Pilot! DenLiner Machine DenBird
I need to get this out of the way- My birthday was almost a month ago now, but I got this a day after it that I planned to share with y’all! Kamen Rider Den-O actually had a DVD game! Not much footage of it exists I don’t think, so I’m happy to provide some. Here’s the day I got the package; it was actually bigger than I thought it would be!
And here’s the disc and compatible DVD players, though I’m surprised my LG DVD Player which doesn’t seem listed was able to work…
The game scenes were supposedly filmed around the start of Den-O; there are four levels up against the Bat, Chameleon, Molech and Crow Imagin. Hana is your main guide though when they’re with you, Momotaros or Urataros take over that job. The game has its own controller in the form of the DenBird! It even allows you to slot in the DX Rider Pass that came with the DX Den-O Belt at the time though the CSM edition works just fine too (although that’s just cosmetic stuff. Still fun tho!)
The game is also played out in a first-person perspective, meaning YOU are Den-O!! It’s obvious some scenes were edited or clipped out to not show Ryotaro, though the new scenes where Hana and Momo talk to you kind of make up for that! Each level also plays out like the episode(s) of the show, this time with you as the chosen Kamen Rider! Here’s what the Bat Imagin’s level looks like.
Pretty standard piloting of both the DenLiner and DenBird. The red button is the “attack/select” button and the green button is used once to eject the DenBird from the cockpit. The Chameleon Imagin features a drive-through to the Ticket’s date and a chase scene while dodging fireballs in an industrial state, and you get to help in performing the Hisatsu Waza. Molech, I can’t remember too much as I think this has the least gameplay, though both that level and the Bat have you go up against their Gigandeath forms! Also is Ura’s introduction to guiding you. Crow is a chase scene driving on a road while dodging fallen trees before shooting the Imagin down! It gives time for you to steer and perform your actions, though you get cutscenes on if you take too long or perform the wrong action, from Momo stopping the DenLiner to correct you or having him and Hana get tossed around! Hana worries for you, Ura gently corrects you, Momo surprisngly doesn’t get too mad but he still tries to remind you to pay attention. Automatically on the third “fail,” gameplay goes on as normal. Of course, the game ranks your performance with different cutscenes. The characters interact differently with each other too; they’re friendlier if you do the best you can, Hana signaturely punches them if you do an average job. I’m not sure about the worst right now, kinda not got the heart for it lol.
Speaking of, here’s a clip I know SOME Den-O fans would love to see… (ignore the shit quality) (there’s another I’d like to share but I can’t have more than one video on a post…)
One last thing, Training Mode is available if you want to drive through the Sands of Time with any of the four Den-O forms! Since the Crow Imagin is the last level, ending at Episode 8, Kintaros and Ryutaros don’t make an appearance or mentioning, but you can still play as Ax and Gun Form as part of the mode! Assuming this is part of the usual Kamen Rider starting stuff where they show the main form and three extra forms?
And to wrap things up, here’s an extra with my guys here!
Of course, the DenBird controller requires two AA batteries and requires set-up; notice the outline on the left where Momo is: that’s the sensor. The DenBird actually beeps when turned on and when interacted with. Setup involves pressing buttons of your remote control to sync it up to your DVD player for gameplay, aside from a “Settings” video on setting up the control itself and making sure everything’s working. It has a “Memory” inside of it that can be reset by pressing gently on the button with a small pointer object (like a toothpick), though the instruction manual says it should remember it even if the batteries run out and if it’s switched off.
Overall, “Pilot! DenLiner and Machine DenBird” is a pretty interesting game! I’m sad it’s quite short (but as expected from a small kid’s game with only so much that can be put into a DVD game at the time), but it has its enjoyable segments!! I always died to get this game on my hands! I don’t think a Wiki page for this game exists, maybe if I attempted it myself…Either way, it was long but fun to share these images and video(s) with y’all! Thanks for checking this good shit out!
