TENGAI for Nintendo Switch
Top Critic Average
Critic Reviews for TENGAI for Nintendo Switch
Tengai is part of a distinguished niche shmup pantheon we like to refer to as the 'flying-person shooter'. It sits comfortably on top of other great examples of the genre such as Forgotten Worlds, Space Harrier, Lords of Thunder, Cho Aniki and Gynoug (aka Wings of Wor). It's not only one of the finest shmups developed by Psikyo during its active years, but an absurd luxury to have it at this very sensible price. It offers an arcade perfect, single- or two-player horizontal scrolling shmup that still manages to not only pack a punch and a challenge but make current age efforts looks dull by comparison.
Tengai is a simple shooter with a lot of charm. The gameplay, while nothing special, is perfectly serviceable. And with twenty-plus endings, adjustable difficulty, as well as multiple fun and colorful characters, there's a lot of incentive to keep coming back after each playthrough.
Tengai is a worthwhile successor to Samurai Aces and is decent enough for any shoot 'em up fan to happily add it to their digital collection.
Overall, if you’re into shooters of any kind, Tengai is a no-brainer. After a good, but slightly different Sol Divide release last week, this one brings the classic Psikyo back and the horizontal perspective adds a nice twist from what we’re used to. It’s easily one of their top tier games in my opinion, with the only sour note being the indiscernible hit boxes for your characters. It has amazing rollercoaster visuals, an excellent pumping traditional Japanese soundtrack and a lot of personality. It’s cheap and endlessly replayable if you’re into that and it’s a great addition to your Switch shooter library. For me, Tengai is up there with the best Psikyo have to offer along with Gunbird and Zero Gunner 2.
