I'd seen Silpheed around for a few weeks at gaming websites. Only at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) did I see the game in action over at Working Designs' booth.

A week later, after classes, I drove down to the local Software, Etc. to nab the game. I was a man on an impulse-buying mission and all I wanted to do was play something fun. I can safely say that Silpheed is very fun. But, as with many other PS2 games, it's pretty short. Read on.


Story
Five centuries have passed since mankind first ventured into space. 31 years passed since the last Civil War and peace and prosperity reign. The planet Solont, located in the center of the galaxy, is about to be visited by an unknown alien race: this is where the action begins.

In between missions you're treated to nicely rendered CG sequences (with some occasional, laughable dialogue) followed by a mission log (slow-scrolling text complete with a serious voiceover) on what the next objective is.


Gameplay
Your craft is the "Silpheed Type J", which is equipped with two gun slots. After each stage's CG and mission briefing you can select the two weapons which range from rapid-fire weapons (such as the Vulcan, Starbow and 7 type) to slower, more powerful ones (like the Napalm or PlasmaBall).

Initially you can choose from only two weapons. However, as you pass each stage you'll generally unlock a new one, yielding a total of nine different weapons. I believe that the key to getting new weapons is based on your score.

Silpheed: The Lost Planet is a top-down shooter. On occasion you're taken from one segment of the stage to the next by way of an in-game closeup into a tunnel or new path, but the game is always played via overhead view. The designers decided to make your craft shielded: at full shields you can take ten hits (two sets of five bars) before your game is over.

You'll start from the outer orbit of Solont and fly towards the planet's surface, where you'll make your way back out and fight the alien fleet all the way back towards Earth. The climactic battle takes place within the core of the alien mothership, where a handful of Silpheed pilots who survived previous missions will accompany you.

The game offers a nice amount of unpredictability by introducing new enemies and attack patterns with each new stage, which kept me on my toes most of the time. In addition, no specific weapon will give you an advantage throughout the game. You'll have to figure out what's best to take down enemies during your run through each part of a stage. For instance, while the "Vvulcan" (a variant on the normal "Vulcan") cannon comes in handy initially, you'll soon find out that only certain weapons will work best in later parts of the game when encountering enemies that come from behind you or from the side. This is where a weapon like the front/rear firing Napalm launcher or side configured Falsion Wiper (laser) might come in handy.

Halfway through each stage you dock with a larger ship to refuel (your energy is partially restored and you can re-configure your weapons). It's funny how the refueling craft maneuvers much faster than yours every time it makes its appearance (it makes you want to fly that thing instead!).

The bosses of the game force you to make good use of whatever space you've got left to maneuver. In addition to the barrage of bullets, they will sometimes corner you in. One of the final bosses had me between his "face" and arms/claws as I had avoid the energy balls he was throwing down the middle.

Nothing is more satisfying than being put through a cramped space and managing to destroy the boss that pinned you down in the first place.

What's a shooter without scoring? You get bonuses for shooting entire formations of enemies. In addition, if you're closer to an enemy when destroying it, you'll receive a higher score multiplier (I've gotten numerous 16x multipliers upon destroying them up-close).


Control
You can use the digital pad or left analog stick (an added feature to the U.S. release) to control your Silpheed fighter. The Square and Circle buttons fire your left and right weapons, respectively, while the X will fire both of them at the same time. I generally held down X most of the time, but when I equipped 2 slower firing weapons (like the Napalm or PlasmaBall) I paced my left and right attacks to get the best out of them.


Graphics
A lot of detail has been put into this game. When you kill enemies they all explode with nice amounts of debris or smoke. In addition, when sub and final bosses are destroyed, you're treated to a blinding, satisfying explosion.

Add to this the occasional waves of activity in the background (enemy capital ships being shot by friendly fleets, for example) and you've got yourself a visually busy shooter.


Music & Sound
Unfortunately, the music for Silpheed isn't very memorable. In fact, after a stage or two I was somewhat annoyed by it. I wonder what composer Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser, Streets of Rage, Shenmue), RED (TurboDuo game "Gates of Thunder") or the music producer/composer for Squaresoft's "Einhander", is doing right now...

Throughout the entire game you hear chatter coming from other pilots (the voiceovers are decent). I liked this added layer of ambience: it makes more sense to know that you've got a wing fighting with you instead of you being the "lone pilot" out there against an entire army.


Packaging
Believe it or not, this is my first Working Designs purchase. I know the company gets a good reputation about things they pack in with their games in addition to the writing/localization they put into their materials. Silpheed doesn't come with any extras, but the manual is in full color with a one-page backgrounder about the original Sega CD Silpheed shooter in addition to the minor tweaks they made for this U.S., PS2 release. This is the sort of thing I like, as it makes WD feel like a more approachable publisher. Hats off to 'em.


Overall
Silpheed is a solid game: challenging, fast paced and graphically pleasing. There is some occasional slowdown, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience. All shooter enthusiasts should take a look at this one. Considering its short length, though, I recommend that you rent before buying.


CHEAT CODE
Entering "GLOIRE" as your name will unlock all 9 weapons right from the start.

Recommended: Yes