Star Soldier R
Encyclopedia
Star Soldier R is a futuristic scrolling shooter video game developed by Hudson Soft
, and is the seventh installment in the Star Soldier
series. The game features classic Star Soldier gameplay combined with 3D graphics
.
Star Soldier R is one of several video games released exclusively as WiiWare
through the Wii Shop Channel
. It was released with the Japanese launch of WiiWare on March 25, 2008, in North America on May 19, 2008, and in Europe on May 20, 2008 with the European launch of WiiWare.
Star Soldier R retains classic gameplay features from the Star Soldier series, such as the vertical-scrolling shooter style, three adjustable speeds for the player's ship, and score bonuses once the player has achieved a score of 50,000 and 80,000 points.
Instead of a traditional progressive level structure, the game revolves around time attack
-style gameplay, called Caravan mode, with players aiming to score as many points as possible in either two or five minute game modes in one of the game's levels. Unlike previous installments in the series, however, there are only two playable levels. Aside from regular scrolling-shooter gameplay, the game also has a Fast Shot mode which measures how quickly the player can press the fire button.
s, in the form of red and blue capsules. Red power-up capsules enhance the offensive ability of the player's ship, eventually resulting in a five-way shot. Blue power-ups enhance the ship's "Force," a shield that protects the ship from enemy attacks and can be separated from the ship to attack enemies.
lauded the quality of the game's core design and top-down shooter gameplay, but criticized the time limitations and repetition with the levels as "thin and ultimately cheap for most gamers." 1UP.com
praised the game as "fun and addictive," but noted that the price of 800 Wii points may be somewhat high for the casual gamer to accept. Gamespot
also criticized the game for being too short, but described the gameplay as addictive and supported by an excellent control scheme. Eurogamer
noted the game as targeting a narrow niche among gamers, saying that the game was more oriented to high-score seekers than a casual audience.
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
, and is the seventh installment in the Star Soldier
Star Soldier (Series)
is a series of shoot 'em up video games mainly developed by Hudson Soft.The first game, named Star Soldier, appeared on the MSX and NES in 1986, and the series has continued on various gaming systems...
series. The game features classic Star Soldier gameplay combined with 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
.
Star Soldier R is one of several video games released exclusively as WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
through the Wii Shop Channel
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
. It was released with the Japanese launch of WiiWare on March 25, 2008, in North America on May 19, 2008, and in Europe on May 20, 2008 with the European launch of WiiWare.
Gameplay
Instead of a traditional progressive level structure, the game revolves around time attack
Time attack
A time attack is another term for time trial. The term is commonly used in Japan for individual time trial events for motor vehicles that involves a vehicle running around the circuit in lieu of a qualifying lap and the term is widely adopted outside the country for tuner event and...
-style gameplay, called Caravan mode, with players aiming to score as many points as possible in either two or five minute game modes in one of the game's levels. Unlike previous installments in the series, however, there are only two playable levels. Aside from regular scrolling-shooter gameplay, the game also has a Fast Shot mode which measures how quickly the player can press the fire button.
Power-ups
The game has two types of primary power-upPower-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s, in the form of red and blue capsules. Red power-up capsules enhance the offensive ability of the player's ship, eventually resulting in a five-way shot. Blue power-ups enhance the ship's "Force," a shield that protects the ship from enemy attacks and can be separated from the ship to attack enemies.
Plot
In 2180, the Joint Forces of Earth come under attack from the mysterious Brain Forces. After an initial victory by the J.F.E., the Core Brain, the central unit of the Brain Forces, begins closing in from lightyears away. The player takes control of the prototype starfighter Caesar, built specially to counter the threat of the Brain Forces, and must defeat the Core Brain and save humanity.Trivia
If the player presses the A button during the Credits, then they can take control of the craft from the first Star Soldier game.Reception
Star Soldier R received mixed reviews. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
lauded the quality of the game's core design and top-down shooter gameplay, but criticized the time limitations and repetition with the levels as "thin and ultimately cheap for most gamers." 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
praised the game as "fun and addictive," but noted that the price of 800 Wii points may be somewhat high for the casual gamer to accept. Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
also criticized the game for being too short, but described the gameplay as addictive and supported by an excellent control scheme. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
noted the game as targeting a narrow niche among gamers, saying that the game was more oriented to high-score seekers than a casual audience.
External links
- Star Soldier R Official Websites: Japan, Americas, Europe, Australia
- Star Soldier R at IGN