A familiar cast of characters, vertical shooting action, coin collecting and frenzied firepower (from both sides) appear to be the hallmarks of Shikigami 2. Seven characters are available for the choosing at the outset of the game with five returnees and two newbies joining the fold.

To keep things interesting, a scoring multiplier called the Tension Bonus System (Yes, the Japanese adore Systems) allows the leveling up of score by way of close proximity to enemy bullets. Get grazed by buckshot and marvel as your points are multiplied by up to 8X depending on how skillful you are at deftly maneuvering and getting buzzed by oncoming fire. Near misses will also power up your weapon systems with a brief jolt. The Tension System wrinkles the gameplay in such a way as to behoove one to avoid but also draw towards bullets. Quite a conundrum.

A standard vulcan shot, a screen clearing bomb and a charge-up shot are available to each character. Holding down the fire button for a few seconds collects enough firepower for the charge-up shot. Connecting an enemy ship with a charge-up blast will force it to release a bounty of power-up coins.

For the home conversion of Shikigami no Shiro 2, Alfa System throws in an Easy Mode to complement the Normal Mode for beginners to test the waters before diving into the regular game. A 2-player simultaneous mode allows for cooperative play where the score is combined into a single aggregator. True shmup sadists may unlock an Extreme Mode which bumps the difficulty level by a few notches. Rounding out the home conversion is an Illustration Gallery for viewing high-resolution images of the characters in the game.

Each copy of Shikigami no Shiro 2 includes a bonus black/white/red colored kitty cat PVC figure bundled with the game in a fat cardboard box.