Cotton 100%

Cotton 100% is the traditional horizontal shooter that was originally released on the Super Famicom. This was a direct sequel to the original game. The series is built around the mechanic of gems to power-up shots. There are also magic elemental attacks. These can now be swapped at any time allowing for more diverse game play outside of the standard shooting. This port has all the menus in English, but everything else is in Japanese. All of these ports are just that. The only work is done in converting the menus and adding a few features here and there, but they are basically just ports onto new consoles.

Cotton 100% is alright. It’s a fun romp, but when put up against most modern shooters, and practically every other Cotton game released this year, it just feels a bit lacking. The existence of Cotton Reboot really invalidates this game’s whole shtick, and the fairly basic gameplay has since been expanded upon in games like Cotton 2. It’s not bad, it’s just there – it exists.

Cotton 100% doesn’t do a lot to stand out so you could probably pass up this cute ‘em up. I’m glad that it got a western release finally though and some of the extra features do make it a bit easier. If you’re a huge Cotton fan then you’ll enjoy it but otherwise you aren’t missing much.

As someone that really enjoyed Cotton Reboot, Cotton 100% is quite the downgrade even given its age. Too easy, too simplistic, a bare minimum port – it’s an average shooter at best.

Märchen Adventure Cotton 100% tells the story of Nata de Cotton who comes across Silk, a fairy who’s looking for help as the world fell into darkness. At first, our little heroine is uninterested in helping the fairy in need until Silk tells her that giant Willows, Cotton’s favourite candy, is waiting for her at the other end of the darkness. Without hesitation, Cotton changes her tune and she sets out along Silk to find the cause of the darkness.

A solid port of an important game in the series. It's just a shame that it's not that interesting mechanically. Still, it's a fun time and the quality of life additions make it a lot more approachable to newcomers.

The run time will likely be cause for complaint for some people – Cotton 100%. But this is an arcade-style game through and through, and it’s entertaining no matter how many times it’s replayed. And since the cartridge would normally be a rare import that would fetch a hefty price, it’s a wonderful gesture to have them readily available as a digital download. For fans of SHMUPs, both Cotton 100% is a must buy – it’s an absolute standout in its genre which would appeal to old and new fans alike.

Cotton 100% is a fantastically fun game. The stages are way too short, though, and that's a drag given the $14.99 price tag. But is its price a show stopper? That's up to you, the consumer. Still, Cotton 100% is silly, entertaining, and gives a decent challenge to beat.

This new version of Cotton 100% brings us this curious and valued cute 'em up from Super Famicom to the West 27 years after its original release. This is a perfect opportunity to get to know the franchise of the witch Nata de Cotton and her companion the fairy Silk with the second installment of the series. We only have to regret that this review is so sparse of news, extras or additional content.

For a console shmup from 1994, Cotton 100% has held up exceptionally well with its distinct style and enjoyable magic-based gameplay.