Silpheed

"We were pilots once, and young."

What can I say? WOW!

I recently got a Sega CD and I was lucky enough to get this as one of the games in the package. I had seen it on Home of the Underdogs and was somewhat interested. So, after a little Sonic CD and Ecco the Dolphin, I popped this in, and started her up.

Story-10

In the year 3076...

Things have gone ape ****. A space fleet has started attacking colony planets. The Grayzon system has been net-jacked. A terrorist group has come out of the shadows. The game hasn't even started yet!

The story is very well done. Very believable, and ahead of it's time with the idea of terrorists being major threats. Awesome! The game actually has three intros: One before the title screen, one after you start the game, and another after the first level!
And only the third tells any story! I have no idea if there are any other cutscenes because seriously, I SUCK at this game! I mean come on! I've only gotten to level 4!

Graphics-9

WHOA! This was 1993 and here we have POLYGONS! And they are actually very well done. The backgrounds, even though done in pixels, are very well done and are clustered with recognizable shapes of all colors. Space stations get blown away by lasers, asteroids explode and you must dodge the shrapnel, Bosses are big and beautiful, and my dad, who's an Astronomer, pointed out the Orion nebula when I showed the game to him. The only problem is that the graphics are very distracting, but you can't blame the artists as it is obvious that they poured their heart out into this game.

Sound-8

Great for a shooter, explosions and lots of booms and bangs and of course, the RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT of your guns, you can hear a lot of voice acting for both tips and enjoyment. Unfortunately, the acting is hilarious, and you will definitely at least smile at the end of the first level when a wingman remarks about the boss in what I think is an Australian accent: "A BIG TALLY-HO! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING!" I am not making this up, it makes me smile just thinking about it.

Control-10
Your ship moves like a dream, your ship, the Silpheed is very maneuverable (unless of course your engines or controller is damaged), and you can activate one of two weapons at the touch of a button.

Gameplay-10

Imagine the setting: You've just used up your last continue, and you are attacking the boss, but all of a sudden, he uses a super attack on you and your shield is out. He fires again: ENGINE FAILURE, WEAPON FAILURE. One hit and you are done for. You fire your special weapon into the monster...

...and he is destroyed. You are safe... ...for now.

This game is great! (haven't I already said that?) As you complete each level, you get a bigger choice of weapons, of which you can use three per stage, 2 normal weapons, one for each wing, and a special weapon you can activate whenever you have enough energy. Then you get started and have a heart attack! This game is GALAGA ON CAFFEINE!

Replay Value-10

This game is one of those that you will want to play over and over again!

Overall-9

Almost perfect, but is slightly marred by distracting graphics and bad voice acting. Still, this is a classic for all gamers to enjoy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/04