Progear is a legendary horizontal bullet hell shoot ’em up (danmaku) released for arcades in 2001, developed by Cave and published by Capcom on the CP System II board. Set in a beautifully detailed steampunk universe, players pilot biplanes through relentless waves of enemies and intricate bullet patterns, a signature of Cave’s intense game design.
How to play
The objective is to survive five grueling stages while maximizing your score using the game’s unique jewel-collecting system. As a standard arcade emulator setup, insert a coin (often 5 or Shift) and press start (1 or Enter). Use the Arrow Keys to maneuver your plane. Press the primary action button (typically Z) to fire your main weapon. Holding down the fire button slows your ship’s movement and focuses your attacks, while tapping it provides a wider spread. Use the secondary button (typically X) to drop a devastating bomb to clear the screen when overwhelmed.
Tips
- Master the jewel system for high scores and extra lives: destroy enemies with your focused shot (holding fire) while they are caught in the explosions of other enemies to spawn rings, then collect them by switching back to rapid fire (tapping).
- Don’t save all your bombs for the bosses. If you find yourself trapped in a dense bullet pattern during a stage, dropping a bomb is always better than losing a life.
- Choose your gunner (sub-weapon) carefully at the start. The lock-on gunner is excellent for beginners as it automatically targets enemies, letting you focus entirely on dodging bullets.
Leave a Comment / Review: