Now this is a rare breed, a 2D shooter that even some "casual" gamers will have heard of. The reason of course is the amount of money required to own it - it's probably more (in)famous for how much it costs than its actual merit as a videogame. But if we ignore that, plus all the hype that goes with it and just examine the game for what it really is, we find a highly innovative shooter and an outstanding technical achievement for the SEGA Saturn.
Radiant Silvergun (pretty-cool name, huh?) was originally released as a cartridge for SEGA's ST-V arcade system in 1998, and shortly afterwards, the Saturn version proper appeared complete with full arcade mode, added CGI scenes, slightly different soundtrack, and a few other additions. Since the ST-V board was effectively a Saturn chipset with more RAM, the conversion was perfect. Of the extras that were added, the most telling was the "Saturn" mode that allowed the player to "save" their powered-up weapons and begin the game with them the next time it was played.
Now, RS differs from most other shooters in that the player begins the game fully equipped with a multitude of weapons right from the off. In fact, the Silvergun is possibly the most well-equipped ship in the history of shooting games, as no fewer than six main weapons are available via the A, B & C buttons directly, or via a combination of them (A+C, B+A etc.). Forward-firing vulcans, spread shots, homing and auto-targeting lasers, rear-firing shots, you name it... they're all here, but the real icing on the cake is the "Radiant Sword", which can be swished around by holding down A+B+C at the same time.
Along with being able to kill and damage enemies with the sword, it's also possible to absorb any of the pink bullets that will come your way during the game (which is often), so being able to absorb them can be very handy for getting out of tight spots. There's also a secondary purpose for absorbing these bullets; doing so fills up an energy bar by a small amount for each one, which, when filled completely, makes yet another attack available - a special attack which delivers much devastation, and renders the ship invincible for a short period of time. The fact that all this complex firepower is handled via just 3 buttons without ever overwhelming the player, is an example of the meticulous design ethic that has made Treasure a developer with a huge cult following.
There are no extra weapons or power-ups to collect in Radiant Silvergun. Instead, the weapons increase in power simply by shooting down enemies, or more importantly, "chaining" them. The more enemies that are killed, the more powerful the weapons become - akin to an RPG character earning EX points from victorious battles. There's an added twist though as only the weapon that was used will be powered-up, so if the standard vulcan laser is used all the time, that will be the only one that is upgraded.
As mentioned earlier, the key way to improve firepower more quickly (and the score) is to kill enemies in "chains" of 3; every single enemy within the game is coloured either red, blue, or yellow, and shooting 3 of the same colour will begin the chain. Shoot a further 3 of the same colour and the chain will continue and so on. Shoot a different-coloured enemy though, and the chain is broken and you have to start from scratch again. Because of the colour-coding and the way the chain system works, it's often wise to ignore some enemies if they are the "wrong" colour. It's a clever system, and the game is designed completely around it to reward players who will attempt to build big chains, and subsequently, big scores.
Along with its "rare" status and über price-tag, RS is also well-known for its very high difficulty. It's a game that truly takes no prisoners and relies heavily on memorisation of the levels and attack patterns. It might be possible with some games, but there's simply no way a first-time player could fluke their way through this game on a single credit. It will take even the best gamer hundreds of attempts and hours of dedication to manage such a feat. For some, the game will seem impossible irrespective of how many times they play it. Make no mistake, Radiant Silvergun is a VERY hard game.
On the initial stages, the attack waves often appear invitingly set-up to be chained relatively easily, but later on, things get very complex, and almost puzzle-like. And because you're often left looking for just one particular colour of enemy to continue the chain, things can get very hectic when more and more enemies of the "wrong" colour are left alone. Added to this, is the fact that the stages are often labyrinthine with little room to manoeuvre.
In the player's favour though, is the fact that the ship has a tiny hit-box, which makes it slightly easier to live through the "bullet hell" moments. Along with promoting survival, the small hit-box also brings another gameplay element to the fore as all bullets, enemies and scenery can be "scratched" for additional point-scoring. Throw in the many hidden "Merry Dogs" that can be uncovered (woof!) and the various secret weapon bonuses, and the game really is a dream-come-true for those who like to go for the maximum possible score.
Bosses are not simply defeated in Radiant Silvergun; they are broken apart piece by piece for the highest rewards, and some can be "milked" for extra points by skilful players for absolutely ages.
The game is often criticised for being too "rigid" in structure, and in terms of simply attempting to reach the end, this is true to an extent - the player is encouraged (or forced, depending on your viewpoint) to play the game a certain way. Usually the "proper" way is the most rewarding score-wise though, and given that most people play these type of games to achieve high-scores, well, it's a bit of a moot point. The massive scope for point-scoring available to the player means that the potential for experimentation and creatively finding new techniques is always there - even when it is played by-the-book.
As previously-mentioned, Radiant Silvergun is THE technical showcase for the SEGA Saturn. Production values are sky-high in every department, with everything from the striking boxart design to the rousing orchestral music score impressing greatly. Each graphical trick the Saturn is capable of is also implemented, and even some that were thought to be impossible. The result is a combination of 2D sprites and 3D polygons that is nothing short of stunning.
Like many of Treasure's games, there's no shortage of surprises for the player whether it's down to extravagant graphics, clever level design, or even a combination of both, but it's the many Boss battles that contain the majority of "Wow!" moments, as seemingly anything (graphically speaking) is possible.
There's no denying that Radiant Silvergun will cost you a lot of money. The game is not actually THAT rare or hard to find, but it's one of the most sought-after by Saturn collectors and Treasure completists, so you can still be expected to pay a minimum of £60 for it on internet auction sites. Most copies in cirulation tend to be well looked-after so even finding a slightly beaten-up copy in an attempt at frugality is difficult. To sum up, you will know within yourself whether you are willing to spend up to 3-figures on a single game, but if any game is worth it, it's this one.
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