Category Archives: Psikyo Shooting Stars

Psikyo Shooting Stars, Puzzlers, Switch

Gunbarich: It’s Flippin’ Psikyonoid

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2001’s Gunbarich was one of Psikyo’s last games before they merged with X-Nauts in 2002 — and the last title in the Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo collection for Nintendo Switch.

It wasn’t one of their lastΒ shoot ’em ups, however, because despite technically being part of theΒ GunbirdΒ series in the loosest possible sense (it has the word “Gun” in the title and also features a cutesified version of recurring GunbirdΒ mascot character Marion the witch) it’s not actually a shoot ’em up at all.

Nope;Β GunbarichΒ represents Psikyo turning its hand to that most venerable of genres: the ol’ bat and ball. Let’s take a closer look!

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Gunbird 2: Peak Psikyo

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Speak to anyone familiar with Psikyo’s work, and doubtless Gunbird 2 will come up sooner rather than later.

It’s probably one of the most fondly regarded entries in the company’s back catalogue, and for various reasons. Not only is it a solid shoot ’em up in its own right, but it also had an excellent Dreamcast release in collaboration with Capcom, featuring Morrigan fromΒ DarkstalkersΒ as a guest character.

The Nintendo Switch version that comes as part of theΒ Psikyo Shooting Stars BravoΒ collection sadly lacks this latter aspect — presumably due to licensing issues — but otherwise allows a whole new audience to enjoy this classic blaster. Let’s take a look!

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Gunbird: The ’90s Anime Shoot ‘Em Up

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In conversation with casual shoot ’em up fans I’m acquainted with, I’ve come to learn that Gunbird is one of Psikyo’s most fondly regarded series.

It’s not hard to see why, either. Although the firstΒ GunbirdΒ game predates many of Psikyo’s other works, it features a lot of their most appealing elements. We have the multiple endings and strong replayability ofΒ Samurai Aces. We have the strong degree of physicality of theΒ StrikersΒ series. We have the overblown narratives ofΒ Sol DivideΒ andΒ Dragon Blaze. And the whole thing is topped off with a ton of ’90s anime charm.

Sounds like a recipe for success to me. Let’s take a closer look.

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Samurai Aces Episode III: Sengoku Cannon – Blasting Goodbye

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Samurai Aces Episode III: Sengoku Cannon (“Sengoku Cannon” hereafter) is a game of farewells.

It bids a fond farewell to theΒ Samurai AcesΒ series, which is how Psikyo began as a developer. It waves goodbye to Psikyo’s run of arcade-centric shoot ’em ups, being designed specifically for the PSP platform. And, in some ways, as a title developed by X-Nauts after they took over Psikyo in 2002, it’s something of aΒ sayounaraΒ to Psikyo themselves, too.

Some of the snobbier shoot ’em up fans out there would also argue thatΒ Sengoku CannonΒ also bids adieu to Psikyo-branded games being “good”, but I’ve actually found quite a lot to like about this curious, clunky shooter. Let’s take a closer look.

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Tengai: The Return of the Samurai Aces

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If there’s one thing that becomes clear from looking at Psikyo’s shoot ’em up output over the years, it’s that they love a sequel.

TheΒ Strikers 1945Β series saw two sequels, for example: one which built on the original formula, and another which transplanted the action into the modern day. They all played fairly similarly to one another in terms of their core mechanics, though each with their own unique features to enjoy.

TheΒ Samurai AcesΒ series shook things up a bit more with each new installment. So after the straightforward, no-nonsense, enjoyable fun of the original Samurai Aces, we come to the second episode:Β Tengai. Let’s take a closer look.

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Samurai Aces: A Strong Debut

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It’s always fascinating to see a developer’s first game, because it often represents a combination of the new company’s staff bringing their past experience to the table and an attempt for that new company to truly define themselves as something unique.

Psikyo kicked off a prolific few years of shoot ’em ups withΒ Samurai Aces (also known as Sengoku Ace: Tengai Episode I), originally released to arcades in 1993. As the company’s first game, it certainly helps set the mould for their subsequent games, but it remains a solid shoot ’em up in its own right, and can easily be experienced today as part of theΒ Psikyo Shooting Stars BravoΒ compilation for Nintendo Switch.

A lot of that is probably down to the fact that it was designed by Shin Nakamura ofΒ Aero FightersΒ fame, so Psikyo was always set up to get a good start. But let’s take a closer look anyway, and see what makes this game truly tick.

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Zero Gunner 2-: Making a Classic Affordable

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Anyone interested in collecting video games has doubtless run into the issue of certain titles from previous console generations commanding astronomical prices.

There are numerous reasons this might happen — perhaps the game had a very limited print run; perhaps it only came out in certain territories or perhaps it had problems with distribution when it was current.

One such example isΒ Zero Gunner 2Β for the Dreamcast, which, at the time of writing, is going for anywhere between Β£100 and Β£200 on eBay. Fortunately, there’s a much cheaper way to get your hands on it today: the Switch version, which is available either on its own via the eShop, or as part of theΒ Psikyo Shooting Stars AlphaΒ collection. Let’s have a look!

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups, Switch

Dragon Blaze: Strikers 1495

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As we’ve already seen with the three Strikers 1945 titles, Psikyo is a developer that is more than happy to make incremental improvements to a formula rather than radically inventing things with each new game.

There are exceptions, of course, but few can deny that theΒ Strikers 1945Β formula worked well and could most certainly support a few more games with a few tweaks here and there. Like, say, changing the aesthetic somewhat.

Strikers 1945 IIIΒ already transplanted the weighty shooting action from post-World War II to the modern day.Β Dragon Blaze,Β also part of the Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha collection, zaps us into a fantasy world with neon pink bullets and challenges us to survive another stiff challenge.

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Psikyo Shooting Stars, Shmups

Sol Divide: Blast of the Titans

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While Psikyo could have easily stuck to being a heavily armed one-trick pony with the success and popularity of Strikers 1945 and its two sequels, the company decided to branch out and get a bit experimental in a number of its games.

A particularly potent example of this comes in the form of 1996’sΒ Sol Divide, an unusual and underappreciated game that does things very differently from many other shooters out there — particularly its contemporaries from its time of original release.

Does “experimental” equate to “worth checking out for more than five minutes out of curiosity”, though? Let’s take a closer look, since like many of its stablemates, you can enjoy it as part of the Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha collection on Nintendo Switch.

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Psikyo Shooting Stars

Strikers 1945 III: Leaving on a Jet Plane

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Strikers 1945 III, also known as Strikers 1999, does things a little bit differently to its two predecessors. Not a lot differently, mind, but enough to make it a distinctive experience.

For starters, we’ve shot 54 years into the “future” — well, more accurately, what was the “present day”, since this game actually released for the first time in 1999 — and are now taking on mechanical monsters that have been possessed by nanites. We’re flying modern jet fighters. And we’re dealing with a seriously escalated difficulty level.

Sounds like fun, right? Let’s strap in and get supersonic with this next installment — which, like its predecessors, is included in the Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha bundle for Nintendo Switch.

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