Gilverado is a strange mythical realm filled with magic, monsters, and lost souls. A swarm of demonic monsters has recently appeared within the domain. Four teenage girls who were abducted from the human realm and reared as witches with great powers have taken it upon themselves to identify the cause and end it.
Deathsmiles is a gothic horror-themed scrolling “bullet hell” shooter. The user must blast through seven-plus stages while selecting one of four Lolita-style gals. In contrast to many other games of a similar type, attackers emerge from all directions, and the player can fire to both the left and right. Also, magic spells operate as screen-clearing explosives, and each character gets a familiar companion who will assist with special attacks. The game has several routes, multiple difficulty levels for each stage, and many optional regions and secret bosses to face.
There are numerous game modes available. The arcade mode is a direct port of the arcade release. Arrange mode offers the ability to control the familiars directly and rearranges the stages in version 1.1. Xbox 360 mode has upgraded visuals, but otherwise is the same as Arcade mode. Finally, Mega Black Mode (included with English editions and DLC in Japanese sales) adds a fifth playable character, a new stage and boss, and an additional extreme difficulty level. All modes, including co-op through Xbox Live, can be played by two players simultaneously.
