Deathsmiles II X - Makai no Merry Christmas (Japan)
Xbox 360
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 2010
78
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✪ Reviewed on January 12, 2023
72
Makai no Merry Christmas pushes Deathsmiles further with a deliciously demonic Christmas theme and a refined scoring system. Busier visually, perfect for fans of stylish horizontal manic shooting.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Description
Vertical shoot-em-up by Cave, Japan May 2010. Deathsmiles sequel extending Windia's universe with an additional Christmas storyline. New zones, new playable characters and advanced scoring mechanics from the Deathsmiles series. Japan-only Xbox 360 version in the dark Deathsmiles II universe.
Deathsmiles II X - Makai no Merry Christmas review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A 3D sequel with an offbeat Christmas theme, it keeps the two-way fire while thickening the assaults and refining the scoring. Covering both flanks, memorizing the waves and exploiting the combo system outweigh mere dodging. Denser than its predecessor, it rewards perseverance and satisfies fans of Cave danmaku seeking depth.
Lifespan
"Very short"
Extending Windia's universe with a Christmas-themed chapter, this Cave sequel adds zones and characters while keeping its compact format: a run wraps fast. Its brevity feeds the scoring and repeated attempts, the studio's hallmark. You return for the new festive settings, the new characters and pattern mastery, more than for length.
Technical info
💾6,7 GB📅27/05/2010
Published by Cave
Deathsmiles II X - Makai no Merry Christmas (Xbox 360) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The Japanese version of Deathsmiles II X - Makai no Merry Christmas, an enriched take on Cave's gothic shoot 'em up on a demonic Christmas theme, with refined scoring. Cave's bullet hells form a much-prized collecting segment, and their small-run Japanese 360 editions have become sought-after pieces. Desirability rests on the cult aura of Cave shmups and on the inherent scarcity of a niche title pressed for an insider audience.
Memorable bosses
Carrying over its predecessor's gothic spirit against a macabre Christmas backdrop, this sequel thickens the curtains of bullets and refines the staging of its monstrous guardians. Managing familiars and exploiting angles of attack remain the key to piercing ever trickier patterns. A subverted festive mood and visual generosity gleefully extend the series' singularity.
Is Deathsmiles II X - Makai no Merry Christmas still worth playing in 2026?
A shoot 'em up from Cave, Deathsmiles II X carries on the series' gothic, festive world, where young witches face hordes of demonic creatures against an evil Christmas backdrop, in a demanding horizontal manic shooter. The scoring system, the singular art direction and the directional shooting make it a snappy, strategic experience. The 3D, a step down from the first entry, and the Japan exclusivity weigh it down. A title for fans of pattern shmups, scoring and Cave productions on Xbox 360.
