Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha (NS)

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is an all-star compilation of previously unreleased Japanese arcade shmups. Ported to the Nintendo Switch for the Western audience in an easy to play, and truly gamer friendly way this collection of six different shoot 'em ups from the not so distant past offers tweaks, and gameplay with a variety of unique gimmicks tied to the base genre they hail from. Within the collection you get the first three entries of "Strikers 1945", "Sol Divide", "Dragon Blaze", and "Zero Gunner 2". Most of which are top down types with the exception of "Sol Divide" which is a side-scrolling shmup. With each game made accessible through a rotary menu with title image shown you not only gain instant access to whatever title you wish, but you also get settings that can be accessed through the plus button that allow you change such settings as the screen direction, the display filter, the credits count, the associated wallpaper, the set language, and even the dialogue's original or reworked subtitles. Along with all of that you gain access to sound settings, the control layout, and rule guides. For those of you worried about the quarter munching difficulty associated with each game the developer has been kind enough to throw in seven different difficulties ranging from "Monkey" to "Hardcore" as well as an unlimited credits option, and an increased life stock option to make the journey from beginning to end a little less abusive.

Starting with the Strikers 1945 trio you get a trilogy of top down shmups of the military sci-fi blend. As several different planes, and spacecraft you will fight and flight through an army of mechanized, and militarized vehicles that transform into monstrous machines of mayhem that must be taken out on a per stage basis. All while dodging bullet hell, collecting power-ups/bombs, and finding the hidden gold bars that will add to your top score. There are several stages in each of the three games with a preview of the target in question, it's name, and the locale where you'll be doing a flyby as you deal with bigger, and lesser threats. Ultimately ending your battle with a mutli-stage transformative mech boss that's packing more heat than an apocalypse ready army. At base level it's your standard shmup though with power-ups, shot types, satellites, and screen clearing bombs accounted for. With each game entry in the given series gaining visual enhancements, new planes to pilot, and new stages as well as new enemy threats.

Beyond the science fiction military assortment that is the 'Strikers 1945' trilogy we find, perhaps, the most unique presentations in this collection. That game is "Sol Divide". This side-scrolling shoot 'em up offers up a few protagonists to play as including what appears to be two female characters, and a winged male character. These characters are thrust seemingly midway into a deep seeded and politically motivated engagement against warring factions of the fantasy sort. The entire art style, and theme that the protagonists battle through looks to be of mythological Indonesian or Asian inspiration with deity representation, and strange creatures to boot. As one of the three oddly named protagonists you will be making your way from left to right in flight shooting what's in your pathway as you dodge attacking, and shooting creatures within a fixed yet transitional area. The gimmick therein revolves around magic abilities, different shot types per character, and the refills/expansions for both magic and life. By collecting cards you earn power-ups and magical abilities that can be used when you have the magic for it. These abilities which can be cycled through and selected once you reach a certain magic threshold are mostly big damage elemental weapon alternatives, but do include insta-kills (Death), or time stopping effects among other things that can aid in different ways for your long term survival. By collecting life extensions, and life refills as well you can survive the onslaught of oddities longer, and with the magic abilities and refills for said magic even longer still. Along with the shmup play comes multiple choice/path situations, and a map where you can choose which route, and which character driven engagement that you'll engage in next. The visuals border on an being an old school claymation or video capture sort of art design.

Going back to the top-down format we find "Dragon Blaze". This dragon riding shmup, like the Striker 1945 trilogy, includes the choice of several different options in the way of what it is that you will be piloting. This selection of aerial acrobats includes several different named characters with associated elemental dragons. Each tag team being a play on the different shot types. Unlike the basic shmups as those previously mentioned, 'Dragon Blaze' does have a slightly more involved gimmick. As a character riding an elementally charged dragon you can get shot power-ups, and the ability to send out your dragon and it's mini-dragon satellites to shoot elsewhere while your character deals with other enemies. You can also use magic bombs to send out a powerful elemental, and character specific shot that will clear enemies within it's path. It's a fun, and frantic fantasy flight and fight of the bullet hell variety.

Lastly we have "Zero Gunner 2" which looks to be the most modern of the set, and the most unique when it comes to gimmicks. As one of three choppers with different shot types and designs you will change direction manually as you shoot, and fly through dynamically changing 3D environments. All in a top-down presentation that pauses as you progress to throw in seamless mech transformation cutscenes to spice up the action. Aside from the ability to manually change direction along with the environments, and swarming military inspired aircraft you will also be collecting energy diamonds to fill up a meter that will allow you to boost the homing missile bombs that you can restock for multiple uses. That along with the standard shots that can be made more powerful with power-up diamonds you'll be well suited to handle the several stage trek from the oceans surface to the craters of the moon. It's a dynamically driven shmup with modern graphics, and a gimmick that is all it's own.

The Verdict ...

What an impressive collection of shmups! Truly! This is by far one of the finest retro shmup collections I've ever seen ported to a console of any kind. The choices of games were on point. They were all fun to play, and all top notch. Games from a bygone arcade era that, until now, never saw a release on Western shores. I highly suggest you getting a physical copy of this game while the getting is good. It's the type of collection that will only go up in value as time passes. Do not miss out, especially if you are a shmup fan!