Super Galaxy Squadron EX is an enhanced version of Synset’s original Super Galaxy Squadron (which is included when you purchase this game). It is known as a fairly beginner friendly Shoot-em-up, notable in a genre that skews towards either extreme on the difficulty curve. It is also notable, in its original form, for donating 100% of its proceeds to Child’s Play (it no longer does, however).
Overall, it’s a fairly standard shoot-em-up. Early on, it’s important to collect as many power ups as possible, since they carry on between rounds and past checkpoints. They will even carry between switched ships, though you can only switch ships at the beginning of a stage. This is part of what makes the difficulty curve so forgiving. The other I found to my surprise, which was the fact that the game offers Shaving. In this case, the Shaving will heal your ship’s shields. For those not aware of this technique, Shaving is when you allow a projectile to graze your ship without letting it hit your hitbox (which, as is standard for these sorts of games, is much smaller than your ship’s sprite). There is no limit to the number of lives you have, you can continue from checkpoints right where you left off. This does present a slight problem; if you brought a ship ill-suited to fight a given boss you’re stuck with it until you either beat the level or restart from the beginning. The game is short, however, so that’s not an incredible setback.
Graphically, the game is fairly clean. You will rarely get yourself lost in the cloud of neon bullets, and even when you do, it’s probably your fault. Each of the ships, aside from being color-coded for your convenience, has a distinct shooting pattern that helps you pinpoint yourself. In short, I have no issue with the sprite-work. It is exactly as it should be for this genre. Also, there are plenty of good ol’ ‘splosions, if that’s what you’re looking for. No game in this genre is complete without them.
Occasionally, these games do have some sort of story, and this one is among them. It’s fairly standard, overall; intergalactic war, you play the earth’s elite pilots, etcetera. It’s the sort of game that’s much like old shoes, in that it’s easy to pop it on and play for a bit. It’s not meant to be overly complex.
The music is excellent. Provided by Random Encounter, it is probably the best music you will likely have drowned out with shooting sound effects that you’ll ever hear. You can buy it on Steam for $1.99, or you can get it straight from the source on Bandcamp. It’s also worth noting that all of the transitional scenes between stages are fully voiced. The acting is decent as well, if that tips you in favor of the game. It’s a nice, if extraneous, touch.
I do have to note a little problem with controls. I hate using the keyboard for games like this; there are just some games that require a controller. Which is why I was dismayed to find that it doesn’t support third-party controllers. Even using X360ce was, to my best efforts, ineffective. This left me with little choice but to use Joy2Key, which is sub-optimal for twitch reflex games like this, as there is a slight input lag caused by the program. That may effect your decision to buy or not. I will note that it is barely perceptible, though. Still, I wish more games offered native support for controllers, as well as the ability to remap the controls.
Overall, Super Galaxy Squadron EX is a fun little game. It’s easy enough to be used as an introduction to the genre, but complex enough to satisfy a veteran. It also has enough in the way of features to set itself apart from the pack of bullet hell games to be found on Steam, as well. At $10, it’s a bit pricey for such a short game. But it’s short and sweet, more than earning that price with its array of unusual features, and Endless Mode. I’d argue it definitely earns my seal of approval.
Pros:
+ Excellent music
+ Multiple ships to choose from
+ Even difficulty curve makes it a great introduction to the genre
+ The voice acting, while minimal overall, is well done
Cons:
– Short campaign
– Very limited controller support requires the use of programs like Joy2Key
– The game still hates aspects of the Steam overlay
Title: Super Galaxy Squadron EX
Developer: Synset
Publisher: New Blood Interactive
Platform: PC
Price: $9.99
*We were provided a copy of this game for review*
About Author
