Developer: Cat Hui Trading LLC Publisher: Amata K.K. Release: 08/05/26 Genre: Shooter Also on: NES, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, PlayStation 5
The video game industry has an over fifty year history at this point. While many of its earliest developers and pioneers have either retired or passed away many are still here creating excellent new titles using their decades of expertise. One of the more interesting phenomena has been seeing these designers revisit the consoles they cut their teeth on using modern development tools and knowledge. Ancient delivered with the phenomenal Earthion last year. Changeable Guardian Estique is one such title that pushes the NES harder than thought possible to deliver one of its best shooters. And now it is available on more platforms to show what the little grey box was capable of.
In the year 2143 the Space Pirates Van de Raus invade Earth. They completely destabilize the planet by taking over its five major economic cities. The denizens of the nearby friendly planet Petelgeuse view this situation as critical and dispatch the robot Estique and its two pilots to help save the Earth.
The console and PC releases of Changeable Guardian Estique come with both the Famicom and NES releases of the game. The story is slightly different in both versions and there is some light censorship too. This mirrors the common localization practices of the time, down to the English version featuring Engrish. Otherwise both games are the same gameplay wise.
Right away Changeable Guardian Estique will impress visually. Both technically and artistically the game is stunning. Smart use of the system’s color palette gives off the impression of more than 16 colors on screen like Kirby’s Adventure. The level of detail in each of the game’s distinct cities is downright shocking. Its massive screen filling bosses look like they should not be possible on the hardware yet here they are. The only thing missing is parallax scrolling. But even more impressive than its artistic prowess is the game’s technical performance. The game throws around a ton of sprites; only Recca has more. Yet it never, ever slows down and has only the barest bit of sprite flickering. This is what the work of veterans who know the hardware inside and out can accomplish. It also has the gameplay to back it up.
Changeable Guardian Estique puts you in control of a transforming ship that can switch forms to deal with different benefits. In ship form you are a smaller target. Mecha form is a larger target but makes it up for it in different ways. Your primary attack is stronger and your shields recharge faster. You can also collide with walls and scenery and take no damage. But there are few instances where this is even necessary. Each form also has a super attack of which you have limited stock. The ship gains super rapid fire for a few seconds while the mecha throws a big wave that crushes anything in its path.
Unlike most shooters Estique only has two weapons. B.I.T. is a rotating barrier that protects from hits and can block bullets. However its main shot is weak. Wave is a three-directional shot that is more powerful. You have a stock of six super attacks which you would think should be held in reserve. The game wants you to use them frequently. Not just because collecting a weapon power-up replenishes a stock but also its side benefit. Enemies destroyed by a special attack grant more points. Every 80 points spawns a cat like Maruino that both fully restores your shield and also a number of super attacks. Exploiting this system is key to finishing the game.
I will admit to some disappoint that there are so few weapons. As someone who cut their teeth on Compile and Konami shooters I am used to an extravagant assortment of weapons for variety in my shooters. The two options here alongside the special attack system are functional but boring. There is a missed opportunity to do more with the different forms. That being said the game’s pacing and action make up for it.
The Estique’s ability to change forms is more than just a gimmick. It is the game’s whole identity. The game is designed around the different forms provide and their capabilities. This means successful play is not becoming attached to one form. Switching forms at the appropriate moment is an important part of surviving tougher sections. This gives the game a welcome strategic element. Different abilities work better on particular enemies. Balancing the fact you are a large target in mech form with the need for shield recovery. You will also want to exploit its special attack for scoring to also restore health. The pacing of the levels is near perfect in my eyes. The waves are never over bearing, the levels do not drag as they feature a lot of variety and the bosses perfectly cap each stage. In fact the difficulty is a point of contention surprisingly.
Estique has three difficulty settings however their names are misleading. Normal should instead be easy. Not that I would consider myself an expert at shooters but I do have a high level of skill at this point and I found the game extremely easy. The pacing is near perfect and the shield system is accommodating. Raising it to hard is closer to what normal should be. There are more bullets, the enemies are more aggressive and you will have to make judicious use of form switching to recover health. With less super weapon stock you cannot spam your way through the game. I enjoyed this setting the most and feel it is what the game should default to. I only briefly tried the unlockable God of Game mode. Here you take double damage and receive fewer special weapons. This is the challenge the diehard fans of the genre will seek.
In Closing
Changeable Guardian Estique is a showcase of what institutional knowledge and modern tools can accomplish on an old platform. Its transformation mechanic provides a unique hook, while the anime presentation and good soundtrack give the game plenty of personality. While it is evocative of classic shooters it is more accessible and a great entry point for newcomers to the genre.
