A Warashi vertical shooter mixing danmaku with a grappling hook and kawaii aesthetics. The enemy grabbing system is brilliant, scoring deep and the mood bubbly. A shmup win.
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Category
Shooter1 player12+
Description
A combat ship battles mechanical enemies in a Warashi vertical shoot'em up released late on Dreamcast. Published by Warashi, released in Japan in January 2007. Vertical shoot'em up with Exelica ship and magnetic anchors to catch enemies, varied bosses, stylised visuals. Japanese edition.
Triggerheart Exelica review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Short"
Technical info
💾0,17 GB📅11/01/2007
Published by Warashi
Triggerheart Exelica (Dreamcast) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Triggerheart Exelica is the Japanese edition of Warashi's vertical shmup on Dreamcast, released at the very end of the console's commercial life in Japan. Collector value comes from the extremely limited local print, from the game's cult status among scoring enthusiasts and from this being one of the last official shmups released on the console.
An underrated gem
Released on Dreamcast long after the console was officially dead, this vertical shooter wins you over with its anchor weapon, which grabs enemies and flings them into their allies. Obscure thanks to its ultra-late release, it slipped past almost everyone. Shmup devotees and lovers of inventive mechanics will find a lovely tactical surprise.
Is Triggerheart Exelica still worth playing in 2026?
A vertical shooter by Warashi, Triggerheart Exelica stands out with its anchor system that lets you capture enemies to use them as shield or projectile. This mechanic brings a real tactical originality to the genre. The robot girl cast is very anime flavoured, the colourful aesthetic and the technical fluidity charm the eye. For fans of vertical shooters with a distinctive signature system, unafraid of a pronounced visual style, the title delivers a refreshing and very successful experience on the console.
