Shienryu

About

Shienryu is a vertical scrolling shooter with fast paced wave based combat and mechs that double as flying tanks. You control a pilot in a sci fi conflict where Earth colonists face an alien invasion. Each level throws waves of enemies at you with shifting terrain and destructible environments. The ship upgrades with new weapons and shields as you progress through increasingly chaotic battles. The game's 90s era sci fi story involves missing colony ships and a mysterious alien warlord but the real draw is the tight controls and escalating action. With 8 player selectable pilots and a focus on bullet hell intensity Shienryu holds up in retro shooter circles. Its Saturn port added minor visual tweaks but the arcade version remains the benchmark for fans of the genre.

Storyline

Taking place in the distant future, Earth's people starts their search for new planets to colonize, specifically those similar to it. The colony ships, known as the Caravans, travel deep into space until Caravan 7861 discovers a suitable fourth planet from an alien sun, but none of the other Caravans had followed. After 93 years of civilization on the new Mother Planet, the investigation of the missing Caravans finally leads to a horrible discovery: the previous Caravans had been attacked and conquered by a powerful regime of alien-humans. Commanded by the mysterious Shienryu, the alien space fleet invades the Mother Planet and constructs fortresses across the world, destroying and replacing any established human influence. In response, a defense team called "Burn Dragoon" is founded which calls for the best pilots and navigators to defend the new planet from the invading regime.