Blue Remnant

Blue Remnant, known in Japan as Kasen-Tai Ao no Remnant (感染体: 青のレムナント, Infected Individual: Blue Remnant) is a rail shooter shoot 'em up available first for the arcades, and then ported to the GameCube, as well as the GigaCom. It is the last of the next generation of arcade games by Multisoft. It has been critically praised and was given an updated version titled Blue Remnant X (感染体: 青のレムナントX Kasen-Tai Ao no Remnant X, translated to Infected Individual: Blue Remnant X). A sequel is currently being planned.

Plot
In the year 30XX, in the post-apocalyptic future, mechanical beings known as the "Ficts" (short for Fiction or Fictional) run the world. Many forms of life became extinct, and the humans became enslaved, some of them forced to become Ficts. However, a young boy named Takumi (タクミ), who was experimented on his arm by them, decides to escape the Ficts by riding a Bomber mech. Said mech was destroyed by the Ficts and Takumi decides to fend for himself against them. Eventually, he was saved by a female soldier named Asuna (アスナ), but the "Remnant" on Takumi's arm became out-of-control and took over his entire body, transforming him into a Fict. Asuna chooses to save him before he loses his humanity and truly becomes a Fict forever...

Gameplay
As a "rail shooter Shoot 'em up" players are to travel from Stage to Stage, fighting against a number enemies to progress through the level. The player can switch between manual (red targeting reticle) and lock-on (purple targeting reticle) firing modes at any time. Lock-on mode "sticks" the reticle to enemies, but is less damaging than manually aimed fire. The player can also attack using a powerful blade by tapping the fire button when enemies, or certain types of projectiles, are within close range. Projectiles struck in this manner are bounced back and can potentially inflict great damage on opponents. While the player attacks, a timer at the top of the screen counts down. When the timer hits 0, the player gradually loses more and more life until he or she either refills the timer or dies.

Characters
Takumi (タクミ): The temporary protagonist and temporary antagonist of the game. Takumi was a boy born into slavery by the Ficts. He was experimented on his arm by them and given a "Remnant" of the Ficts' true power. This remnant would soon take complete control over his body. To prevent this, Takumi steals a Bomber mech to escape from his slave life. Eventually, he meets Asuna, who fixes his Bomber. Unfortunately, as he was taken in by Asuna, the Remnant reached its potential and took control of him, transforming him into a mech. At the near end of the game, Takumi slowly reverts to his human state and uses the remains of his Fict body to fight Kenichi.

Asuna (アスナ): The female protagonist of the game. Asuna is a soldier of the currently-destroyed Reality Group. She is also the one who rescues Takumi and bonds with him until he became a Fict. She, along with Kenichi, were self-assigned to rescue the boy before his Fict body controls him fully. However, she was betrayed by Kenichi after he announced that Takumi should remain a Fict and that he wants to become a being beyond a Fict. Luckily, she manages to save Takumi before anything terrible happens.

Kenichi (ケンイチ): Asuna's partner and the secret antagonist of the game. Along with Asuna, Kenichi is a soldier of the Reality Group, which was destroyed by the Ficts. He hardly cares about Takumi and proceeds to leave him as a Fict. He betrays Asuna for her compassion towards Takumi and leaves them to become "a powerful being that will put Ficts to shame." Indeed, he became an "Imagi" (short for Imaginary or Imagination), but was stopped by Asuna and Takumi.

Blue Remnant X
The upgraded version of Blue Remnant contains a few new additions unlike the original version.
 * Higher difficulty
 * More enemies
 * Less recovery items
 * A bonus stage based on Multisoft's past works.