Looking for a fast paced dog fighting, tank stopping, behemoth pummeling, game? Then Strikers 1945 is just what the doctor ordered! I spent a long time looking for a game that played like this one, and in the proccess, got ahold of many games that I didn't play more than once. But it all payed off when I found Strikers 1945, and I knew right away that this was just what I'd been looking for. It's a beautifully blended mix of Arcade, shooter, and air combat, with power ups and enemy fighters galore. There's plenty of action, and rarely a moment passes without weapons firing, and explosions filling the screen. Arcade games in the 90's were relatively common, so in that sea of game machines, they had to try to be flashy, so they could catch your eye first. Loud explosions, and bright, colorful flashes were common among this platform, as it proved successful in the attention grabbing, quarter munching business of Arcades. However, so many fell short, and only delivered a cheap flashy show, and little to no replay value. Released in a time like this, could Strikers 1945 really stand a chance at delivering the explosive, fast lane action that true arcade gamers craved? Or would it fall short as so many others had, and leave the gamer walking away, disappointed? Well, there's only one way to know: let's give it a look, and see just how it turned out.

Graphics: 10/10
Incredible.
I don't hand out tens on graphics very easily, but this game earns it with it's great use of colors, among other things. The background is very well detailed, and really looks believable. It's always nice to see so much attention payed to small details like this, that don't actually factor into the game directly. It really does a good job immersing you in the experience, as you fly over buildings, railways, oceans, clouds, and more that I will spare to mention, so as not to spoil the ending. My favorite background however, is easily the one with all of the greenery of the forrest tree tops; the trees actually have depth to them, rather than just appearing to be flat backdrops. The particle effects are nice as well, with the explosions varying in size and effect appropriately, and the colorful blasts of the laser-like gunfire. There's no pixelation, every sprite is smooth and well illustrated. As for the movements, they're well illustrated, though that isn't saying too much with a game like this. And finally, "The colors, Duke! The colors!". Obscure references aside, the colors, oddly enough, were what really blew me away and made me bump the graphics up to a ten. More specifically, the bf-109's formation attack: that is just a beautiful sight, as far as game graphics are concerned. This game was designed to be appealing aesthetically, and it definitely succeeds at that.

Sound: 8/10
Exceptional.
The audio here is a very nice touch. The music is fitting, but not exactly a masterpiece. It definitely fits the game however, and sets the mood relatively well, but it's a little lower volume wise than it should be. It can actually be difficult to hear at points, which is sad to me, as I always enjoy hearing the background music in a game. The sound effects are nice and are incorporated much better than the music. They aren't really all that varied, but they they do a good job depicting the action properly, such as the laser-like fire, and the explosions. These are small, but effective inclusions that really help the game along.

Story: N/A
Disppointing to say the least. A game like this doesn't thrive on story though, it thrives on action. Still, it would have been entirely possible to include story segments, or even an opening text, but alas, the developers didn't see these things as important. Instead we are just expected to settle for high speed shooter action, and to piece the story together, bit by bit, from the different levels we see, and the various bosses. And oddly, in a silent story kind of way, this actually works, and you somehow see the story unfold, even though the game never says a word about it in any way. Thankfully, Vizzed supplies us with the story on the game's page. Still, I can't rate what doesn't actually appear in-game.

Depth: 6/10
Good.
Wow, this section took a lot more work than any of the others, namely because there's so much detail and depth with each plane. Throughout the game, two types of "power-ups" will appear: "Bombs" and "P" which either stands for "power-up" or "plane" I'm guessing. I refer to the Power-ups as reinforcement, as everytime you pick one up, another, much smaller plane, joins you, and acts as a wing man, that you can give orders to, sort of. The only order you can issue is a formation attack. This is done by holding the fire button, until you hear a sound, and see the planes bunch in a tight formation. Also you can have up to four planes in your wingman formation, and your plane's weapon becomes stronger with each "P" power-up you pick up. Also, each plane has a different formation attack, and "bomb" attack. The following is breakdown of each plan's "bombs", formation attacks, and support fire.
The P-38, when fully supported, sprays a more rapid and more concentrated stream of shots, while it's wingmen launch a homing weapon. Also, it's bomb is just a simple dive bomb, and it's formation attack sends the wingmen out in front of it, firing non-stop.
The P-51, when fully supported, fires a wide spread shot, while it's wingmen fire missles. It's formation attack scrolls to the top of the screen, shielding your plane from all enemy fire.
The Spitfire, when fully supported, fires a spread shot that isn't quite as wide as the P-51's, while it's wingmen fire some odd missle-like projectile that hovers over the enemy, presumably dealing damage all the while. This is easily the weakest plane in the game, having no real saving graces, and a "bomb" ability that is very difficult to control, as the plane's maneuverability is drastically decreased while firing it. The "bomb" is a large beam that is fired from the plane, and lasts for a few moments. It's formation attack sends the wingmen flying in front of the plane, while firing at angles.
The bf-109, when fully supported, fires a more concentrated and rapid stream of shots, while it's wingmen lock their sights on the enemy of their choice and engage them. It's "bomb" is actually a bomb attack! Only instead of the bf-109 dropping the bomb, it calls in air support that drops several bombs. It's formation attack sends it's wingmen out in front of it, rotating around one another while they pour on plenty of fire.
The Zero, when fully supported, is a monster of a machine. This beast fires a spread shot, while it's wingmen drop mini-bombs. It's "Bomb" actually kind of surprised me. It summons what appears to be a kamikaze. No, not a kamikaze pilot, but rather a literal kamikaze (divine wind from Tenshi (the son of heaven)), since it is the same plane Kamikaze pilots used. During this Kamikaze(?), your foes will be unable to attack, leaving them wide open to your attacks, and your formation attacks. Also, the Kamikaze itself deals damage. It's formation attack sicks the wingmen on one or more enemy, homing style. Is there a reason that in a game made in Japan, the Japanese plane is the strongest?
The Shinden, when fully supported, fires a more rapid and concentrated stream of shots, while it's wingmen fire missles. It's "Bomb" looks more like a shadow attack from an anime, and blows away any non-boss enemies in front of it in one shot, including mini-bosses. It's formation attack sends the wingmen flying to the top of the screen, firing a stream of shots from the sides of their planes.
It is sad then that with this much depth, the game offers little depth anywhere else. There are however, a few more bits of depth to be had. There is the fact that your level progression order will vary, depending on which plane you choose (I assume the changes are to reflect the country your plane is from). Also, you only have to play through the eight levels once to get the end, but you have the option of playing through twice in one run, as once the end results are posted, you are sent back to the first level, only this time, the difficulty jumps considerably. If the first time through, the difficulty was "Average" then the second trip can only be described as "insane". However, playing through the second time is the only way to reach the "The End" screen, which isn't a big deal, but it was enough to push me to play it through the second time everytime I played it. But then, it doesn't take too much encouragement to get me to play this game anyway. The final bit of depth, would be the option of two player campaigns. They are exactly the same, but with...two...players.

Addictiveness: 10/10
Incredible.
There is just no way around it, this game will keep you coming back for more. It's a blast to play, and the infinite continues makes it as easy as you need it to be, or as difficult as you want it to be by setting a "max continue" goal for yourself (this would be a self imposed challenge, not an in-game option). Trust me when I say that you will not tire of the fast paced action this game offers, anytime soon. I will certainly be coming back to it quite often, for years to come. Rarely do I give a 10 for addictiveness, but this one deserves it.

Difficulty: 4/10
Relatively easy.
While this is no cakewalk, it isn't likely to leave you enraged at any point. And like I said, with an infinite number of continues, it's as easy as you need it to be. Anyone can finish this, and yet it offers a challenge. This is a great arrangement, and really one of the best things about MAME. There are times that the enemy will fire so many shots that it is literally impossible to avoid being hit, and one hit destroys your plane, but this isn't a real setback with free continues. I'd say it's a twenty to twenty-five credit play through for most.

Overall: 8.5/10
Exceptional.
Let me set this straight: the only reason this is getting an 8.5 instead of a 9.5 or 10 is because I'm reaching the overall score by averaging out the scores of each category. I myself would give it at least one point higher for my personal rating. This is a great game, and deserves a place on everyone's to-play list. It's just that good.

In conclusion, Strikers 1945 is a great game that I would recommend to anyone, especially those who are fans of games in this genre. You'll search a long time to find a game that tops the Strikers games. Whether you're looking for a game you can spend hours on, or a game that you can play to occupy yourself on a ten minute break, this one is definitely worth looking into.