Deathsmiles II

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Deathsmiles II: Makai no Merry Christmas is a 2009 bullet-hell shooter from Cave. It is the third Cave shoot-’em-up designed for a horizontally oriented monitor, after Progear and the original Deathsmiles. It is also the first Cave arcade game to use polygon graphics instead of traditional sprites.

In Deathsmiles II, players choose a character with a magical weapon and move through levels filled with enemies and obstacles. Several characters are available, each with unique abilities. Players can collect power-ups to improve their attacks and defenses. There is a harder mode called Mega Black Label that adds new levels and challenges.

The game was ported to Xbox 360 in 2010 with extra modes, available in regular and limited editions (the latter included a soundtrack CD). A compilation of Deathsmiles I and II came to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in Japan in December 2021, and later released for Microsoft Windows worldwide in June 2022.

In Japan, 16,112 copies were sold in the first week. A platinum edition followed in 2011. The unlocalized Japanese release appeared on the US Xbox 360 Games on Demand store in 2011. Critics noted that the console-origin mode felt different from the arcade, offering a fresh experience, and praised the visuals and new characters. GamesRadar gave the Xbox 360 release 3.5 out of 5, calling Deathsmiles II one of the better shooters in the Western market.