July 2019 Shmup Club - Strikers 1945 II

[MetalFRO]

[img width=500 height=500]https://now.estarland.com/images/products/80/36380/Strikers%201945%20II.jpg[/img]]

During the 90's, when the shoot-em-up genre was transitioning from the old guard, of fast-paced, twitch dodging styled shooters, to give way to the danmaku, or bullet hell style, there was at least one Japanese developer that found a way to incorporate elements of both. Psikyo found a way to combine the speedy, targeted bullets of earlier shooting games, with the larger, more complex bullet patterns that would come to define the genre just a few years later. While their games tend to lean more toward the old school, they include unique elements that made each game a different experience every time you play. And the fast bullet patterns might not have the density of the bullet curtains seen in later games, but their fast speed and occasional frequency often substituted for that, leaving the player with a lot to contend with. Their propensity for random stage order also provided a lot of replay value.

Among the canon of Psikyo shmups, one of the more stand-out titles is Strikers 1945 II. Often considered as the best in the series, and lauded as one of the company's best shooters, Strikers 1945 II has all the hallmarks of classic Psikyo. The 1st 4 stages in the game are in a random order, and depending upon when you see each stage's end boss in that order, they get progressively harder. Improving upon the gameplay aspects of the original game, Strikers 1945 II sees you piloting 1 of 6 advanced fighter planes, including the mighty F-5U "Flying Pancake" craft, to take on the enemy forces of the F.G.R. faction, and stop their plot of world domination through mecha technology. Originally released in arcades in 1997, and available only in Japan for the Sega Saturn, a PlayStation version came to North America later, simply titled as Strikers 1945, via budget publisher Agetec, and even later in Europe, from Midas Games. The game saw a re-release on the PS2, in the Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 1 collection, along with its predecessor, and that saw a European release via publisher Play It. Since that time, the game has seen release on PSN, been ported to mobile platforms, and most recently, received a re-release on the Nintendo Switch, both in the eShop, as well as via the physical Psikyo Collection Vol. 2 pack, released in Japan and Asian regions, but region free, and with English language support. Come join the RF Generation Shmup Club in July 2019, to take on this Psikyo classic!

Participants:
MetalFRO
Addicted
zoydo
EZ Racer
VicViper_Mk2
Duke.Togo
Mr_Stubbes
coin_tengoku
Christapp76
Nefarious Wes (via Twitter)
Ser Flash (via Twitter)

HIGH SCORES
Arcade:
Saturn:
PlayStation:
PS2:
Switch:

[zoydo]

Gentlemen, expect my participation.

[Addicted]

Of course! Who doesn’t want to fly a pancake!

[EZ Racer]

I'll be on PS1

[VicViper_Mk2]

Oh Yes!!, I'm in for sure

[MetalFRO]

Welcome to the squadron, gents!

[Duke.Togo]

I'll be in with the Saturn version. Maybe I'll stand a chance on Monkey difficulty

[MetalFRO]

I'll be in with the Saturn version. Maybe I'll stand a chance on Monkey difficulty

You and me both! I never managed to "git gud" at this one when I bought it back in the day. It always seemed to pound me into submission. Hopefully this time around, I can have some measure of revenge

[Mr_Stubbes]

I'm not very good at shmups, but I'm in on this one! I'll be playing the switch version.

[MetalFRO]

I'm not very good at shmups, but I'm in on this one! I'll be playing the switch version.

Excellent! Glad to have you aboard

Don't worry about being good at shmups - most of us aren't that good at them either 

[coin_tengoku]

Hey guys!  Count me in on this one. I’ll be playing it on M.A.M.E.  No need to be good Mr. Stubbes.


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[Christapp76]

Add my please

Christapp76


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[MetalFRO]

Welcome, coin_tengoku and Christapp76!

[Mr_Stubbes]

Hey guys!  Count me in on this one. I’ll be playing it on M.A.M.E.  No need to be good Mr. Stubbes.


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Well I’ll certainly try my best haha. I’ve been practicing every now and then when I get some free time.

[MetalFRO]

Well, I'm not setting the bar that high, but I am only playing on Easy (level 4 in the difficulty selection):

[img width=640 height=480]https://i.imgur.com/CQJ5Jv0l.jpg[/img]

One thing to keep in mind, for those less familiar with the game, is that the stage order is fairly randomized for the 1st 4 stages, depending on which plane you pick. Even then, it's not the same each time. As you advance through the game, bosses that are easier to defeat in Stage 1 become more vicious and difficult in Stage 3 or 4. You'll spend time learning not only the base pattern, but then learning how to deal with increased bullet spam. I would also recommend taking out bosses as quickly as you can - don't skimp on bombs, and don't neglect to use your charge weapon when you have an opportunity. It can often be a lifesaver.