Infinite Burst beefs up Bullet Soul with a wild new mode and special care for extreme scoring. Short, dense, built for hardcore arcade play, and the snappy chiptune score is a perfect fit for the action.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Description
Vertical shoot-em-up by 5pb, Japan April 2014. Enriched Bullet Soul version adding new modes and extra content for fans of the original game. Advanced scoring based on enemy bullet absorption, new enemies and levels, playable characters and new challenges. Definitive Bullet Soul shoot-em-up version for Xbox 360.
Bullet Soul - Infinite Burst review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
The expanded edition pushes the dial toward visual absurdity: a dedicated mode multiplies the enemies until silhouettes saturate the screen, and chain explosions cover the background with white blossoms that vanish in a fraction of a second. Where the original cultivated restraint, this version embraces excess as a comic effect as much as a trial.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A richer extension of its predecessor, this version adds characters and modes while raising bullet density. Mastering shot and bomb, chaining destructions and reading tighter patterns become the key to the score. Fast and demanding without tipping into unfairness, it speaks to genre regulars eager to push their grasp of the system further.
Lifespan
"Very short"
Futuristic ships under a deluge of bullets, this 5pb and Cave vertical shooter banks on absorbing fire to charge its special attacks. Its run wraps fast, but the advanced scoring and reading the chaos make it a performance ground. The short length extends into the hunt for the perfect run and pattern mastery, well beyond a single crossing.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Bullet Soul Infinite Burst, a Japanese 5pb. sequel that pushes the shoot 'em up's density and scoring further, pressed in low volume for a specialist audience. Its desirability rests on this de facto exclusivity, a real physical scarcity and the tenacious demand of Japanese arcade-shooting fans rather than wide distribution. A coveted piece for a sharp shmup set on the console.
Is Bullet Soul - Infinite Burst still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2012 on Xbox 360, this expanded version of Bullet Soul by 5pb. enriches the original vertical shoot them up with new modes and scoring focused tweaks. The arcade spirit remains, with nervy shooting, readable bullet clouds and a sustained pace that rewards memorising patterns. The additions deepen replay value without distorting the formula. The presentation stays sober and the length short, faithful to the genre. For shmup devotees and score chasing fans, this fleshed out edition is the best way to discover Bullet Soul on the console today.
