What Deathsmiles I・II contains
Deathsmiles I・II is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up set in Gilverado, an alternate world where girls called Angels fight through skies full of gothic horror. The package holds three playable titles: Deathsmiles, originally released as an arcade game in 2007; Deathsmiles Mega Black Label, the upgraded version of that first game; and Deathsmiles IIX Merry Christmas in Hell, the sequel. Each title carries the modes that were available in its home console release, so Deathsmiles and Mega Black Label both offer Arcade, Normal and Ver 1.1, while Deathsmiles IIX offers Arcade, IIX and Arrange. The presentation mixes cute character art with pixel graphics and a dark fantasy setting.
Playing together
The Steam version lists Remote Play Together, so one person can host and others can join in over the internet as if they were sitting on the same couch. Since the game is built around singleplayer runs, the group experience is mostly about watching each other play, taking turns on the same session, and comparing scores. Each mode of each title has its own online leaderboard, which gives everyone a shared target to chase even when you are not in the same session. Choices Matter and Multiple Endings are listed among the game's tags, so runs can end differently depending on what you pick up along the way.
Before you start
Training mode is the place to begin. It lets you adjust stage and player unit settings for practice, and the options can be tuned to make stages easier for newcomers or tougher for experienced players. That matters here, because bullet hell density varies a lot between titles and modes, and jumping straight into Arcade mode of the hardest entry can be a rough first session. Pick one title, work through its easier settings in training, then move to the leaderboards. The controls are described as intuitive, so the learning curve is about reading patterns and managing your shots rather than wrestling with the input.