Video Game Review: Cotton Fantasy

Developer: Success

Publisher: ININ Games

Genre: Shoot ‘Em Up

Reviewed For: Nintendo Switch

Also Available On: PlayStation 4

Last year, publisher ININ Games brought Cotton Reboot to the Nintendo Switch, giving a new generation of gamers (Including myself) to the world of Cotton. The “cute ‘em Up” series has since had multiple releases on the Switch, though all of them have been remakes or ports of older games, essentially catching up new players with the series. Now, Cotton Fantasy is here, but for the first time, this is a completely new entry on the Nintendo Switch.

Anyone familiar with classic shoot ‘em up games will be able to comfortably play Cotton Fantasy. Sure, it’s a lot more colorful than other games in the genre, but the cute anime aesthetics allow it to stand out on its own without compromising its integrity with gameplay gimmicks. Cotton Fantasy is a shoot ‘em up that pays respect to both the franchise and genre’s roots, while also doing enough to make it fit into 2022. 

There aren’t a lot of modes to play in Cotton Fantasy but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot to do. Cotton Fantasy learns from everything that made the previous games enjoyable, and either borrowed mechanics or fine-tuned what was already there. The end-result is a game that might not look like it has a lot of depth, but is full of tight mechanics and many ways to approach a level.

There is plenty of visual variety that lends itself to gameplay variety. Players will get to go through both 2D and 3D sequences, forcing players to adjust to the new perspective. It doesn’t feel gimmicky, and overall feels much better to play with than Panorama Cotton did. There are also multiple characters to select that offer new bullet patterns and scoring mechanisms. The end result is a game with tons of options, even if it isn’t full of modes. 

Like the rest of the Cotton series, Cotton Fantasy is challenging for experienced players when it comes to high scores, but accessible to beginners. The gameplay design is fair and doesn’t rely on filling the screen up with malicious dots of energies. Anyone can jump into Cotton Fantasy and work their way through the game’s story, even if it comes with a bit of challenge. 

Visually, Cotton Fantasy moves away from sprites towards 3D models. I find myself missing the classic style, but the new visuals certainly don’t look bad. They are still bright and cheery and are full of personality. The models might not be too detailed, but they are at least crisp and clean.