Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo Review

  

A Swarm of Syllables and Bullets-A Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo Review

Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo, which I'm referring to as SGS from now on, is a remastering of a 2015 shoot em up game of the same name (minus the EX Turbo fanfare) which aims to fully modernize its formula and keep it interesting (it should be noted that this release also comes with the original bundled in, which was surprisingly good in of itself). With that in mind, did Synset set the high bar held by games published through New Blood Interactive or were they just a middling starting point for them?

Polishing up the Genre

SGS is standard fare for bullet hell games, but with a few twists that I really liked. The content at hand here is both deeply familiar for fans of the genre but presented in a fashion that allows for new players to hop in and enjoy it as well. 

Starting with the basics, everything you can expect from this genre is here with a few extras. You'll dodge screenfuls of projectiles; collect powerups to your main/secondary weapons until you can effectively fight back against the horde; duel bosses with interesting attack patterns; and, charge up screen wiping hyper moves. It's all here and in terms of core mechanics SGS has nothing I would deem out of place or subpar-it's just an all around solid schmup. 

Visually, I love the remastered graphics and overhaul of effects present here. It fits that great balance of detailed pixel art and outrageous explosions without overinflating the players visual field. Your ships hitbox is clearly displayed and at no point are you unable to parse what's coming at you.  

There are, however, a few little nifty additions I'd specifically like to go over piece by piece:

1) An expansive character selection 

SGS features 17 different playable ships: all with different shot types, supers, and stats. While some are really inventive and push mechanics for the genre, others are more substandard and uninteresting. While some may be more intriguing, I cannot help but get sucked into playing the main campaign over and over again with different ships (I really liked the theming of having every ship correspond to a color that reflects their playstyle). It was also a neat little touch to let you switch out ships between stages during an arcade run, a feature that made me want to try them all out more than anything. 

2) The Time Slow Mechanic

In the way you charge up super attacks by picking up what enemies drop after death in other schmups, SBS has two meters that act similarly. You have a standard hyper meter meter that unleashes screen wiping attacks, but next to it is a thinner bar that can be used to slow down time when availiable. This dampened the difficulty of certain sections here dramatically, and allowed for a more enjoyable experience overall. It lowers the bar for entry while still resulting in meaningful gameplay (many attacks here are purposefully faster than normal bullet hell games to encourage use of the ability). You will still spend a vast majority of the game in full speed, but when you need to make slight adjustments without overcorrecting this feature is a godsend. 

3) Multiple Difficulty Options and Infinite Lives

SBS also features three main difficulties, with an added toggle to enable or disable health pick ups during the adventure. Personally I found the veteran difficulty with health pick ups to be more than satisfactory for what I wanted in balance between fun and challenge, but I'm more than happy to see options for new and experienced players alike. 

Another aspect of this revolves around the infinite lives in all the modes. I'm very much against difficulty in a video game revolving around having to restart from the very beginning when you make a mistake, and SBS does not subscribe to this design philosophy. SBS is very generous in checkpoints, and essentially makes it easier to master its sections by putting you right back in the action after failing (and you will for sure need it for the late game bosses). 

Leaving Room for More Refinement

I can't say it's a perfect experience, as SBS does fall short in a few key areas. The music, where these games tend to be especially spectacular, is honestly grating and so uninteresting that I ended up turning it off and putting something on in the background. 

Also, there is a polish issue here that resets all of your settings on every boot and every time you beat the game. This means that every time you play this game you have to readjust the audio settings, rumble, and other preferences that do not remain where you left them. For a 2017 remaster of a game that came out in 2015, these should not be present. 

Lastly, there is a rather abrupt and disorientating difficulty spike right at the end of the arcade mode. For an experience that can be completed in 1-2 hours (a bit short but fun for replayability), a vast majority of that time was spent respawning and learning how to beat that final boss. Now I've gotten to the point where I'm confident with my ability to beat it, but first time players will hit a brick wall that the areas before that didn't prepare them for. Just some things to keep in mind for potential newcomers. 

Verdict

Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo, wacky name aside, is a wonderful example of incredibly fun arcade content. It's pick up and play nature is not without some downsides, but it succeeds in its goal of being an approachable bullet hell adapted to the modern age of game design. 

8.7/10-A Short Burst of Arcade Greatness