Silpheed

Game Arts

Industry	Video game development
Founded	1985
Founder	Takeshi Miyaji
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Silpheed

Silpheed is a video game created by Game Arts under the direction of Takeshi Miyaji. It first appeared on the Japanese PC-88 platform in 1986, followed by ports to the FM-7 and MS-DOS systems soon after. A remake was later launched for the Sega CD, which was succeeded by a sequel titled Silpheed: The Lost Planet for the PlayStation 2.

The title of the game refers to the spacecraft that players pilot. The narrative focuses on Silpheed serving as Earth's final shield against an aggressive alien invasion. The initial PC-88 release showcased 3D polygonal visuals set against a slanted third-person perspective. The 1993 Sega CD version enhanced this with pre-rendered computer-generated animations used as full motion video backgrounds, offering a more sophisticated graphical experience for its era.

Gameplay

Silpheed is a vertical shooter distinguished by an angled camera perspective, where enemies diminish in size as they ascend. Players maneuver the SA-08 Silpheed starship, which is deployed by the Yggdrassil supercomputer to confront the Xacalite terrorist faction. The ship can freely navigate the screen, tasked with eliminating foes while evading incoming fire. Acquiring red orbs unlocks five unique weapon configurations, such as homing missiles, auto-targeting shots, and a "phalanx" spread laser that can be mounted on either flank of the Silpheed.

Release

An early Sega CD prototype featuring a reduced number of enemies was showcased at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1993.

Ports

Initially developed for the PC-8801, Silpheed was released on December 5, 1986. A subsequent port for the FM-7 arrived on March 3, 1988. That same year, Sierra On-Line brought the game to the U.S. market by adapting it for DOS and other platforms. The first DOS version (1.0) launched in April 1989; later, version 2.3 incorporated support for the Game Blaster soundcard and was distributed alongside Game Blaster hardware.

In 1989, Sierra also adapted Silpheed for the Apple IIGS, taking advantage of its 640x200 resolution mode and delivering a complete soundtrack based on the Roland MT-32 music from the DOS edition, utilizing the system’s 15-voice Ensoniq audio chip.

The story is set in a future where terrorists led by Xacalite seize "planetary buster" missiles and commandeer the battleship Gloire. With Earth's main fleet out of reach, the supercomputer Yggdrassil activates the experimental SA-08 Silpheed fighter prototype to eliminate Gloire.

Sega CD

The Sega CD adaptation merges polygonal spacecraft models with pre-rendered video backdrops, a visual approach also employed by Namco's Galaxian 3 (1990) and StarBlade (1991), Sony Imagesoft's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), and Micronet's A/X-101 (1994).

In this iteration, terrorists led by Xacalite infiltrate Earth's central computer system, taking control of all space-based weaponry throughout the Solar System. Earth's defense depends on an independent fleet equipped with SA-77 Silpheed dogfighters (referred to as "prototypes" in the PC manual). The closing credits display cinematic sequences featuring fighters traversing various game stages.

Reception

In 1989, the DOS edition received a perfect 5-star rating from Dragon, which commended its engaging gameplay, vibrant color palette, and complexity. The game's distinctive soundtrack was praised by Computer Gaming World. Meanwhile, the British publication ACE awarded it a score of 905 out of 1000. Compute! characterized it as "classic arcade entertainment" with greater depth than standard action titles, although it noted the sound effects were rather basic.

The Sega CD adaptation garnered varied feedback from Electronic Gaming Monthly, with scores ranging between 7 and 9 out of 10. Critics described it as a straightforward yet dependable shooter boasting impressive visuals, but they expressed disappointment regarding the boss designs, power-up system, and limited environmental interaction.

Ranked fifth in Mega’s Top Mega-CD Games of All Time, the game was also hailed by MegaTech as one of the finest titles available on the Mega-CD platform. In Japan, the Sega CD version achieved bestseller status and was a finalist for GamePro’s 1993 CD Game of the Year distinction.

Legacy

A follow-up titled Silpheed: The Lost Planet was launched in 2000 for the PlayStation 2, developed through a partnership between Game Arts and Treasure.

In 2006, Square Enix introduced Project Sylpheed on the Xbox 360, a space combat simulation that serves as a spiritual successor rather than a direct sequel to the original Silpheed narrative.

An Android application named Silpheed Alternative: Menace From Beyond the Stars debuted in 2012, acting as another spiritual successor with fully three-dimensional gameplay akin to that found in Project Sylpheed.

External links

• Game Arts official pages: PC88/FM-77, Mega CD