Cotton Boomerang

n/a

ST-V NTSC-J
Cotton Boomerang
System(s): Sega Titan Video, Sega Saturn
Publisher: Success
Developer: Success
Sound driver: SCSP (1Track)
Genre: Shooting
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1998 ¥? ? JP 1998-10-08 ¥4,8004,800 T-9906G

Cotton Boomerang (コットン ブーメラン) is a horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up released for the Sega Saturn and Sega Titan Video arcade hardware. It is part of the Cotton series of games. It is a remixed version of Cotton 2, featuring new characters, new enemies, new gameplay mechanics, recolored art, and altered stage layouts.

Gameplay

Tea Time

Gallery

The game is a horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up that can be played by one player or by two players simultaneously. It is based on Cotton 2 but reworks the stages and abilities. Players choose three characters from a roster comprising three different variations of Cotton, three different variations of Appli, and their companions Silk and Needle. Each character has his or her own magical element and a different shot pattern. Instead of having a health bar, the next character in line replaces the previous one when hit.

The characters move in any direction using the D-Pad. They fire a magical weapon with . This weapon is unlimited and has a power level between 1 and 5. The power level is increased by collecting the yellow crystals that sometimes appear. The character can unleash an elemental dragon by holding and then releasing it when the ability is charged. The dragon can penetrate through targets and neutralize projectiles. The character can grab nearby objects, including enemies, with and throw them with or . Grabbed objects can be used as a shield or thrown as a weapon.

The player can change to the next character with , which also destroys all on-screen enemies and projectiles. Changing characters can only be done a limited number of times, shown as tokens in the bottom-left corner of the screen, but more change tokens can be found in the stages. Each character has his or her own weapon power level. When a character is hit by an enemy or projectile, the character is lost, and the next character in line appears and becomes playable. Lost characters remain lost, but they can revived by finding an item. The game ends if the player loses all three characters, but all three characters can be revived to continue the game at the cost of a credit.

Characters can perform special command shots by inputting special control sequences, similar to a fighting game. Enemies defeated by a command shot become sealed in a magical bubble. The bubble behaves differently based on the current character's magical element. Any other enemies who come in contact with a sealed enemy are destroyed in a chain reaction. Sealed enemies can be picked up and thrown with like any other enemy, allowing the player to execute long chains of exploding enemies. Characters can grab and throw the bubble multiple times; the bubble eventually detonates if it is not picked up for a while. Keeping the bubble on screen for longer increases the score bonus that it provides when it is finally destroyed. Shooting the bubble also increases the bonus. Sealed enemies also release a health restoring item when they are destroyed, which is larger and heals more if the bubble is kept on screen for longer.

Every stage has a sub-boss and a boss, which are typically composed of multiple segments or generate objects that can set off for chain reactions. Bosses have a time limit, though players progress to the next stage regardless if the boss is not completed in time.

The Saturn version has additional options and modes. There are four selectable difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Hardest). Players can set the number of characters (between 1 and 3) and the number of changes initially allowed. There is also a "Free Play" mode where players have unlimited credits. There are different control schemes for the extra buttons on the control pad: "Command" (the default) maps command shots to the extra buttons, "Rapid" uses the extra buttons for rapid-fire shots, and "None" assigns no functionality to the extra buttons. There is a Gallery mode with high-resolution artwork, and completing the game unlocks additional art. Finishing the game on at least Normal difficulty unlocks a Training mode where the player can chose any stage to play by pausing the game with  START .

Characters

Each character has a different magical element and shot pattern (for the standard shot).

	Cotton (コットン)
	Element: Fire (炎)
	A version of Cotton who shoots fireballs. The shot pattern swirls out and then spreads slightly upward and downward. Cotton is slow but powerful. Sealed enemies bounce on the ground.
	Cotton (コットン)
	Element: Wind (風)
	A version of Cotton who shoots waves that pass through terrain and home in on nearby foes and increase in size as they travel farther. The shot pattern swirls before shooting straight out. Cotton is slow but powerful. Sealed enemies float into the air.
	Cotton (コットン)
	Element: Ice (氷)
	A version of Cotton who shoots ice spears that ricochet off surfaces. The shot pattern swirls out and then spreads widely upward and downward. Cotton is slow but powerful. Sealed enemies are encased in ice and can stack on top of each other. They shatter after hitting something.
	Appli (アプリ)
	Element: Ice (氷)
	A version of Appli who shoots ice spears that ricochet off surfaces. The shot pattern spreads out, then converges. Appli is fast but weak. Sealed enemies are encased in ice and can stack on top of each other. They shatter after hitting something.
	Appli (アプリ)
	Element: Wind (風)
	A version of Appli who shoots waves that pass through terrain and home in on nearby foes and increase in size as they travel farther. The shot pattern is spread in multiple separate directions. Appli is fast but weak. Sealed enemies float into the air.
	Appli (アプリ)
	Element: Fire (炎)
	A version of Appli who shoots fireballs. The shot pattern curves upward and downward. Appli is fast but weak. Sealed enemies bounce on the ground.
	Silk (シルク)
	Element: Light (光)
	Cotton's fairy companion, who shoots piercing laser beams in a tall pattern. Silk is fast but weak. Sealed enemies are pulled to the ceiling.
	Needle (二ードル)
	Element: Light (光)
	Appli's magical hat, who shoots piercing laser beams in a spread pattern. Needle is slow but strong. Sealed enemies are pulled to the ceiling.

Command shots

	Tornado Shot (トルネードショット)
	Motion: or
	A large, piercing shot.
	Wide Shot (ワイドショット)
	Motion:
	A three-way spreadshot.
	Upward Tail Shot (ワイドショット)
	Motion: or
	A fan of four projectiles from 9 to 12 o'clock.
	Downward Tail Shot (ワイドショット)
	Motion: or
	A fan of four projectiles from 9 to 6 o'clock.
	Upward Side Shot (サイドショット 上)
	Motion: or
	A fan of four projectiles from 3 to 12 o'clock.
	Downward Side Shot (サイドショット 下)
	Motion: or
	A fan of four projectiles from 3 to 6 o'clock.
	Bomb
	Motion: , , , or
	Tosses a bomb.

Items

	Crystal (クリスタル)
	Increases the level of the character's attack, up to level 5.
	Fat Crystal (デブクリスタルは)
	Increases the level of the character's attack by 3, up to level 5. These are offered after using a credit to continue the game.
	Change (チェンジ)
	Gives the player another opportunity to change characters with , which switches to the next character and destroys all on-screen enemies and projectiles.
	Barrier (バリア)
	Encases the character in a protective bubble that lasts until it is destroyed by an enemy.
	Tea (お茶)
	Appears at the end of the stage after defeating the boss. Awards bonus points when collected or shot. The darker-colored tea cups award more points.
	Revive
	Revives a lost character (losing one weapon level) or awards 50,000 points if the player has not lost a character.
	Willow (ウィロー)
	Awards bonus points. These items are released by sealed enemies when they are shot. The size of the ball increases the longer the sealed enemy is on screen before it is finally destroyed.

Stages

	Ganseki Mountain (ガンセキ・マウンテン)
	Aero Castle (エアロ・キャッスル)
	Pirate Island (パイレーツ・アイランド)
	Piki-Piki Labyrinth (ピキピキ・ラビリンス)
	Achichichi Canyon (アチチチ・キャニオン)
	Abekobe Palace (アベコベ・バレス)
	Tick-Tock Space (チクタク・スペース)
	The last stage consists solely of a fight against the final boss, Wool.

History

Legacy

In 2021, the Saturn versions of Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang were included alongside Guardian Force as part of the Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute compilation for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 by City Connection. These versions include added features such as rapid-fire and online rankings. The collection was given a limited physical release by Strictly Limited Games.

Production credits

• コットン: 嶋崎 はるか
• アプリ: 横手 久美子
• シルク: Hiro-P
• ニードル: Kakkin

MAGICAL NIGHT DREAMS COTTON Boomerang STAFF

• プログラム: 初山 勝, 江川野 誉至
• グラフィック: 福田 誠弘, 甲木 稔久
• サウンド: 平田 健一
• 営業・広報: 赤間 智恵, 平田 ひろみ
• スペシャル サンクス: 長尾 ゆかり, 劉 向東
• Presented by: Success

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Cotton Boomerang/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Titan Video version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score

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Based on 0 reviews

Cotton Boomerang

Sega Titan Video, JP
Cart

Saturn version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 68 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 70 Sega Magazin (DE) NTSC-J 79 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 70 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 83

	74
Based on 5 reviews

Cotton Boomerang

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Manual

Technical information

Main article: Cotton Boomerang/Technical information.

References

Cotton games for Sega systems
	Cotton (1991) | Cotton 2 (1997) | Cotton Boomerang (1998)
	Panorama Cotton (1994)
	Cotton 2 (1997) | Cotton Boomerang (1998)
	Rainbow Cotton (2000)