Strikers 1945
Vertically scrolling bullet hell arcade shooter from Psikyo.
Strikers 1945 (also called Striker 1945) is a vertically scrolling bullet hell shoot 'em up arcade game that Psikyo developed and published in 1995. Atlus brought it to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in Japan the following year. Taito later included it on the PlayStation 2 compilation *Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 1: Strikers 1945 I & II*; in Europe, Play It released that same compilation as *1945 I & II: The Arcade Games*. The original arcade version also appeared on the 2022 Sega Astro City Mini V, 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. Destroying certain buildings or enemies yields gold bars that add bonus points. After the final boss is beaten, the game tallies the player’s time, gold bars collected, and enemies killed for each level; if these scores are high enough, the level receives a silver or gold medal. In the Japanese arcade version, a hidden post-credits bonus appears if the player completes the entire game without losing a life, showing the six pilots—five women and one man—posing undressed.
The story takes place in the summer of 1945, after World War II has ended and the world has returned to peace. A mysterious organization called C.A.N.Y., made up of high-ranking international military officials, emerges to conquer the world using unprecedented super weapons. The United Military Headquarters secretly selects six elite fighters, forming a team called Strikers, to stop this threat. Near the end of the game, the player learns that C.A.N.Y. is actually a race of aliens bent on world domination. The final stages take the chosen plane to the Moon, where it must destroy C.A.N.Y.’s secret base and its true leader, Mecha C.A.N.Y.
In Japan, *Game Machine* listed *Strikers 1945* as the fourth most-successful arcade game in its July 15, 1995 issue. *Consoles +* gave the imported Saturn version a 92% rating.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Strikers 1945
- Developer
- Psikyo · KMBOX / (iOS/Android) · Zerodiv / (Switch, PS4, XONE, Windows)
- Publisher
- Psikyo · Atlus / (Saturn, PlayStation) · Taito / (PS2) · APX Soft / (iOS/Android, 2016) · Zerodiv / (Switch, PS4, XONE) · City Connection / (Windows)
- Platforms
- Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre
- Scrolling shooter, bullet hell
- Modes
- Up to 2 players, simultaneously
- Arcade System
- Psikyo 1st Generation
- Director
- Naozumi Yorichika
- Producer
- Junichi Niwa / Shinsuke Nakamura
- Designer
- Wataru Yamazaki / Hyoue Ogawa / Hideyuki Oda / Yoko Tsukagoshi / Ikuya Yoshida / Norikazu Takemori
- Programmer
- Toshinori Sugita / Seiki "SSS" Sato / Shiori Saito
- Artist
- Yoshiyuki Takani
Facts from the source article.
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 the true leader, Mecha C.A.N.Y.
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 normal and charged shots, and extra bombs can be collected. Gold bars, found by destroying certain buildings or enemies, are collected for bonus points. After defeating the final boss, the player's time, number of gold bars, and number of enemies killed are totaled for each level; if high enough, the level is marked with a silver or gold medal.
In the Japanese arcade version, a hidden post-credits bonus can be unlocked if the player beats the entire game without losing a life, showing the six pilots (five females and one male) posing undressed.
Reader's Guide
Strikers 1945 is a foundational title in the bullet hell subgenre, known for its charged shot mechanic that rewards precision and timing. Its arcade success is reflected in its ranking as the fourth most-successful arcade game of the month in Japan according to Game Machine's July 15, 1995 issue. The game's port to the Sega Saturn received a 92% rating from Consoles + reviewer. The title established a series that continued with Strikers 1945 II (released in North America as just 'Strikers 1945'), Strikers 1945 III, and the remake Strikers 1945 Plus. Its inclusion in the Sega Astro City Mini V in 2022 ensured continued accessibility for retro gaming enthusiasts. The game's scoring system, with gold bars and medal rankings, added replay value, while the hidden undressing bonus became a notable feature of the Japanese version.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed and published by Psikyo in 1995.
- In Japan, it was ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn by Atlus in 1996.
- A hidden post-credits bonus shows the six pilots posing undressed if the game is beaten without losing a life.
- The original arcade version was included in the Sega Astro City Mini V in 2022.
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