Developer: Hudson Soft Publisher: Electro Brain Release: 12/15/98 Genre: Shooter
As a shooter fan growing up the Star Soldier series was a staple of the genre. From its various entries on the NES to its blowout on the Turbo Grafx-16, these were consistently fantastic games. But as the 90s would roll on it would disappear, right when some of the best games in the genre was hitting the arcade. But Star Soldier would return again, and on the Nintendo 64 no less. There were only a few dedicated shooters on the N64 so any game stands out. Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth is a solid game all things considered and an under the radar gem worth tracking down.
Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth is a direct sequel to Soldier Blade. After the F92 Soldier Blade’s defeat of the Zeograd forces in 2092 the ship’s black box is recovered and studied. For a time peace reigns but soon Earth discovers the Zeograd are not an alien race but a colony of sentient machines that are on the verge of returning. In preparation three new ships are created, the F98 series and in 2098 they are sent to repel the reinvigorated Zeograd.
There are numerous changes to the gameplay in Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth. You have a choice of three ships now, the F98 Venidium, Lathyrus, and Wisteria. Rather than collecting weapon pods each ship has their own unique weapon set. This includes its main cannon and two Ex-Arms, which are smart bombs. While the main shot is the standard shooter fare regardless of ship the Ex-Arms wildly differ and have strengths and weaknesses. These range from an all-out missile assault to waves of electricity covering nearly the entire screen.
The last and most important addition is rolling. The roll grants temporary invincibility and allows you to deflect enemy bullets, sending them back at the attacker. You can roll by double tapping either left or right or using automatic rolling with the press of a button. Both options have their drawbacks. Double tapping can sometimes be inconsistent and will occur involuntarily. Automatic rolling has a second or two of delay before it can be used again. I like that both options have strengths and weaknesses, it gives players of all skill levels a way to tailor the experience. Mastering where and when to roll is critical in this game as it is often the only means to survive some of the game’s unfair moments.
For its first few levels Vanishing Earth is predictable. You can easily predict the wave patterns but that is for a reason. The game has a semi complex scoring system. At the end of each level you receive bonuses for ships remaining, Ex-Arms remaining, time, the number of enemies destroyed, combo count, and rolling attacks. You receive the largest bonuses for reflecting shots which the game wants you to do. It is like a prototype version of Psyvariar but not as refined. The combo count starts once you reach 100 hits and maxes at 20,000. Technically you can combo an entire level but that requires insane skill as it resets if you miss a single shot.
This is why the level design is so predictable. If you simply want to have a good time the game delivers as it uses shifting camera angles for dramatic effect. But it is clear they want you to engage with its systems like the caravan shooting competitions of yore. It suffers for it slightly but is good enough for at least one run if you do not care about scoring. The difficulty is moderate until about the midpoint when it grows some teeth. Those extra lives you more than likely have built up go fast. But compared to the emerging bullet hell shooters at the time this feels like light work.
While the levels themselves are predictable the boss battles are the game’s highlight. Every single boss is a triumph of design and up there with the best of the genre. Each boss has as many eight or nine different attacks and patterns they cycle which makes these encounters thrilling. The switch up can happen at any moment and death is often swift. Although they are a little damage spongy I must say I still enjoyed the fights regardless. I was not expecting epic fights like this as the game seems to play it straight for the most part. However they are a pleasant surprise and raise the game up a notch.
Most shooters during the fifth generation were still 2d so any that made the leap to 3d stood out. Even in that regard Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth is largely unimpressive even though it has its moments. The color palette is overly bright which is at odds with the technological environments and looks silly. The enemies and worlds are blocky at times and have muddy textures. The bosses are the sole highlight in this regard. It is also noticeable that despite the frequent explosions and laser blasts there is no real time lighting effects which makes the game look flat. It is hard not to compare Vanishing Earth to RayStorm, a similar game that has a comparable look but obliterates this title in terms of use of camera angles and spectacle. Even Solid Gear, the sample title in the shooter creation game Dezaemon 3d puts this to shame which is embarrassing.
Final Thoughts
Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth does not reach the heights of its exceptional predecessors but remains a solid game nonetheless. Despite some of its aspects being less than stellar like its presentation the gameplay carries it. The measured pacing and linear difficulty curve make it accessible yet challenging for shooter fans of all levels too. I was not sure what to expect going in to this one but came away pleasantly surprised.
