Vasara Collection

 Switch
Vasara Collection Image
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

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  • Summary: For the very first time, highly acclaimed Japanese Arcade Shoot’em Ups, Vasara and Vasara 2, are made available to the whole world via this package: VASARA Collection. Science Fiction meets History in these arcade classics which take place in an alternate timelime Feudal Japan whereFor the very first time, highly acclaimed Japanese Arcade Shoot’em Ups, Vasara and Vasara 2, are made available to the whole world via this package: VASARA Collection. Science Fiction meets History in these arcade classics which take place in an alternate timelime Feudal Japan where technologically advanced weaponry and equipment are a reality, and heroes use flying motorcycles with amazing firepower and fierce melee weapons to destroy their enemies. … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Switch Brasil
    Oct 19, 2019
    90
    VASARA Collection is an amazing SHMUP and it went far beyond my expectations. I already consider it an essential game on Switch for those who like the genre, those who like games-to-pass-the-time and for those who want something to play on the go. A game previously unknown to me, but found a place in my heart thanks to the great work of QUByte.
  2. Nintendo Life
    Aug 15, 2019
    80
    Vasara Collection jumps from obscurity into the top tier of bullet hells on the Switch by offering both original brilliant titles without any technical hiccups and supporting the ever popular TATE option along with a whole new game that proves to be one of the few proper four-player options of the genre on the system. The zany characters and plot just make things sweeter, and make up for the somewhat derivative origin of the series. Considering the relative obscurity of the original releases, for a reasonable asking price you might just end up with three quality, 'brand new' manic shooters in your collection.
  3. Pure Nintendo
    Sep 9, 2019
    80
    All things considered, there is nothing that really negativity impacts these three games to a great degree. They have hours of solid gameplay, challenge, and fun made even better by VASARA 3’s four-player co-op. Having one great shooter is cool, having three in one bundle is epic. I tip my hat to the developers and publishers for some great arcade ports For genre fans, these make very good additions to the Switch’s library.
  4. NintendoWorldReport
    Aug 30, 2019
    75
    For the high-score chasers and shoot em’ up fans among us, VASARA Collection delivers a classic experience with some cool features. The customization could definitely be stronger, and the delay on the basic melee attack makes it frustrating to use, but the overall package is pretty compelling. As yet another example of older and possibly forgotten titles getting a second chance on a modern platform, the three Vasara games represent a worthwhile investment, even if they aren’t at the top of their class.
  5. Switch Player
    Aug 19, 2019
    70
    The VASARA Collection allows for a kind of time travel back to the golden age of the shoot-em-up genre. The quality of the package is inconsistent overall, but it still delivers a solid experience for the fans.
  6. Screen Rant
    Sep 1, 2019
    60
    Vasara Collection may demand superhuman reflexes and Gandhi-level patience, but they remain a thrill to play almost two decades later. This bundle stands as an welcomed piece of long lost arcade history and a reminder that Vasara’s name probably deserves as much lip service as its more popular contemporaries.
  7. Cubed3
    Oct 16, 2019
    60
    Baffling leaderboard support, lack of remapping, and wonky "Timeless" mode aside, the Vasara Collection is sure to find a home with any fan of arcade classics. The Vasara series, though short-lived, offers a unique blend of STG action and close-quarters mayhem. They certainly aren't a walk in the park. It'll take weeks of constant practice to clear them without continuing. The scoring systems are compelling, and there's a plenty of enjoyment in slashing everything in sight. Give this collection a shot sometime.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. SnappyGR
    Sep 17, 2019
    8
    Snappy Game Reviews - Timeless collection

    As a huge fan of the genre, I’m always happy when a new shoot-em-up (SHMUP) gets released    Snappy Game Reviews - Timeless collection

    As a huge fan of the genre, I’m always happy when a new shoot-em-up (SHMUP) gets released nowadays. There used to be a ton of them back in the good old days but sadly that’s not the case anymore. We have to look back to the end of this golden age to find a pair of rare Japanese arcade exclusives developed by VISCO Corporation known as VASARA and VASARA 2. These two SHMUP’s that came out in the late ’90s and early 2000s are known as the swansong of the company and had never made its way out of Japan, until now. QUByte Interactive decided to bring these two cult classics to the modern age together with a couple of extras like a new game mode and online leaderboards in the VASARA Collection.

    The action takes place in feudal japan with characters based on real historical figures but in all honesty, you don’t need a detailed background story to any of what’s going on to enjoy either VASARA game. All you need to know is that you get to choose one of a few warriors, each with different stats, and you get to fly around in a flying hoverboard with all kinds of weaponry to take down everyone that dares to oppose you. You get to pick either of the two games from a straightforward menu system. After making your selection, you can tweak the settings of the game itself, such as the difficulty and the number of lives or even toggle the screen filter. There’s also the option to play either of the two classics in TATE mode which is the preferred way to to it, at least on the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode.

    The original VASARA has three characters which are your usual balance, speed and heavy types that you would usually find in arcade beat em ups. Through its 6 stages, you fly around while taking down enemy soldiers, mounted cannons and giant mechs. The rate at which things come flying towards you is pretty insane even on the lower difficulty level and at times you’ll have to rely on bombs to clear out the screen. The other way to clear oncoming fire is by using your sword, this can be done by holding down the fire button and releasing it at the right time. This mechanic is essential to survive and to also build your score as you’ll get a score multiplier for each enemy that you strike down at once. By collecting diamonds that fly around the screen as things blow up you’ll build a vasara gauge, once it’s full you’ll get a supercharged sword attack that trashes everything on the screen.

    VASARA 2 is more of the same but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The sequel bolsters a slightly larger cast of playable characters and two game modes, one of which doubles the number of stages present in the previous entry. Gameplay-wise it’s pretty much identical, you still collect power-ups to boost your attack power and pick up diamonds to build your vasara gauge, or should I say gauges. Yes, there’s three of these now and there aren’t any bombs to save you this time around. This makes the gameplay even more intense as there’s a bigger emphasis on collecting diamonds than before, adding to this the bigger cast and larger number of stages makes VASARA 2 the better game in my opinion.

    As for the new game mode, VASARA Timeless features procedurally generated stages where up to four players can aim for a high score that utilizes a slick 3D engine to spruce up certain elements from both VASARA games such as characters and bosses. Seeing that there are no continues in this game mode, it makes sense for the difficulty to be toned down but since every stage is procedurally generated there really isn’t anything really exciting going on at any given time.

    VASARA Collection is a true love letter that brings two cult classic SHMUP’s to the west with all the bells and whistles you’d expect while also adding a brand new game mode and online leaderboards. Even though VASARA Timeless didn’t manage to grab my attention for more than a few minutes, I still find that this package has great value to fans of the genre and people looking to discover more about what made old school SHMUP’s so great.    … Expand

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