Silpheed [VGA / Adlib]

Another try. I'm quite bad, I know! 00:00 Intro and setup (*1) 08:47 Gameplay (*1) The introduction graphics are quite slow because my dosbox cycles were low. ______ About the game ________________________ Silpheed is a pioneer of the 3D "shoot 'em up" (shmup) genre. Unlike its 2D sprite-based contemporaries, it uses real-time, flat-shaded polygons to create a vertical-scrolling space combat experience. You pilot the SA-77 starfighter across various stages to stop the terrorist forces of Xacalite from destroying Earth. On the positive side, the vectorial enemies still look cool; seeing 3D ships rotate and break apart was a revolution for 1988 hardware. The game also respects your time by allowing you to continue from the last level, preventing total frustration during its long campaign. However, the gameplay has significant flaws: Visual Scale: The ships and enemies are tiny, making the action feel distant and lacking impact. Some enemies are impossible to hit because they linger at the edges of the screen, out of your line of fire. Lack of Variety: The game is completely on-rails and non-random. It is a test of pure memorization rather than reflexes. Without difficulty levels, the experience can feel punishingly stagnant. Stiff Systems: Selecting power-ups at the start or between stages removes the excitement of mid-mission upgrades. Furthermore, the game desperately needs more smoothness (FPS); on slower machines, enemy attacks become a frame-skipping nightmare that is impossible to dodge. Compared to the epic, cinematic Mega CD version, the MS-DOS original is monotonous. It is a great museum piece for your collection, but a shallow experience for a modern player.