got my copy yesterday and i'm really enjoying this game. maybe it's the shmupper in me, but everything about this game just feels right. not at first though, the controls took some getting used to, especially understanding the rate of fire for the main weapon in addition to getting the right angle to hit your opponent. the B.O.S.S. feature is ace, never thought i'd be able to play the role of a shmup mini-boss. cool shit. what's up with the close attacks having no sound? that was a bit weird and takes away from the impact of close encounters.
using your barrier is a bitch, it slows you down way too much and drains your "defense" meter too fast, so i highly recommend just learning to dodge. the game is pretty easy to beat in story mode, but at least you get achievements for using each selectable mech. i kinda wish there were more non one-on-one levels, but it was a nice addition to throw that into the mix.
overall, if you're not a big shmup fan, the price of admission is probably not worth it (i got mine discounted)... and the learning curve is pretty high. i can see a lot of people getting pretty frustrated if they're impatient and unwilling to understand how the game works. i'm pretty happy with it though.
