Soukyuu Gurentai

Soukyuu Gurentai (sometimes released in the West as Terra Diver) is a vertical shooter from studio Raizing, which became known in the nineties for dense, systemically refined shmups for arcade cabinets and later for home consoles as well. The 1998 Saturn port brings to the home platform a game in which the player controls one of several combat fighters and must face hordes of enemies and massive bosses using a combination of standard fire and unlockable special attacks that recharge by collecting items dropped by destroyed enemies. Another defining element is the scoring system based on collecting medals released from destroyed enemies, which rewards a risky, aggressive playstyle and gives the title a second layer for players chasing high scores and a place on the leaderboards.

Technically, it's one of the denser shmups on the Saturn — the screen tends to be thickly covered in projectiles and enemy formations, and the console handled it even in the most intense moments without significant frame rate drops, which was by no means a given for action this packed. Visually, the game builds on industrial-toned backgrounds, mechanical enemies, and a stark sci-fi aesthetic, complemented by the energetic electronic soundtrack typical of Raizing and its other titles from the same era. It was released only in Japan and remained fairly obscure outside genre connoisseurs, but among fans of nineties arcade shmups it's a respected title that well represents the style of the studio also behind other acclaimed shooters of the time. Today players mainly access it through import and emulation, but the reward is dense, well-tuned action that hasn't aged in the slightest and can still flood the player with adrenaline just as effectively as it did on arcade cabinets in the nineties. The short playtime is balanced by high replayability for those who decide to chase a better score or clear the game without losing a single life.

Why play it: For fans of packed bullet-hell shooters who appreciate the industrial atmosphere and energetic soundtrack of studio Raizing, even though it's a title aimed more at genre connoisseurs.