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[bob_arctor]

Jebus, does this game kick ass. It had been years since I'd seen it and even then, I only played it a handful of times, but after tracking it down for the relatively scant price of $22 on Ebay, I got to sit down last night and have a session. And was blown away. The second I realized Compile was behind it, I knew it would be something special, but I was floored by what they were able to pull off on the "slow" SNES--all type of carnage on screen, crazy power-ups, Mode 7 out the ass--all with nary a hint of slowdown. Insane. It's like MUSHA making sweet, sweet love to Blazing Lazers.

Nice review here

Some pics:

Where exactly does Space Megaforce lay in the Shmup Pantheon? I hardly ever hear it mentioned or praised, well, at least not as much as the usual suspects.

 

[sprsk]

This game reminds me of a nes shooter, fuck what is it called...

The ship designs are really similar...i think it was made by nexsoft

 

[solarplexus]

This is still one of my favorite games.

 

[bob_arctor]

This game reminds me of a nes shooter, fuck what is it called...

The ship designs are really similar...i think it was made by nexsoft

Maybe this? Never played it, but it's Compile as well. And of course:

 

[Attack You]

I remember the first time I played Space Megaforce, back in the day, and couldn't figure out the difficulty select. Got my ass handed to me in grand fashion before I wised up and cycled through the difficulties to figure out what was what. When I landed on an easier one, the "rush" I was feeling before was gone and I only got two stages in before I re-adjusted it to a harder difficulty. Never looked at shooter difficulty the same way since, and it all started with Space Megaforce. Man, what a great game.

I vaguely remember the game being hard as shit to find, back in the day. I'm inclined to believe it had a stupidly low print run. One of the only SNES games I've never actually seen inhabit a retail shelf when you could find it for new (like with Super Turrican 2).

 

[sprsk]

Maybe this? Never played it, but it's Compile as well. And of course:

yes, gunnac thats exactly what im talking about.

 

[bobafett]

Is this Super Aleste? If so, amazing game. Sleeper hit of that year.

 

[Attack You]

Is this Super Aleste?

Yes.

 

[Izzy]

If you've loved Super Aleste, try these:


-BORDERLINE 1983 SG-1000 Sega
-DEVILS HEAVEN 1984 MSX General
-E.I. 1984 MSX Sony
-STARBLAZER 1984 MSX Sony
-FINAL JUSTICE 1985 MSX Pony
-A.E. 1985 MSX Toshiba Emi
-GULKAVE 1986 MSX / SG-1000 Pony / Sega
-ZANAC 1986 / 87 / 2001 MSX / MSX2 / FC Pony
-GUARDIC 1986 / 87 MSX Compile
-ALESTE 1988 MSX2 / MARK III Compile / Sega
-GUARDIC GAIDEN 1988 FC Irem
-R-TYPE 1988 MARK III Sega
-XEVIOUS FARDRAUT SAGA 1988 / 90 MSX2 / PCE Namco
-GUNHED 1989 PCE Hudson
-ALESTE 2 1989 MSX 2 Compile
-ALESTE GAIDEN 1989 MSX 2 Compile
-BLASTER BURN 1990 MSX 2 Compile
-GUNNAC 1990 FC Tonkin House
-MUSHA ALESTE 1990 MD Toaplan
-SEIREISENSHI SPRIGGAN 1991 PCE CD-ROM Naxat
-GG ALESTE 1991 GG Compile
-SUPER ALESTE 1992 SFC Toho
-SPRIGGAN Mark2 1992 PCE CD-ROM Naxat
-DENNIN ALESTE 1992 MD CD-ROM Compile
-GG ALESTE II 1993 GG Sega
-SYLPHIA 1993 PCE CD-ROM Tonkin House
-POWER STRIKE II 1993 MS Sega
-ZANAC x ZANAC 2001 PLAYSTATION Compile

^^^ All Compile shooters. ^^^

But no Puyo Puyo recommendations from me.

 

[Chittagong]

Super Aleste kicked all sorts of ass indeed. One of my favorite Super NES shooters. Be sure to check out Hagane, for a great side scrolling action game, by the way.

 

[Attack You]

I'm assuming DENNIN ALESTE for Mega CD is Robo Aleste for Sega CD. Man, what is it with the soundtrack of that game that just grabs my nuts? I never tire of it. It has such a unique, appealing sound.

 

[Izzy]

I'm assuming DENNIN ALESTE for Mega CD is Robo Aleste for Sega CD.

Yeah.

Man, what is it with the soundtrack of that game that just grabs my nuts? I never tire of it. It has such a unique, appealing sound.

Indeed.

 

[captmcblack]

Compile, baby.

Space Megaforce is par for the course, mang.

 

[Warm Machine]

I never found Space Megaforce to be all that great actually. Sure there is lots of stuff flying around to shoot at and the SNES is certainly getting a good workout shifting around all those sprites and warping up the backgrounds but the core shooting mechanics were too soft.

I prefer shmups like Raiden 2 or Twin Cobra where each shot and each hit has a specific solidity and feel. As well, the choreography of enemies is paced better and their firing patterns more graceful, and readable.

I think I completed Space Megaforce the 2nd time I played it by hiding in the corner of the screen and watched as most things past by me or caught in my fire. Maybe it is just that I played Power Strike on the SMS and was very used to the style of the game.

Regardless, its a good game and pretty polished by not my cup of tea.

 

[bob_arctor]

Be sure to check out Hagane, for a great side scrolling action game, by the way.

On Ebay as I type this. I can only find the import version so far though. Very tempting...

 

[oBa]

Isnt Space Mega Force missing a couple of levels from Super Aleste? I remember hearing something about that on Retrocore.

 

[drohne]

space megaforce rocks. i think to fully appreciate it you have to remember that it was an early snes game, and that it was throwing all those sprites around when virtually every other action game was a slowdown-plagued mess. if you're willing to spend a bit of money, zanac neo on ps1 -- it comes packaged with the original zanac as "zanac x zanac" -- is an amazing elevation of this general style.

and hagane is a classic. best action-platformer on snes, imo. largely neglected cos it came out so late.

 

[djtiesto]

Yeah, I was playing this game today. Never heard of it before this thread... very good, I miss the shooter days when you had all those crazy power ups. Space Megaforce has some of the coolest powerups I've ever seen in a shooter - the directional shot, power shot, etc. Very nice game and pretty attractive graphics too. Reminds me a lot of Blazing Lazers which I loved

*bows head in silence for Compile*

 

[Teddman]

It's a pseudo-sequel to Blazing Lazers, right? That's one of my favorite shooters--is Space Megaforce as good?

 

[negitoro7]

I remember the music was really catchy, one of the most memorable shmups for me.