DANMAKU vs NOVA STRIKER
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DANMAKU
Engage in intense bullet-hell combat across 8 stages with 16 unique bosses. Choose from 8 different ships, each with distinct flight patterns and abilities. Strategically select weapons, armors, and companions to overcome escalating challenges and improve your pilot level with every run.
- 8 stages with 3 difficulty levels
- 16 unique bosses and mid-bosses
- 5 distinct weapon types
- 4 armor types with trade-offs
- 3 companion options
- Pilot level progression
- Graze and bomb mechanics
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DANMAKU Shooting - STELLAR FORCE 8 stages, 16 bosses. Every run you fly a different ship. ◆ 8 Stages, 3 Difficulties Route → mid-boss → route → boss. About 13 minutes a run. Clear NORMAL to open HARD, clear HARD to open LUNATIC. Higher difficulties give bosses more bullet patterns — and pay more coins. ◆ 16 Bosses One boss and one mid-boss per stage. You never fight the same one twice. ◆ 5 Weapons — not better and worse, but good at different things Vulcan / Spread / Laser / Homing / Reflect. Laser struggles on the route; Spread struggles on bosses. "Next run I'll take this one" is the reason to go again. ◆ 4 Armors — every one costs you something Heavy gives +3 HP and slows you down. Phase takes 2 HP away and pays you more the closer you fly to bullets. ◆ 3 Companions Gunner, shield, medic. Buy them, take up to two along. ◆ Pilot Level It always goes up when you play. A run you lose is not a run wasted. ◆ Graze and Bombs Skim a bullet and the coins climb. When there's no way through, bomb it. ◆ 8 Ships A small hitbox, more firepower, an extra bomb. They differ in how they fly, not just how they look.
NOVA STRIKER
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A retro '90s-style vertical bullet-hell shooter you can play with one finger — free, and fully playable offline. Weave through walls of bullets across 3 stages and massive boss battles. Skim past enemy fire to "graze" for score and bomb gauge, and turn the tables with screen-clearing bombs. Clear everything, and a hidden true battle awaits. ◆ Features - Intuitive controls: drag to move, auto-fire, double-tap to bomb — one-handed play - Graze system: near-misses are the path to high scores - 3 stages + more: unique midbosses, bosses, and a hidden final boss - Achievements & rankings: 14 achievements and global rankings (with per-language boards) - Difficulty options: EASY / NORMAL / HARD - 17 languages supported, works offline ◆ How to Play 1. Drag to move (your ship fires automatically) 2. Double-tap to trigger a bomb (clears enemy bullets) 3. Graze enemy bullets for bonus score 4. Watch a short video to revive after game over and push on for the clear Note: This game contains flashing lights. Player discretion is advised for those with photosensitivity. ◆ Made for players who enjoy - A retro arcade shooter, pixel art, neon lights, and a tense trip through space - A quick game during a break, or a longer high-score and score-attack session at home - Learning to dodge patterns with one hand in portrait mode instead of aiming every shot - Starting on EASY, settling into NORMAL, then taking on the hardcore density of HARD ◆ A score run with choices NOVA STRIKER is a danmaku-style shmup where reading a pattern matters as much as reflexes. Your ship fires on its own, leaving you free to steer through the gaps. A close dodge earns graze and fills the bomb gauge, so a daring line can be worth more than a safe one. Spend a bomb to clear a crowded screen, or save it for a boss phase: each run is a chance to refine that decision. ◆ Reasons to return The three stages are built around distinct enemy waves, midbosses, and boss battles, culminating in the hidden final boss. Choose the pace that suits you: EASY introduces the flow, NORMAL rewards consistency, and HARD asks for careful routing through thicker bullet patterns. Chase all 14 achievements, improve your high-score, and compare results on global leaderboards with separate boards by language. ◆ Play on your terms This is a free single-player action game for portrait smartphones, designed for a few spare minutes or repeated practice. It works offline, so a connection is not required to fly and dodge. A rewarded video is offered only when you choose to revive after game over; there are no forced ads interrupting play. With drag movement, auto-fire, and a double-tap bomb, it stays focused on the arcade rhythm. Price: Free (rewarded ads only — no forced ads) Supports: Smartphones (portrait)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NOVA STRIKER at every 3 days against DANMAKU's every 2 weeks. NOVA STRIKER also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DANMAKU ships an update every 2 weeks, NOVA STRIKER every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DANMAKU | NOVA STRIKER |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | MIZOU, CO., LTD. | JOIN CIRCLE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY |
In-app purchases
DANMAKU
No in-app purchases
NOVA STRIKER
No in-app purchases









