Einhänder
Encyclopedia
is a scrolling shooter developed
by Square
for the PlayStation console. It was released in Japan on November 20, 1997 and in North America on April 30, 1998. It was also re-released for the Japanese PlayStation Network on June 25, 2008. The name Einhänder is German
for "single-handed", a reference to a sword
, here used to refer to the single manipulator arm possessed by the player's spacecraft.
The game is set in a fictional future
during a war between the Earth
and the Moon
. The player is part of the Moon's forces and must invade enemy territories to gather reconnaissance and enemy weapons. The music of the game was composed in electro/techno
style by Kenichiro Fukui
and was published in Japan as a soundtrack album. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay and graphics, but felt the game's short duration and lack of two-player
mode were minor flaws.
Einhänder is a shoot 'em up
game of the scrolling shooter subgenre in the tradition of games like Gradius
, in which the player controls a fighter spacecraft
that must destroy enemy crafts in side-scrolling levels. The game's graphics are in "2.5D
"; that is in 3D
with occasional shifting of camera angles, but with player's movement restricted to a two-dimensional plane. Pre-rendered full motion video
s are used to illustrate pivotal scenes between stages.
The player can choose between multiple difficulty settings
and three different models of "Einhänder" fighter, in addition to two secret
ones. The Japanese version also features a difficulty setting called "Free", which grants unlimited continue
s but disables the score
. The player's fighter can move at different speeds and is equipped with a default machine gun
as well as a manipulator arm, which is used to collect gunpods
left by destroyed enemies. Gunpods have varying amounts of power, ammunition
and range, and include cannons, guided missile
launchers, aircraft-sized lightsaber
s and other types of weapons. Gunpods depleted of ammunition are discarded. They can be switched between an overhead and below-the-belly position, causing them to fire at different angles or directions. Most stages have a middle boss and an end boss
, which often possess a main core and individual parts that can be destroyed.
The game's score system is based on a multiplier bar and a hit gauge counter. As the player destroys enemy cores, the hit counter increases. Points awarded for destroyed cores are multiplied by the value of the hit counter. The counter decreases when the player stops destroying cores. However, if the multiplier reaches a certain amount it will begin to flash, awarding large point bonuses for any cores destroyed during this short period of time.
, during a war between the Earth
and the Moon
colony of Selene. According to the backstory of the game, the "First Moon War" resulted in the destruction of most of the Earth's surface and the creation of a totalitarian
regime on the planet. The game recounts the events of the Second Moon War, in which the Moon attacks the Earth again for natural resource
s. Selene's tactic consists in sending one-man fighter spacecraft called "Einhänder" on kamikaze
missions, to cause as much damage as possible on the planet before being destroyed by the enemies. The player takes on the role of one of these pilots attacking the Earth capital city.
As the player progresses through the game, they are relayed command orders and objectives dispatched by the Selene military satellite, Hyperion. The orders are synthesized by the on-board central computer EOS, which also records and relays the players flight and battle record data back to Hyperion. After completion of the last objective, the player is informed by Hyperion that the battle pattern of the latest EOS unmanned fighter has been completed according to the data from their battle record. The player is given the honor of being the target of the last EOS test as reward for their heroic efforts and that upon the player's death, they shall advance two classes and be awarded the Sirius decoration. After surviving the intense barrage of artillery fire of the EOS test, the pilot wonders why they must be terminated by their ally and questions their military leaders' rationale for the war.
The game's narrative
then skips to one month later, when the pilot re-emerges in space flying an armed Einhänder spacecraft. A message from Hyperion communicates that the player is committing an act of treason
and must remove their armament and surrender. Nevertheless, the player fights their way through Selene fighters and faces the Hyperion, the game's final boss. The ending sequence depicts the player's spacecraft damaged and drifting in space. The pilot engages its thruster
s and dives into an army of Selene spacecraft with the Moon
in the background. After the end credits
, a lone Einhänder spacecraft is shown powering up.
, a company otherwise mostly known for their role-playing video games
(RPGs). The developers used German terms extensively for naming things in the game, in addition to a number of references from Greek mythology
and the Bible
. According to the gaming website IGN
, a lot of the effects Square learned from creating Final Fantasy VII
were also put in use in Einhänder. The game was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show
in September 1997 and was initially planned for a Japanese release on October 16, 1997, but was eventually released five weeks later on November 20. Square released an unrelated game the following month, Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, which came with a bonus "Mysterious Data Disc" featuring memory card
data for various Square games including Einhänder.
The American publisher Working Designs
was interested in publishing the game in North America for its Spaz brand of shoot 'em ups, but could not as Sony Computer Entertainment
used their priority over Square titles to publish the game themselves. For the North American version, the speed of the arm switching was increased and some power-up
s were altered; the game mode called "Free" was removed; and the Gallery was given a modified interface and different pictures than those from the Japanese version. The game was not released in Europe. On June 25, 2008, Square Enix re-released the game as a downloadable content
for the Japanese PlayStation Network.
. The game was the first Square title to have a score from the techno
/electro genre. Several tracks make use of subgenres of techno, such as progressive house, or other genres like hip hop
, piano
-based music or opera
. The soundtrack of the game was published in Japan by DigiCube
, a subsidiary
of Square, on December 21, 1997, and was reissued by Square Enix
on July 18, 2007, after DigiCube's bankruptcy. The final track, titled "Beginning", was also featured on Square Enix Music Compilation 2, a compilation album
published on May 1, 2008 for members of the Japanese Square Enix website.
, titled Einhänder Kōshiki Guidebook (aka Einhänder der offizielle Führer), was published in Japan by ASCII
in December 1997. Its content includes stage maps, information on the spacecraft and data tables.
referred to the game as the best side scrolling shooter "to come out in the post 16-bit era of video gaming
", while the British
site Eurogamer
called it "the most successful of Square's expeditions into non-RPG territory". In 2007, IGN
ranked it first in a top ten of the best 2D space shooters.
The gameplay was praised by critics. Allgame lauded the game's intense action and diversity of spacecraft, the gun pod system and the fact that bosses are composed of different destructible parts. GamePro
noted that while the gameplay scheme is common to other shoot 'em ups, the title's "thumb-busting" action and variety of weaponry made for an enjoyable experience. The site called diversity "one of the game's biggest assets". GameSpot
further called the game's play mechanics "finely tuned" and featuring a "fascinating" plot, while IGN felt the tilting camera angles were one of the features that make the game "so exciting".
Concerning the graphics, GameSpot, Allgame and Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine appreciated the level of details and effects used in the different stages, as well as the large size of the bosses. IGN noted that the game's 3D graphics made it "substantially better" than most of the other, sprite
-based shoot 'em up games of the time.
The soundtrack of the game was praised by reviewers such as Eurogamer, IGN, Soundtrack Central and PlayStation Magazine
. GamePro noted that the techno music and sound effects fit the stages "perfectly". However, GameSpot felt that the quality of the music and sound effects were "good" but globally not on par with that of the graphics. The game's short duration and lack of a two-player
mode were noted as the game's only flaws by Allgame and GamePro. GameSpot estimated that the game demands "just over an hour" to complete.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Square
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
for the PlayStation console. It was released in Japan on November 20, 1997 and in North America on April 30, 1998. It was also re-released for the Japanese PlayStation Network on June 25, 2008. The name Einhänder is German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for "single-handed", a reference to a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, here used to refer to the single manipulator arm possessed by the player's spacecraft.
The game is set in a fictional future
Future history
A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors in the subgenre of speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction...
during a war between the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. The player is part of the Moon's forces and must invade enemy territories to gather reconnaissance and enemy weapons. The music of the game was composed in electro/techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
style by Kenichiro Fukui
Kenichiro Fukui
is a Japanese video game composer and musician. Before working at Square Enix, he was employed at Konami. He is an arranger and a keyboardist in the band The Black Mages, formed in 2003. Additionally, Fukui arranged Angela Aki's "Kiss Me Good-Bye" from Final Fantasy XII. In October 2007, he left...
and was published in Japan as a soundtrack album. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay and graphics, but felt the game's short duration and lack of two-player
Two-player
A two-player video game is a video game played by just two players. This is distinct from a multiplayer video game which is played by more than two players, and from a single-player video game, in which the player has no human opponents....
mode were minor flaws.
Gameplay
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
game of the scrolling shooter subgenre in the tradition of games like Gradius
Gradius (series)
The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
, in which the player controls a fighter spacecraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
that must destroy enemy crafts in side-scrolling levels. The game's graphics are in "2.5D
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
"; that is in 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
with occasional shifting of camera angles, but with player's movement restricted to a two-dimensional plane. Pre-rendered full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
s are used to illustrate pivotal scenes between stages.
The player can choose between multiple difficulty settings
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...
and three different models of "Einhänder" fighter, in addition to two secret
Secret character
A secret character can be a player character or a non-player character in a video game that must be unlocked by completing a goal within the game...
ones. The Japanese version also features a difficulty setting called "Free", which grants unlimited continue
Continue
Continue may refer to:*Continue , an option to continue a video game after all the player's lives have been lost*Continue , a 2008 Cantopop album by Pakho Chau*Continue , a programming language keyword-See also:...
s but disables the score
Score (game)
In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points, and events in the game can raise or lower the score of different parties...
. The player's fighter can move at different speeds and is equipped with a default machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
as well as a manipulator arm, which is used to collect gunpods
Gun pod
A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns or automatic cannon and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns....
left by destroyed enemies. Gunpods have varying amounts of power, ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
and range, and include cannons, guided missile
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
launchers, aircraft-sized lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
s and other types of weapons. Gunpods depleted of ammunition are discarded. They can be switched between an overhead and below-the-belly position, causing them to fire at different angles or directions. Most stages have a middle boss and an end boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
, which often possess a main core and individual parts that can be destroyed.
The game's score system is based on a multiplier bar and a hit gauge counter. As the player destroys enemy cores, the hit counter increases. Points awarded for destroyed cores are multiplied by the value of the hit counter. The counter decreases when the player stops destroying cores. However, if the multiplier reaches a certain amount it will begin to flash, awarding large point bonuses for any cores destroyed during this short period of time.
Plot
Einhänder takes place in a fictional futureFuture history
A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors in the subgenre of speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction...
, during a war between the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
colony of Selene. According to the backstory of the game, the "First Moon War" resulted in the destruction of most of the Earth's surface and the creation of a totalitarian
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
regime on the planet. The game recounts the events of the Second Moon War, in which the Moon attacks the Earth again for natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s. Selene's tactic consists in sending one-man fighter spacecraft called "Einhänder" on kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
missions, to cause as much damage as possible on the planet before being destroyed by the enemies. The player takes on the role of one of these pilots attacking the Earth capital city.
As the player progresses through the game, they are relayed command orders and objectives dispatched by the Selene military satellite, Hyperion. The orders are synthesized by the on-board central computer EOS, which also records and relays the players flight and battle record data back to Hyperion. After completion of the last objective, the player is informed by Hyperion that the battle pattern of the latest EOS unmanned fighter has been completed according to the data from their battle record. The player is given the honor of being the target of the last EOS test as reward for their heroic efforts and that upon the player's death, they shall advance two classes and be awarded the Sirius decoration. After surviving the intense barrage of artillery fire of the EOS test, the pilot wonders why they must be terminated by their ally and questions their military leaders' rationale for the war.
The game's narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
then skips to one month later, when the pilot re-emerges in space flying an armed Einhänder spacecraft. A message from Hyperion communicates that the player is committing an act of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and must remove their armament and surrender. Nevertheless, the player fights their way through Selene fighters and faces the Hyperion, the game's final boss. The ending sequence depicts the player's spacecraft damaged and drifting in space. The pilot engages its thruster
Thruster
A thruster is a small propulsive device used by spacecraft and watercraft for station keeping, attitude control, in the reaction control system, or long duration low thrust acceleration.-Spacecraft thrusters:...
s and dives into an army of Selene spacecraft with the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
in the background. After the end credits
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, a lone Einhänder spacecraft is shown powering up.
Development
Einhänder was the first 3D shooter developed by SquareSquare Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
, a company otherwise mostly known for their role-playing video games
Role-playing game (video games)
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
(RPGs). The developers used German terms extensively for naming things in the game, in addition to a number of references from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. According to the gaming website IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, a lot of the effects Square learned from creating Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
were also put in use in Einhänder. The game was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
in September 1997 and was initially planned for a Japanese release on October 16, 1997, but was eventually released five weeks later on November 20. Square released an unrelated game the following month, Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, which came with a bonus "Mysterious Data Disc" featuring memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
data for various Square games including Einhänder.
The American publisher Working Designs
Working Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
was interested in publishing the game in North America for its Spaz brand of shoot 'em ups, but could not as Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
used their priority over Square titles to publish the game themselves. For the North American version, the speed of the arm switching was increased and some power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s were altered; the game mode called "Free" was removed; and the Gallery was given a modified interface and different pictures than those from the Japanese version. The game was not released in Europe. On June 25, 2008, Square Enix re-released the game as a downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the Japanese PlayStation Network.
Audio
The music of Einhänder was composed by Kenichiro FukuiKenichiro Fukui
is a Japanese video game composer and musician. Before working at Square Enix, he was employed at Konami. He is an arranger and a keyboardist in the band The Black Mages, formed in 2003. Additionally, Fukui arranged Angela Aki's "Kiss Me Good-Bye" from Final Fantasy XII. In October 2007, he left...
. The game was the first Square title to have a score from the techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
/electro genre. Several tracks make use of subgenres of techno, such as progressive house, or other genres like hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-based music or opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. The soundtrack of the game was published in Japan by DigiCube
DigiCube
DigiCube Co., Ltd. was a Japanese company established as a subsidiary of software developer Square on February 6, 1996 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The primary purpose of DigiCube was to market and distribute Square products, most notably video games and related merchandise, including toys,...
, a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Square, on December 21, 1997, and was reissued by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
on July 18, 2007, after DigiCube's bankruptcy. The final track, titled "Beginning", was also featured on Square Enix Music Compilation 2, a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
published on May 1, 2008 for members of the Japanese Square Enix website.
Merchandise
A 111-page official strategy guideStrategy guide
Strategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. The line between strategy guides and walkthroughs is somewhat blurred, with the former often containing or being written around the latter. Strategy guides are often published in print, both in...
, titled Einhänder Kōshiki Guidebook (aka Einhänder der offizielle Führer), was published in Japan by ASCII
ASCII (company)
was a publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. It became a subsidiary of Kadokawa Group Holdings in 2004, and merged with another Kadokawa subsidiary MediaWorks on April 1, 2008, and became ASCII Media Works. The company published Monthly ASCII as the main publication...
in December 1997. Its content includes stage maps, information on the spacecraft and data tables.
Reception
In Japan, Einhänder had sold 50,000 copies three days after its release, and sold 100,000 copies as of February 1999. The game received positive reviews from American gaming publications, which stated that the game was especially notable for a shoot 'em up as it had no strong competitor on the PlayStation at the time of its release. The website AllgameAllgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
referred to the game as the best side scrolling shooter "to come out in the post 16-bit era of video gaming
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company's PC Engine...
", while the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
site Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
called it "the most successful of Square's expeditions into non-RPG territory". In 2007, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked it first in a top ten of the best 2D space shooters.
The gameplay was praised by critics. Allgame lauded the game's intense action and diversity of spacecraft, the gun pod system and the fact that bosses are composed of different destructible parts. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
noted that while the gameplay scheme is common to other shoot 'em ups, the title's "thumb-busting" action and variety of weaponry made for an enjoyable experience. The site called diversity "one of the game's biggest assets". GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
further called the game's play mechanics "finely tuned" and featuring a "fascinating" plot, while IGN felt the tilting camera angles were one of the features that make the game "so exciting".
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
-based shoot 'em up games of the time.
The soundtrack of the game was praised by reviewers such as Eurogamer, IGN, Soundtrack Central and PlayStation Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine is a magazine originally known as PlayStation Magazine . After Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was canceled, Sony Computer Entertainment announced on October 1, 2007 that PSM would become "PlayStation: The Official Magazine"...
. GamePro noted that the techno music and sound effects fit the stages "perfectly". However, GameSpot felt that the quality of the music and sound effects were "good" but globally not on par with that of the graphics. The game's short duration and lack of a two-player
Two-player
A two-player video game is a video game played by just two players. This is distinct from a multiplayer video game which is played by more than two players, and from a single-player video game, in which the player has no human opponents....
mode were noted as the game's only flaws by Allgame and GamePro. GameSpot estimated that the game demands "just over an hour" to complete.
External links
- Official North American website from Sony Computer Entertainment
- Official North American website from Square, retrieved from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Official Japanese homepage from Square Enix