| Star Soldier review |
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Hudson's Star Soldier continues that fine Japanese tradition of naming a shoot-'em-up with a cool-sounding, double-barrelled title, and by beating Sengoku Cannon (see what I mean?) to Japanese stores by just one week, it became the first proper shooter available on Sony's handheld.
The game's origins can be traced back to the '80s when it made a successful debut on the Famicom nearly 20 years ago, and it has subsequently enjoyed updated releases on the PC Engine (Super Star Soldier) and the N64 (Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth) over the years. In 2003, the title enjoyed another renaissance on the GameCube & PS2 as part of the short-lived Famicom Selection series of updated Hudson classics.
This new PSP version is very similar to that GC/PS2 release, and essentially offers nothing new if you're already familiar with it, apart from the obvious advantage of being portable. A lazy port then? Not exactly. The game has actually been reworked very well to take into account the PSP hardware.
The home versions are famous for requiring a mean trigger finger and extreme rapid firing to be successful - something that isn't going to work on a handheld since the screen would shake violently with each button press. Instead, the player only needs to keep the fire button held down to gain a rapid rate of fire that would be blister-inducing on the console edition. As if that wasn't easy enough, a full autofire mode is also available where no buttons are required. The payoff being that the rate of fire is weaker than normal.
Without doubt, this makes the game much easier to play, but no less satisfying. Also new to the PSP version is a choice of ships. (only one is in the home version). The other way in which the PSP hardware has been used effectively is the screen format; the game is 100% "TATE" and cannot be played holding the PSP in a "normal" fashion. Initially, it feels awkward to hold the PSP vertically but within a few minutes it feels natural, and much like rotating a monitor to play a console game, the "big screen" look is extremely effective.
The scoring system works exactly as before with the emphasis placed on wiping out each attack wave as quickly as possible - the faster a wave of enemies is destroyed, the more bonus points you earn with the maximum possible being around the 10000pts mark. During the first few plays, this will only be something of a side issue, but once the levels and attack waves are memorised through repeat plays, it becomes an ultra-addictive gameplay "hook" for those who like to score-attack. This is especially the case in the alternative two- and five-minute modes that are available. Unlike the normal mode, the action takes place on a single dedicated level with a (you guessed it) two- or five-minute time limit. Lives are infinite here, but losing one is still undesirable as that will waste precious time, and ultimately points. These timed modes are actually even more compulsive than the normal game, and as if further incentive to play them was required, any high scores attained can be uploaded to the online rankings page. A video replay of the best run is also saved to the memory stick and can be examined for ways to improve subsequent attempts.
With the controls being nice and tight, it really does play like a dream with barely a break in the action - it's pure blasting fun from beginning to end with no complex chain or combo systems to worry about. Inquisitive players may be rewarded though by uncovering and shooting the many "Z" blocks which are hidden throughout each stage.
Technically speaking, the game also impresses without being extravagant. Everything looks neat and clearly defined, and despite the screen getting very busy with enemies and projectiles at times, there are none of the slowdown issues that plagued Psikyo's Sengoku Cannon. It does occur on a few occasions, but it's very minor and never off-putting - the occasional slowdown evident in Dreamcast Ikaruga would be a fair comparision to illustrate how insignificant it is.
The sound effects and music are also good, although they are better appreciated through headphones since the PSP's right speaker tends to be obstructed by holding the machine in the vertical position, and the loading times must also be mentioned since they are practically non-existent - it almost seems like a waste of time having "Now Loading" on the screen when it's only there for the briefest of moments.
The game isn't too difficult, but due to the addictive score-attacking qualities it possesses, there's plenty of lasting appeal, plus there are a few secrets and extras to keep you coming back to it - including an extra ship to unlock.
Overall, the game is very slick and highly recommended for fans of the genre, and the "TATE" works so well, it would be a shame if Star Soldier proves to be the only shmup to make use of it.
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System: Sony PlayStation Portable
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Hudson
Publisher: Hudson
Players: 1
Version: Japan
Reviewed: Oct 2005
Writer: John Henderson
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Pros:
- Wonderful use of the PSP's screen
- Slick presentation and graphics
- Very addictive and lots of fun
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Cons:
- Very similar to existing PS2/GameCube editions
- Relatively low difficulty
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Star Soldier Video: 5.6MB
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