made, fun little side - scrolling, bullet - hell shmup.
Demons have invaded the world with the help of a corrupted Magician who opened a portal for them.
It's up to you and your friends to close that portal and stop him.

ryan
ryan

Overall very happy with my purchase.

Gauss
Gauss

So SO good.

Fantastic OST, art and gameplay. New to SHMUPS, and this is one of the first I've gotten into, along with Mushihimesama and Dodonpachi Resurrection. So far, Deathsmiles is easily my favorite.

Phalange
Phalange

A mad japanese SHMUP, mad, rad and very hard. It only becomes harder as you decide to increase the difficulty though and I like very much how new mechanics are added up as you go for higher difficulty.

Luke :)
Luke :)

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Cuddles Arcade
Cuddles Arcade

The reason I spent $150 on a SANWA arcade stick. CAVE makes the best shmups.
S-tier shmup

LavaCromlech
LavaCromlech

Just did my first simple 1CC (using MBL Normal), I bought this before I saw that Deathsmiles I・II was a thing upcoming to Steam. I like lolis that shoot boolets. 10/10.

Kill trolls
Kill trolls

I don't understand...should i refund this and buy the Deathsmiles 1+2 from 2022/6/22 instead? I don't want to pay extra just for one more same extra game. I guess i have to put NOT recommend one this one AND tell people to purchase the 1+2 bundle instead? I don't know whose fault is this but probably Steam's fault for not checking things clear.