It's insane if you only learn about the dodge and block after you're hours into the game. I'd like to think people aren't that dumb and would buy dodge and block since you can get both of them after the first level. I'm pretty sure they're 3000 gears each and that's incredibly cheap. The doling out of abilities also felt pretty fine since Credit Cards.
Now should they have let you have dodge from the beginning and made you buy block or something instead? Yeah, probably. Bayonetta gives you the dodge from the start and for the "tutorial" of the shop they have the air dodge. I say tutorial because it's a cheap ability and teaches the player that the shop has some good shit.
I totally agree on all counts.
And yes the platinum cards are the most godlike. Love that shit.
Really? I found myself with more money than I knew what to do with. Especially crafting the Platinum card thing saved me a shitton of money(why would I craft anything else).
I also think W101 is a great game but I had no urge to play it ever again after finishing it once. Some parts are not so fun(WHY SHMUP SECTION AGAIN), and I never really got into the combat like I did with Bayo.
After I beat it I just went back and did the parts I enjoyed again on harder difficulties. Why force yourself to do the whole thing again if there's no need to(seriously those shmups usually sucked ass. But the shirogane comet section kinda made it worth it.) Plus it was a great idea to be able to do mission select on harder difficulties right away.
My replay wound up really being me using a guide to get most of the remaining 101, followed by a boss rush with a few other levels in there(fight with blue, water section in general, that world you get wonder white on, etc.)