4 ms·

Cool article, but Silpheed is a genuinely awful game. Just warning if you are tempted to play it after this lol

by pram 3mo ago

toast0 3mo ago
I mean, the gameplay isn't amazing. But I wouldn't call it awful. I've played games that are a lot worse... many of which are less fun while also being much less visually appealing. IIRC the sound design for silpheed is good too?
- ihgfhkihh 3mo ago
  > I’ve played games that are a lot worse… These things aren’t mutually exclusive. This can be an awful game (which it is) and not be the worst game ever made. And as with anything, it has its strong points too, just that as a complete package, it can’t be called a good game.
  - toast0 3mo ago
    If your scale has only good and awful, you miss nuance. I don't think the same adjective should be used to describe both both Trolls on Treasure Island and Silpheed. :P
- jonhohle 3mo ago
  The sound design is amazing! Having the squadron announcing incoming threats on comms in full CD quality was also a unique and fresh experience. I’m sure Wing Commander and others did it earlier on PC, but for a console game it was very immersive. Seeing gigantic lasers take out huge ships and hearing the panic from the other pilots is fun, even if it plays out the same way every time. 7 of the audio tracks are CDDA audio as well. I seem to recall playing those in my discman at the time.
- Eric_WVGG 3mo ago
  It’s a shmup, they can’t all be Ikaruga.
AdmiralAsshat 3mo ago
Sounds like a great candidate to watch a LongPlay instead!
3lit3krew 3mo ago
Agreed, the original is awful too.
bluescrn 3mo ago
Somewhat enjoyed the (less-visually-impressive) PC version way back in the day, there weren't many good shoot-em-ups on a 286 PC that could barely scroll the screen, but Silpheed played fairly well on it, and IIRC it was one of the few games that supported the non-standard sound card on my parents IBM PS/1. Actually think it might have been bundled with that PS/1
- sillywalk 3mo ago
  > one of the few games that supported the non-standard sound card on my parents IBM PS/1. Actually think it might have been bundled with that PS/1 It was. https://pixelatedarcade.com/tech_attributes/overview/ibm-ps-1-audio-card https://pixelatedarcade.com/tech_attributes/overview/ibm-ps-...
mitthrowaway2 3mo ago
I've replayed it hundreds of times. It's pretty fun. I got to the final boss but didn't win.
knodi123 3mo ago
The DOS version has a special place in my heart. I memorized the opening text and thought it was an eerie and cool bit of original poetry, before learning much later that it was a quote from Shakespeare's _Julius Caesar_. I still remember my preferred weapon loadout. Yeah, it doesn't hold up by today's standards, but it was stunning in its day.

Cool article, but Silpheed is a genuinely awful game. Just warning if you are tempted to play it after this lol

by pram 3mo ago

Cool article, but Silpheed is a genuinely awful game. Just warning if you are tempted to play it after this lol

I mean, the gameplay isn't amazing. But I wouldn't call it awful. I've played games that are a lot worse... many of which are less fun while also being much less visually appealing. IIRC the sound design for silpheed is good too?

ihgfhkihh 3mo ago
> I’ve played games that are a lot worse… These things aren’t mutually exclusive. This can be an awful game (which it is) and not be the worst game ever made. And as with anything, it has its strong points too, just that as a complete package, it can’t be called a good game.
- toast0 3mo ago
  If your scale has only good and awful, you miss nuance. I don't think the same adjective should be used to describe both both Trolls on Treasure Island and Silpheed. :P
jonhohle 3mo ago
The sound design is amazing! Having the squadron announcing incoming threats on comms in full CD quality was also a unique and fresh experience. I’m sure Wing Commander and others did it earlier on PC, but for a console game it was very immersive. Seeing gigantic lasers take out huge ships and hearing the panic from the other pilots is fun, even if it plays out the same way every time. 7 of the audio tracks are CDDA audio as well. I seem to recall playing those in my discman at the time.
Eric_WVGG 3mo ago
It’s a shmup, they can’t all be Ikaruga.

AdmiralAsshat 3mo ago

Sounds like a great candidate to watch a LongPlay instead!

3lit3krew 3mo ago

Agreed, the original is awful too.

bluescrn 3mo ago

Somewhat enjoyed the (less-visually-impressive) PC version way back in the day, there weren't many good shoot-em-ups on a 286 PC that could barely scroll the screen, but Silpheed played fairly well on it, and IIRC it was one of the few games that supported the non-standard sound card on my parents IBM PS/1. Actually think it might have been bundled with that PS/1

sillywalk 3mo ago
> one of the few games that supported the non-standard sound card on my parents IBM PS/1. Actually think it might have been bundled with that PS/1 It was. https://pixelatedarcade.com/tech_attributes/overview/ibm-ps-1-audio-card https://pixelatedarcade.com/tech_attributes/overview/ibm-ps-...

mitthrowaway2 3mo ago

I've replayed it hundreds of times. It's pretty fun. I got to the final boss but didn't win.

knodi123 3mo ago

The DOS version has a special place in my heart. I memorized the opening text and thought it was an eerie and cool bit of original poetry, before learning much later that it was a quote from Shakespeare's _Julius Caesar_. I still remember my preferred weapon loadout. Yeah, it doesn't hold up by today's standards, but it was stunning in its day.