Silpheed Sega CD

[Shatterhand]

I had played this game once like 12 years ago at a friend's house, and I was gobsmacked by its graphics.

I've played the PC EGA version a few times, but I was never impressed.

Now, Ive been playing the Sega CD game again, at my home.

Damn, I am AMAZED. I remember so many people here killing the game... this game is AWESOME.

Its oldschool as it gets, the gameplay is very simple, but anyone who knows me knows thats what I like. But the graphics overhaul make it an amazing experience... in level 4 when I was dodging around the growing pillars I went like WOW.

Why people say this game suck? I think its awesome, and there's a great chance of it getting on my top 30 this year.

[captain ahar]

are there any movies of it? i've always been curious, although honestly i've never really looked.

[PooshhMao]

I remember being thoroughly impressed when I saw screenshots of this supposed Star Fox-killer. Perhaps it would be held in higher regard if it were a regular Megadrive game - I'm pretty sure it could have been, since untextured polygons take up very little space, and the MegaCD doesn't offer extra processing power (except scaling and rotation, which isn't used in Silpheed?)

I got the the chance to play it, and thought it was okay, but felt it didn't offer much replay value. And yes, the ancient EGA version is best left unmentioned.

[Kiken]

I remember being thoroughly impressed when I saw screenshots of this supposed Star Fox-killer. Perhaps it would be held in higher regard if it were a regular Megadrive game - I'm pretty sure it could have been, since untextured polygons take up very little space, and the MegaCD doesn't offer extra processing power (except scaling and rotation, which isn't used in Silpheed?)

The backgrounds are streamed FMV (like the cinemas). There's no way an MD/Genesis cart is going to handle this game the way it was designed.

I still find the degree of motion and the path of movement through the game to be quite thrilling... even if the play itself is a tad peacemeal.

[Shatterhand]

Exactly, many people believed the game processed all those graphics at real time, but that's not the truth.

And this is no star-fox like, this is a proper shmup. The perspective may not be standard, but the game is a shmup. This also is much more thrilling than Star-Fox

[professor ganson]

What's the relation between this Sega CD game, and the familiar PS2 title? I just sold the latter because it was sitting around unplayed.

[Ganelon]

The name, the genre, the fact that Game Arts still thought up of the game, and the fact that it's really boring...

[Diabollokus]

I love sega cd silpheed, final boss is a real tough bastid, great music and plot, hyperspace stage 5 was pretty cool some ikaruga style patterns in there from stage 4 lol

[Shatterhand]

How many stages does this have?

I am trying to 1CC the little bastard, but not much free time is making it real hard.

Today I managed to beat level 4 for the first time, and then died at level 5.

I still think level 4 is one of the greatest shmup levels in the whole shmup history.


I think a vanilla Mega-Drive could handle the ORIGINAL PC Silhpeed. But certainly not this.

I wonder why no one used FMV backgrounds in shmups anymore. It sucked on Microcosm and in Nova Storm for sure, but Silpheed proves that, if done properly, it can be real awesome.

[Kiken]

How many stages does this have?

I am trying to 1CC the little bastard, but not much free time is making it real hard.

There are 12 stages. Be warned that you do not get to select your weapons after clearing stage 11. Make sure you have chosen the Blackhole sub-weapon or the final boss will waste you.

[Colt Steele]

Ahh, memories. Probably the only shmup besides its sequel that I can do a 1CC for

[Kiken]

Ahh, memories. Probably the only shmup besides its sequel that I can do a 1CC for

Welcome stranger! Fancy seeing you here.

[theevilfunkster]

I wonder why no one used FMV backgrounds in shmups anymore. It sucked on Microcosm and in Nova Storm for sure, but Silpheed proves that, if done properly, it can be real awesome.

This was sort of done in Iridion II on th GBA, although it's just the same 2-3 second loop continuously throughout the levels. Still looks sweet though.

Silpheed is great, I should really put more time into it.

[Alpolio]

are there any movies of it? i've always been curious, although honestly i've never really looked.

I just found a Japanese ad for it. It's here in this archive. Link. I've never had a Sega CD, so this is the first time that I've seen it running too. It looks really sweet, especially for a 16-bit game from 1993.

[iatneH]

I wonder why no one used FMV backgrounds in shmups anymore. It sucked on Microcosm and in Nova Storm for sure, but Silpheed proves that, if done properly, it can be real awesome.

This was sort of done in Iridion II on th GBA, although it's just the same 2-3 second loop continuously throughout the levels. Still looks sweet though.

Silpheed is great, I should really put more time into it.

Same sort of pre-rendered short FMV background dealie going on in Blazing Star, it's so cool!

[captain ahar]

are there any movies of it? i've always been curious, although honestly i've never really looked.

I just found a Japanese ad for it. It's here in this archive. Link. I've never had a Sega CD, so this is the first time that I've seen it running too. It looks really sweet, especially for a 16-bit game from 1993.

holy shit! that looks amazing.

[Colt Steele]

Ahh, memories. Probably the only shmup besides its sequel that I can do a 1CC for

Welcome stranger! Fancy seeing you here.

Indeed. So many games, so little time

[Fenrir]

Yeah, in Novastorm it sucked - but just on the PSX version because it was way too smooth and unproportioned. On the PC version it was absolutely wonderful, and it still is, imho, of course compared to its time. Novastorm wasn't designed to run on a PSX and it will always look out of place.

On the other hand, I've always found Silpheed impressive, and it used the same Starblade Alpha trick, somewhat, and that's what makes Starblade Alpha really cool even now, even if still a bit on the unplayable side.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I tell you what's wrong with this game - I suck at it, that's what. The perspective thingy for whatever reason doesn't click with me. I have a hard time dodging, shooting and snatching stuff. I feel like just letting it all pass by as I don't find the interaction satisfying at all.
Everything else about it is at least decent. Flat-shaded polygons remind me of Another World and early polygonal games by Sega, the ship looks gorgeous, the overall bombast wouldn't be out of place in a Treasure game - only the music is just okay (although some fantastic stereophony touches elevate the sound far beyond mediocrity) - but it feels like a broken shmup to me.
For the record, I kind of liked the original Zero Gunner.

[Austin]

I have many great memories with the Sega CD version of Silpheed. The way the FMV backgrounds were created to mesh with the physical moving objects is unlike any other Sega CD game. Also, the gameplay is fast, the music is well-done, and the controls are spot-on. I can't recommend this enough for those that thoroughly enjoy the 16-bit era of shooters.

[stryc9]

I'm fairly sure I played both the PAL and NTSC versions of this back in '93 and was amazed by the streamed polygons. Never thought it was the best to play, but... You know what? I seem to remember this being one of the first console games with a swearword in it. (NTSCJ version only?) One of your co-pilots utters the word 'shit' at some point- this would have to have been pretty avante guard back then, you know, when consoles were 'only for kids'. Shatterhand, can you confirm this?

[Obiwanshinobi]

I do recall "Bloody hell (shit?), look at the size of this thing!", or something along those lines. Could be very well "shit". NTSC US/C.

[cj iwakura]

It's aged very well, and some of the radio chatter is hilarious.

I recall one of the co-pilots saying 'Tally ho!' at some point.

[Zeether]

I heard "oh my god" at one point.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I believe real-time polygonal characters on pre-rendered backdrops to be the way to go for some genres even now. No idea how Alone in the Dark has aged, but the CD version of Silpheed - an early example of this technique - visually puts the likes of R-Type Delta and Thunder Force VI to shame. After Onmusha 1&2, REmake and RE Zero, methinks, nothing but a handful of point & click adventure games for the PC had such graphics, which is a shame. Dunno about the handhelds, but on big screens it seems to be dead in the water.

[R-Type]

Is this kind of "cinematic shooter" unique or are there other titles like this?

I also played Silpheed when it came out on SCD and was really impressed with the presentation. Well at the time, 3D and the better audio was also new and that contributed. Replayed it recently and the game still hold it's charm, though I don't really like the cannons too much, I think the options are all crap in that aspect. But man, those beams coming and blowing stuff up and music are so nice @_@

[Obiwanshinobi]

Blazing Star and Fast Striker technically don't stream videos as backgrouds, but both utilise prerendered tiles to a similar effect.