We’ve already been blessed with the sublime Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade but now it’s the turn of the game that started it all as the NES classic Star Soldier hits the Virtual Console.
Released on the NES way back in 1986, Hudson’s shooter went down a storm in Japan but failed to replicate this success in the West. As a result it’s not exactly well known over here, but it still ranks as one of the most important 8-bit shooters of the period. It doesn’t really do anything out of the ordinary when placed alongside some of the better examples we’ve seen on the VC so far, but it has to be remembered that Star Soldier was released at a time when things like power-ups and multiple weapons were fresh and innovative.
One feature that does stand out is the ability to ‘duck’ behind certain parts of the scenery, thus avoiding deadly enemy fire. The caveat is that you can’t return fire – it’s kind of like the shooter equivalent of Fatal Fury’s ‘plain-movement’ system. To be honest it’s not entirely successful and things soon become confusing, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Graphically Star Soldier has aged pretty poorly, with the usual drab NES colour palette doing its best to make the game look as unappealing as possible. The levels are also incredibly repetitive in terms of design.
Although Star Soldier entertained shooter addicts back in the 80s it simply doesn’t have the quality to compete against later, more notable genre pieces. If you’ve got an itchy trigger finger then Super Star Soldier, Blazing Lazers/Gunhed or Soldier Blade are much better choices. Only hardcore fans of the franchise should really consider downloading this.
1. Jonno
30 Jun 2007, 07:33 GMT
The first of the star soldier series, looks... hard. Lol
2. deggs
05 Jul 2007, 06:28 GMT
I had this game... I loved it. It was hard but it was fun. However, it's nothing near the awesomeness that is the tg16 star soldier games (which were absolutely stellar). I remember buying it for $15 back in the day for the nes so I don't know how good a deal it would be buy it for 500 points...
Still, it's a fun game and it is great to see the origins of this amazing series. Still, the top down shmups weren't that great until the 16 bit era (salamander/life force excepted)...
If you want a solid top down view shmup, wait for Life Force/Salamander. Now that game was one of the best for the nes...
3. sami
24 Jul 2007, 20:47 GMT
its good but no way near better than axelay.
4. Adamant
31 Jul 2007, 03:16 GMT
It is indeed a good game, the timing of it's release was just way off, with all it's superior sequels already being out (okay, Final Soldier isn't out outside of Japan, but that's the only place it was released anyway).
I agree that Life Force is far superior, but Star Soldier is still solid, and does not deserve such a low score.
5. hollywood
31 Jul 2007, 06:20 GMT
You think that Star Soldier was tough, take a shot at manuevering through all sixteen stages of Xevious for the NES. That's what I call "pain".
6. Jonno
02 Aug 2007, 05:38 GMT
Ah, once again, a game whose sales were massively depleted due to bad timing; tisk, tisk. Still, it is good enough.
7. deggs
07 Sep 2007, 17:38 GMT
hmm,
this game isn't that bad. it's just that there's better similar games around. 2 stars might be a little harsh but it is pretty much an atari/c64 style game with not that much to it (and it is fairly tough. as a kid it took me years to get anywhere in this game. still, i played it over and over and over...)
8. deggs
07 Sep 2007, 17:40 GMT
another cool thing about this one was the ability to duck under the action. too bad that wasn't around in life force
9. StarSoldier1
20 Dec 2007, 03:45 GMT
The game had some good features but the execution wasn't the best.
10. learn japanese ds
15 Jan 2008, 05:34 GMT
Man the VC is so saturated with this style of game. If I was a publisher and I had a whack of shooter left to release I would be bummed out.
11. GameGod3008
23 Mar 2008, 14:45 GMT
I've played the other Star Soldier games on a friend's Wii and they were great. When will they release this in Europe?
12. slangman
20 May 2008, 11:05 GMT
GameGod who knows. There might be a chance of it coming to europe if it was released for the NES here.
13. Bensei
22 Jun 2008, 14:57 GMT
Maybe we'll get it in some kind of American hanabi together with SMRPG and Earthbound?
14. Mr. Cheez
23 Jul 2008, 05:09 GMT
I think this game, along with Mega Man of course, is a good contender to the "Worst NES boxart" award. lol.
15. Corbie
25 Oct 2008, 05:04 GMT
Very hard and just not very good level designs. The firepower could have used some work as well. Mediocre start to a fantastic shooter series.
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