Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP Free Download Romslab At face value, Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is an excellent proposition – a collection of some of the most beloved shmups and arguably the best titles Psikyo ever produced. At the humble price of .99, the new owner of the Psikyo properties, City Connection, is offering four must own shmup titles and two solid STG at an average price of .67 each. Again, at first glance, Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha looks like an irresistible proposition; many of these games had full-price releases back on the PS1 and Sega Saturn, after all. What is more, getting these same games on these consoles right now, especially with how hot the collecting markets for the two systems has become, is going to be significantly more expensive than this entire collection. ROMSLAB.COM BEST SWITCH GAMES

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

So what is not to love, right? The price point is just too good to resist, so we can pretty much end the review here then… Alas, if only the situation were that simple. This is going to be a controversial review because this collection cuts right between two opposing demographics of the genre: the casual pick-up-and-play crowd looking for a relaxing way to spend a few minutes versus the dedicated, prepared to burn hundreds of hours to master a single game, hardcore scene. Each demographic has their own needs and wants, of course, but this time around one camp is going to be left out in the cold. I doubt that, when Nintendo was developing the Switch, its designers were thinking, “This thing will be great for retro arcade shooters!” But thanks to its built-in screen and detachable Joy-Cons.

Strikers 1945

This thing is absolutely great for retro arcade shooters, and Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha happens to be a no-frills collection of six ‘90s and early 2000s (mostly) classics of that genre. Many arcade shmups used a vertical monitor with dimensions that are drastically different than our modern widescreen televisions. Porting them to home consoles usually means relegating the playfield to just the middle slice of your big TV, bookending the sides with static wallpaper. But the magic of the Nintendo Switch’s screen is that it can be vertical if you pop the Joy-Cons off, and many arcade shooters released on the platform – these included – allow you to rotate the screen to take advantage of this unique feature. Keen: One Girl Army Switch NSP

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Before we cross that bridge, let us have a look at the games themselves. The six titles on offer in this collection are Strikers 1945, Strikers 1945 II, Strikers 1945 III, Dragon Blaze, Sol Divide, and Zero Gunner 2. Of these games, the first four – in this reviewer’s opinion – are stone-cold classics. Every shmup fan at some point in his or her life should play these games and be both awed and terrified by the brutal, relentless action. Sitting somewhere between a classic shmup, like Capcom’s 19XX games, and a bullet-hell, like Raizing’s Battle Garegga, the Strikers series somehow manages to maintain a straight-forward appeal for old-school fans while also placing an impressive amount of bullets on-screen.

Strikers 1945 II

Of the three games, Strikers 1945 II tends to get the nod from Psikyo fans as the best due to its carefully refined systems overall. In comparison to the first entry, Strikers II includes more generous invincibility frames, a bigger bomb count, and more thoughtfully-distributed suicide bullets. In comparison to Strikers III, II also has a stronger balance between the ship types. With that being said though, the other two titles are absolutely worthwhile in their own rights as well – especially the third one, which has a unique gameplay feel and setting compared to the other two. Next is Dragon Blaze, an under-rated shmup to be sure. After playing the game, Dragon Blaze can be described as Psikyo’s answer to CAVE and danmaku. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Switch NSP

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

The bullet speed is turned down, the bullet density is turned up, and there is now a fantastic creature the character rides on (like the beetle of Mushihimesama). Even the colour of the enemy attacks has been swapped to pink. Perhaps it is our inner CAVE fan speaking, but we love this game as well.Psikyo’s formula is well-represented by most of the selections included in Shooting Stars: you soar through waves of enemies, dodge bullets, blast huge bosses, and try to secure yourself a decent spot on the leaderboard. Most of these are among the best the genre has to offer, thanks to exciting moment-to-moment aerial maneuvers and an attractive art style. Five of these games were previously released on Switch separately, and one of the best of the bunch is making its console debut here.

Let’s take aim at each one individually.

The last two games of the collection, Sol Divide and Zero Gunner 2, are more experimental and eccentric additions. In Sol Divide, we get the impression that Psikyo was interested in trying to create a fusion between a Golden Axe-style beat em’ up and a horizontal shooter. The result is mixed, and nowhere near the quality of a game like Golden Axe, but it is still a cool concept and an enjoyable addition. Finally, there is Zero Gunner 2, which is also a solid but not top-tier shmup. What’s interesting to note about Zero Gunner 2 is that it utilizes 360-degree rotation of the player’s helicopter. like many twin-stick shooters. However, instead of mapping the rotation to a second analogue stick, turning the chopper can be handled with a button press and movement combination. Kemono Heroes Switch NSP

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

With all this said then, as alluded to before, the selection, price, or quality of games is not up for dispute. For any shmup fan – or even the casual player interested in shmups – the games themselves in this collection are absolutely worthwhile and worth owning. However, the job of a reviewer is to dig deeper than just the listed features and advertised price. How these games function and are delivered to the player is critical to recognize. It’s important to keep in mind that, when we review a collection of previously released arcade games, like Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha, we are not just evaluating the quality of the games themselves, but the quality of how these games are ported to the Nintendo Switch.Strikers is the series for which Psikyo is probably best known.

Add-ons (DLC): Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha Switch NSP