Tecmo’s vertically-scrolling shoot ’em up Final Star Force is heading to Nintendo Switch and PS4 as part of Arcade Archives on January 23rd.
Originally released in Japanese arcades back in 1993, Final Star Force is the third title in the Star Force series that originated with the 1984 arcade title Star Force and also included the 1986 Nintendo Famicom game Super Star Force: Jikūreki no Himitsu (which combined a traditional shoot ’em up with elements of a The Legend of Zelda-style adventure).
It is set two thousand years after the previous entry in the series, with the player getting behind the controls of the Final Star II to take on the newly resurrected Gordess — the villain of the previous titles.
As you fly through each stage, you will be able to collect three different coloured capsules dropped by enemies to change the loadout of your ship, with these weapons gradually gaining power and abilities the longer you stay alive. Each of these weapons can be upgraded eight times, with the count resetting whenever you die.
There are also bombs, which you can activate, which will also change depending on your equipment and are listed in the lower-left corner of the screen.
You can watch some footage of the game in action above.
Go on.... treat yourself to a new game.
1 Comment
Final Star Force making its way to Arcade Archives is such awesome news! I remember playing the original in arcades back in the day, and it was a blast. The vertical scrolling and those power-up capsules were so satisfying to collect. It’s cool to see how the game has evolved from the earlier titles in the series.
The whole concept of upgrading your ship and the different bomb mechanics adds a nice layer of strategy to the chaos. I can’t wait to dive back into the action on the Switch! It’s going to be a nostalgic trip for sure. Anyone else excited to relive those classic shoot ’em up vibes?