In my review for Gunbarich, I mentioned that it was one of two arcade games that were released out of nowhere on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Now, we are looking at the other half of the equation. Strikers 1945 is more straightforward entry in the library; it doesn’t have mechanics as unique as that of Gunbarich‘s pinball flipper paddle, but it is a no-nonsense shoot ’em up that is both fun and very challenging.
Graphics
Like Gunbarich, Strikers 1945 does have a lot of empty space surrounding a vertical screen that consists of the game window. The border is a little cooler here, but having the entire screen be vertical in portable mode is still the way to go for using up more of it. With that out of the way, the actual game’s visuals are a great combination of hectic, fast, and smooth. The spritework is also vastly detailed to boot! I particularly dig the massive scale of the boss sprites.
Audio
Beneath the sounds of rocket fire and explosions is a soundtrack that will get people reminiscing about the days of the Super Nintendo. Strikers 1945‘s soundtrack is certainly upbeat and gets you pumped for what’s to come.
Gameplay
In Strikers 1945, you pilot a gunner plane as you shoot down enemy planes and machines that fly along the auto-scrolling level. Throughout the venture, you will be grabbing power-ups providing more gunfire and avoiding getting caught within bullet hell! Beat the boss at the end of each level to move on to the next. This is another one of those arcade games that ends in about an hour’s span of time, but there’s fun to be had while it lasts.
Probably the biggest issue I can think of is that the difficulty can be fairly alienating. The most comfortable time I’ve had with Strikers 1945 was when I was playing through it on the lowest difficulty setting possible; even then, there was enough chaos going on to ensure that I would use up a few continues. This is especially true since unlike Gunbarich, continuing in the latter half of the game requires that you start the stage over again.
Verdict
Nevertheless, Strikers 1945 is a solid time for fans of the genre. I recommend it to the arcade enthusiasts out there, provided that you be able to adjust to the more demanding elements of the game.
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