Developer:Warashi Publisher: Warashi Release: 06/27/97 Genre: Shooter
Shienryu is one of the hardest shooters I have ever played. It is a game that made me question my video game playing capabilities and also walk away in frustration. It is also an amazing game with a method to its madness. I just wish it were more transparent about how its insanity works. Shienryu will take you through a range of emotions, from excitement at its gameplay to frustration once the game decides you must die at any and all costs. Whether you can or even should meet the challenge is up for debate though.
In the distant future mankind begins their search for new planets to colonize, specifically those similar to Earth. The colony ships, known as Caravans, travel deep into space until Caravan 7861 discovers a suitable fourth planet from an alien sun. However, none of the other Caravans arrived after them. After 93 years of colonization on the new Mother Planet the investigation of the missing Caravans finally bears fruit: all of the other Caravans had been attacked and destroyed by an army of alien-humans. Lead by the mysterious mecha-dragon Shienryu, the alien space fleet invades the Mother Planet and constructs fortresses across the world. In response, a defense team called “Burn Dragoon” is founded which calls for the best pilots and navigators to defend the new planet from the invading regime army.
Shienryu has a small cadre of weapons for a reason I will elaborate on later. There are three primary weapons, Vulcan, lasers, and missiles. The default Vulcan shot is your typical spread gun with its pattern becoming wider with more power. Missiles are straightforward at first but gain homing capabilities at higher levels. The laser fires homing lightning. This lightning aggressively seeks out enemies. However it is weak and while it is present on screen you cannot fire further shots. Your bombs change depending on the weapon as well. Vulcan bombs create a large sweeping laser that ends in focused fire. Laser bombs produce five giant beams of light around your ship. Missile bombs creates a large circular explosion around your ship. There is no shield item so the only way to destroy bullets is by using a bomb. The game wants you to exploit this and with good reason.
So why is Shienryu so difficult? It comes down to the game’s brutal ranking system. Once you have reached maximum weapon power any additional power-ups that grant bonus points will cause the system to go in to overdrive. Even carrying more than three bombs is enough to trigger the rank system. Once the boost happens it does not subside even after death. You can expect a never ending bullet parade from enemies so aggressive it defies description. The game becomes basically unplayable by stage 5. At first I thought I simply was not good enough at the game. But glancing around the internet I found the same sentiment as well as how the rank system works.
Once you know how to avoid kicking Shienryu in to overdrive you will find a shooter with measured action and cool set piece bosses. The checkpoint system is generous with multiple points in every level. Outside of the final battle you respawn immediately during boss battles. Avoiding the system is easier said than done however. The game practically baits you with constant weapon drops to the point of absurdity. You have to go out of your way to avoid them and it is almost inevitable you might pick one up by accident. I wish the system were not so aggressive; you should not have to have go so far out of your way to play the game as it should be.
In the arcade Shienryu ran on the STV board which was essentially a Sega Saturn in an arcade cabinet. The home port is perfect unlike its PlayStation counterpart. That version suffered from heavy slowdown that under most circumstances is a blessing in managing the chaos. But it is so bad it becomes distracting. Shienryu is full of gorgeous artwork with even the most minute enemy exploding in a shower of sparks and mechanical bits. Most end level bosses are massive mechanical robots or humanoid mecha that transform as you progress. The final boss, the game’s namesake, is a grueling gauntlet as you dismantle him piece by piece. The game zooms out during his most powerful attack to show its scale. There are set piece moments like this throughout the game that help it rise above its many similar Saturn compatriots to be something special.
In Closing
Shienryu is a hard recommendation. I like it and it has many good points such as the exquisite sprite work and gameplay. But damn does it try your patience. This one is only for true veterans of the shooter genre I am afraid. Casuals stand no chance against this monster.
