This one’s more my speed. An arcadey-style vertical STG with a staggering 17 different ships to choose from, six stages of explosions and lasers await.
This is more of a frenetic twitchy kind of STG rather than a more pattern/memory-based game like Touhou, and I typically prefer the latter. Super Galaxy Squadron does something pretty unusual in that, rather than having a lives system where one touch means death, you instead have a health bar you can recharge through the level when you take a hit. It’s an interesting way to rebalance things, since there’s no early-game stockpiling of lives to take you through the final levels- every stage is the same clean slate, and you have to get through with what you’re given.
I’m pretty good at these kind of games, so I actually managed to finish the arcade mode during my hour. I think the replay value is a lot higher for someone who would need to practice a few times before getting their 1CC, but there’s also an Endless Mode which is a really neat addition I’ve not seen another game do before.
Fin or Bin:
As stated, I already finished the main game mode, but there’s a Boss Rush mode I didn’t get chance to play during my hour. I’ll be heading back to Finish that.
Recommended To:
The ship selection might be a little overwhelming to STG newbies, but the gameplay itself is pretty simple, and the lower difficulty settings- coupled with the health system- are fairly forgiving. For veterans, there’s a slew of options that make it more difficult. It’s a good package for anyone who has an interest in STG.
(Steam)