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Whereas 3D-polygon environments have come to dominate and characterize today's gaming world, the popularity of 2D games is still survived by the hardcore allegiance of shooter fanatics. Unfortunately, the only viable market for these type of games is Japan. One of the most prominent publishers of these games, Psikyo is responsible for reviving the memorable Capcom's 1942 shooter series with its Strikers 1945 series.
The first Strikers 1945 followed the shooter tradition precisely with its selectable cast of WW2-era fighter planes with variable abilities, squadrons of enemy fighters, and incredible bosses that would transform from huge floating gunships to monstrous robots. Although it didn't add much to the genre, it was top-notch in its presentation of a good standard shooter. Its successor, Strikers 1945 II is a great followup.
Like the first Strikers, part 2 has its share of fighter planes to choose from. They include the strange F-50 Flying Pancake (one of the best manueverable planes in a shooter), Focke-Wolf Ta152, and the Ki84 Hayate. The only planes from the first one are the slow but heavily armored P-38 Lightning and the quick J7W Shinden. Although the weapons available to these planes are formidable, the enemies on this game are more up to the match than those of the first.
As the levels progress, the difficulty becomes almost incredible (at least for this amateurish-fan!). The bosses' shots are about equal to the speed of your own shots and the spread and amount is just bewildering. Psikyo's "Gunbird" recalls this same insane number of 'low-level' shots which cover the screen. [In 'low-level', I mean the initial round of shots a boss fires in each firing cycle, which are usually slower and more in number than the 'higher-level' shots which follow in less number but faster.] However, to compensate for some of this, the planes you control seem a bit faster than they are at the arcade.
All in all, Strikers 1945 II is a great console conversion of the legendary arcade game with its decent graphics, fair play control, range of difficulty levels, and overall gaming value for its hours of fun for the hardcore shooter fan who strives for the Golden Mean: to beat the game with only one life.
[Additional note: it's funny how the game's easiest difficulty setting is called "monkey."]
Graphics 7
Sound 7
Game Control 8
Reviewer's Tilt 10
Learning Curve 5 seconds
Difficulty variable
Overall 8