Strikers 1945
Vertically scrolling bullet hell arcade shooter from 1996.
Strikers 1945 (also called Striker 1945) is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game in the bullet hell style. It was created and released by Psikyo in 1996. In 1996, Atlus brought the game to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in Japan. Later, Taito included it in the Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 1: Strikers 1945 I & II for the PlayStation 2, with a European release by Play It under the name 1945 I & II: The Arcade Games. The original arcade version was also added to the Sega Astro City Mini V in 2022, a vertical-screen mini console. Sequels followed: Strikers 1945 II in 1997 (released in North America simply as "Strikers 1945"), Strikers 1945 III in 1999, and a remake called Strikers 1945 Plus.
Each plane has three attacks: a normal shot, a charged shot, and a bomb that clears the screen of minor enemies and bullets. Power-ups strengthen both the normal and charged shots, and extra bombs can be collected. Gold bars appear when certain buildings or enemies are destroyed, adding bonus points. After beating the final boss, the player's time, gold bar count, and number of enemies killed are totaled for each level. If these scores are high enough, the level gets a silver or gold medal. In the Japanese arcade version, a hidden post-credits bonus shows the six pilots—five women and one man—posing undressed, unlocked by finishing the game without losing a life.
The story takes place in the summer of 1945, after World War II has ended and peace has returned. A mysterious group called C.A.N.Y., made up of high-ranking international military officers, emerges with super weapons to conquer the world. The United Military Headquarters secretly selects six elite fighters, forming a team called Strikers, to stop them. Near the end, it is revealed that C.A.N.Y. are actually aliens. The final stages take the player's plane to the Moon, where they destroy C.A.N.Y.'s secret base and its true leader, a giant alien brain.
In Japan, Game Machine listed Strikers 1945 as the fourth most-successful arcade game in its July 15, 1996 issue. A reviewer for Consoles + gave the imported Saturn version a 92% rating.
- release_year
- 1996
Lore & Background
The game is set in the summer of 1945, after World War II has ended. A mysterious organization called C.A.N.Y., composed of high-ranking international military officials, emerges to conquer the world using super weapons. Six best fighters, forming a team called Strikers, are secretly chosen by United Military Headquarters to counter this threat. Near the end of the game, it is revealed that C.A.N.Y. are actually aliens, and the final stages take the player's plane to the Moon to destroy their secret base and leader, a giant alien brain.
Reader's Guide
Strikers 1945 is significant as a key title in the bullet hell subgenre of shoot 'em ups, developed by Psikyo during the mid-1990s arcade boom. Its gameplay features three attacks per plane: a normal shot, a charged shot, and a bomb that clears the screen of minor enemies and bullets. Power-ups strengthen both normal and charged shots, and extra bombs can be collected. Gold bars, found by destroying certain buildings or enemies, yield bonus points. After defeating the final boss, the player's time, gold bars, and enemies killed are tallied per level, with silver or gold medals awarded for high scores. The Japanese arcade version includes a hidden post-credits bonus unlocked by completing the game without losing a life, showing the six pilots (five females and one male) posing undressed. In Japan, Game Machine listed Strikers 1945 as the fourth most-successful arcade game in July 1995, and a Consoles + reviewer rated the imported Saturn version at 92%. The game's legacy includes multiple sequels and ports, and it was included in the Sega Astro City Mini V in 2022.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed and published by Psikyo in 1996.
- In the Japanese arcade version, a hidden post-credits bonus shows the six pilots posing undressed if the player beats the game without losing a life.
- The final stages take the player's plane to the Moon to destroy the alien base and its leader, a giant alien brain.
- The original arcade version was included in the Sega Astro City Mini V in 2022.
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