Silpheed: The Lost Planet

Full of eye-candy and finger-blistering, non-stop action, Silpheed will please any shooting fan.

With graphics that are a living tribute to the power of modern console gaming and gameplay that is firmly rooted in the simply action-packed arcade games of the past, Silpheed is a very fun, very retro, shooter game.

The graphics are superb. Rather than attempt to hypnotize you with psychedelic patterns of bullets, this game has a slower pace that actually allows you to take in your surroundings, an apparent breakthrough when put up against other recent shooters. The backdrops are luscious and feature textures so detailed that you probably don't have enough rods and cones in your eyes to appreciate them.

Fun stuff for shooter fans starved for PS2-worthy eye candy, but it doesn't offer anywhere near the degree of excellence we've come to expect from the talented group of people over at Treasure.

A quality production that doesn't deserve to be lost in the shuffle, but it lacks the length, revolutionary aspects, and overall appeal and shine to make it a true contender.

The game delivers genuinely solid gameplay, which is sure to please those who're seeking nothing more than a visually efficient, effectively designed shooter.

It just feels like no effort has been made to make this a killer game – this is the type of game that might do well in the arcades but not at home. There isn’t even a two-player mode in the game to add any form of variety – a criminal act for scrolling shooters.

Those looking for an old-school arcade-style game with a significant boost in graphics and sounds will be satisfied with Silpheed: The Lost Planet. It doesn't disappoint.

While the game is enjoyable enough for a short romp, and the weapon selection offers a bit of replay value, I can't imagine why I would want to play this game in a month, let alone in a year.

A good-looking and proficient shooter, but one that is utterly devoid of invention or new ideas.