Cotton 100%

Cotton 100%[lower-alpha 1] is a 1994 scrolling shooter video game developed by Success and originally published by Datam Polystar for the Super Famicom. The second installment in the Cotton franchise, it is a follow-up to Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams. In the game, players assume the role of the titular young witch who, alongside her fairy companion Silk, sets out on her broomstick on a quest to defeat several monsters and get her Willow candy. Its gameplay is similar to the first game, mainly consisting of shooting mixed with role-playing game-esque elements using a main four-button configuration.

Cotton 100%
Developer(s)Success
Publisher(s)Datam Polystar
Designer(s)Shinobu Itō
Composer(s)Kenichi Hirata
SeriesCotton
Platform(s)PlayStation, Super Famicom
Release
  • JP: 22 April 1994
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Cotton 100% garnered mixed to positive reception from critics who reviewed the original Super Famicom version as an import title; Most reviewers compared the game with other shoot 'em up titles like Keio Flying Squadron, Parodius and Pop'n TwinBee, being praised for its audiovisual presentation and gameplay but criticized for the short length and lack of two-player mode. It was later ported to the PlayStation in 2003 as a budget release, featuring downgrades compared with the original version.

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot.
See also: Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams § Gameplay

Cotton 100% is a scrolling shooter game similar to Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams where players assume role of the young witch Cotton who, alongside her fairy companion Silk, travels seven increasingly difficult levels through a fantasy dream-like world on a quest to defeat several monsters and get her Willow candy.[1][2] The game is perhaps best described as something of a reinterpretation of the original Cotton as the enemy graphics and behaviors, gameplay mechanics, some of the stages and bosses, as well as the plot itself are virtually identical to the first game. However, in addition to many unique stages and enemies, the theme and colors in Cotton 100% are much brighter, and the actual level mapping is significantly different from the first game.[2] A command that uses the reset button on the Super Famicom is hidden but its function remains unclear.[3]

During gameplay, players must blast various monsters and avoid being shot while collecting crystal power-ups to enhance Cotton's firepower and unleash powerful magic spells on enemies, in addition of bombs capable of obliterating enemies.[1] Cotton 100% also incorporates some role playing game elements as with the original Cotton, as players are able to level up their attack multiple times by collecting crystals dropped by enemies.[1][2] The weapon system from the original arcade game was simplified, with players now selecting between multiple shot and magic spells configurations on a equipment screen similar to Gradius but the number of magic spells was reduced to two.[1][2] Magic is refilled by picking up specific power-up items dropped by enemies, while players can also rescue captured fairies from enemies, acting as "options" and their attack formation depends on the currently selected magic spell.[1][2] The player has lives represented by an broom and three lives, though only one hit is allowed per life and the game is over once all lives are lost but players can keep playing by using a limited number of continues.

Development and release

Cotton 100% was first announced by Datam Polystar in 1993 but the game was not released for Super Famicom until April 22, 1994.[2][4] The game came bundled with a CD insert featuring vocal songs by Silk's seiyū.[2] Shinobu Itō worked as artist and character designer prior to her role on QP, an unreleased party game for Neo Geo.[5][6] The soundtrack was composed by Kenichi Hirata.[3] The title was then ported by Success to the PlayStation in Japan as Cotton 100% and published on March 27, 2003 under the "SuperLite 1500" budget series, featuring lower audio quality and bugs not present in the original Super Famicom version.[2][7] On November 10, 2010, the PlayStation port was re-released for PlayStation Network by Hamster Corporation in Japan as part of their Game Archives series.[8]

Reception

Cotton 100% was met with generally mixed to positive reception from critics who reviewed the original Super Famicom version as an import title, most of which compared the game with Keio Flying Squadron, Parodius and Pop'n TwinBee. Computer and Video Games's Denis Ahmet praised the audiovisual presentation, playability and challenge but noted the lack of a two-player mode and originality, criticizing the "crude" boss encounters.[9] Mega Fun's Martin Weidner commended the candy-style graphics but noted that they were outdated as the audio, criticizing its simplistic design.[10]

Super Play's Tony Mott criticized the visual design for being overly intricate and length but praised the audio and gameplay, regarding it as "A great shoot-'em-up with a style you almost want to hug."[11] In a similar manner as Mott, Ralph Karels of German magazine Video Games also criticized the backgrounds for being overly detailed but commended the audio design.[12] In contrast to the other reviewers, both Fabio Massa and Marco Del Bianco of the Italian publication Super Console praised the audiovisual presentation, playability and longevity.[13]

Notes
  1. Also known as Märchen Adventure Cotton 100% (Japanese: メルヘンア ドベンチャー コットン100％, Hepburn: Meruhen Adobenchā Kotton 100-Pāsento, lit. "Fairytale Adventure Cotton 100%")

References
  1. Cottok 100% 取扱説明書 (Super Famicom, JP)
  2. Kalata, Kurt (August 12, 2016). "Cotton 100%". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  3. "WWCE-31290~3 | COTTON Original Soundtrack". vgmdb.net. VGMdb. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  4. "Super Express: Five New Shoot-'Em-Ups (And They're All In Japanese) 100% Cotton! (Datam Polystar)". Super Play. No. 7. Future Publishing. May 1993. p. 12.
  5. Success (April 22, 1994). Märchen Adventure Cotton 100% (Super Famicom). Datam Polystar. Level/area: Staff.
  6. "ネオジオ関連メーカーリレーインタビュー 11: サクセス". Neo Geo Freak (in Japanese). No. 22. Geibunsha. March 1997. pp. 86–87.
  7. "SuperLite1500シリーズ コットン100%". PlayStation Official Site Software Catalog (in Japanese). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  8. "SuperLite1500シリーズ コットン100% (ゲームアーカイブス)". PlayStation Official Site Software Catalog (in Japanese). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  9. Ahmet, Denis (July 1994). "CVG Review: 0% Nylon, 100% Cotton - Cotton (SNES)". Computer and Video Games. No. 152. EMAP. p. 85.
  10. Weidner, Martin (September 1994). "Test Kunterbunt (Import Game) - Cotton 100% (Super Nintendo)". Mega Fun (in German). No. 24. Computec. p. 90.
  11. Mott, Tony (July 1994). "Import Review: 100% Cotton". Super Play. No. 21. Future Publishing. p. 43.
  12. Karels, Ralph (July 1994). "Rom Check - Super Nintendo: Echt Baumwolle! - Cotton 100%". Video Games (in German). No. 32. Magna Media. pp. 92–93.
  13. Massa, Fabio; Del Bianco, Marco (July–August 1994). "Review (Super Famicom): Cotton 100%". Super Console (in Italian). No. 6. Editoriale Futura. pp. 34–36.CS1 maint: date format (link)
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