The combat in this was stunning. Once I figured out how to deal with black/white projectiles, it felt super good fighting the monsters. Then, having to deal with two monsters at once felt like a great, natural progression in difficulty. It's amazing being able to take out two different monsters at the same time without getting hit. I'm still surprised how good movement feels in battle.
On the other hand of the combat, I'm still unclear what the punishment for getting hit is. Less points? Also, even though they're still beatable, it feels unfair when two enemies attack with patterns so different bullets hit you in the first and fourth rows at the same time. I want to perfect them, dammit!
Reading the genre as "rhythm" helped me figure out the mechanics much faster than I would have otherwise. The exploration aspect of the game was simple, but serviceable. I especially love the space worm's design.
Overall, a very endearing game!