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Played by PolterGhost Steel Empire is a horizontal sh'mup produced by the Flying Edge division of Activision and developed by Hot*B, the same folks that brought Insector X over to the Famicom. Taking place sometime in the Steampunk 19th century, The Steel Empire pits you as a renegade pilot for the Republic of Silverhead's airship fleets, pitting you against General Styron (or Sauron if you're Japanese) who apparently has taken his love for Motorhead a bit too seriously. As a player, you've got two options for ships: The nimble Striker fighter craft; or the hulking, slow, but heavily armored combat Zeppelin. You've also got the ability to fire both left and right with a tap of the B or C buttons, allowing you to maneuver as best pleases you. Each ship has its own subweapon, and the main guns and subweapons (as well as starting health for each level) are upgradeable by collecting powerups. These powerups are permanent, unlike most sh'mups out there, so you'll always have enough firepower to handle a situation. You also have to master the screen-wiping Lightning Bomb, capable of wiping out aircraft and bullets alike, in order to survive this game's challenges. Alright, so this was played on Normal mode. I already played the game twice before, and, honestly, it's easy enough to be beaten on one's first try. That said, I get a little careless near the end out of the sheer fact that I had more than enough lives to handle the rest of the game with my eyes closed. I only use the Zeppelin on the massive battleship bosses, due to its only advantages (higher health and aerial mines) being completely offset by the Striker's mobility and ground shots in most cases (the Striker's health gets into damage-tanking levels about mid-game, as well.) Bombs aren't used as much as they probably should have, purely based on the fact that they don't refresh their stock after death, and they happen to be the only means of dodging the final boss's attack. Anyways, what else can be said about this game? The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard on the Genesis, the sepia-film-projector-style cutscenes are a nice touch, and the multiple ships add a nice value of choice to the game. My only real gripes are how much slowdown clogs the game, as well as the overall level of difficulty and the lack of any real gameplay choices as far as powerups are concerned. Overall, one of the best Genesis experiences I've had past Gunstar Heroes and Castlevania. - Disclaimer: Most videos by World of Longplays use SaveStates!
