Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams is a classic 1991 horizontal scrolling “cute ’em up” arcade shooter developed by Success. Players take control of the young witch Cotton as she flies on her broomstick through dark fantasy stages, shooting down quirky enemies to collect her favorite magical Willow candies. The game stands out for its charming visuals and a unique magic system where catching different colored crystals alters your spell abilities.
How to Play
The objective is to survive each scrolling stage and defeat the boss at the end. As an arcade game, you will typically need to insert a coin (often the ‘5’ or ‘Shift’ key) and press Start (often ‘1’ or ‘Enter’). Use the arrow keys to fly in all directions, use one action button to rapid-fire your main shot, and another to drop bombs on ground targets.
Tips
- Shoot the floating crystals to cycle their colors before collecting them. Catching colored crystals gives you different magic types, while yellow crystals increase your experience and shot power.
- Hold down the fire button to charge your magic attack. Releasing it unleashes a powerful spell that can clear the screen of enemies when you are overwhelmed.
- Keep an eye on ground enemies, as dropping bombs regularly will help keep the lower portion of the screen clear of threats.
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