We recently reported on the imminent release of Steel Empire X Over Horizon for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, a compilation of old-school side-scrolling shoot ‘em ups from the early 90s. Now we’ve had the chance to play the games on Switch, and we had a real blast!
First up is Over Horizon, a 1991 NES shooter with a botanical setting, meaning killer plants sprouting up to attack you all over the place, and the game does a great job of creating an atmosphere of plant-based terror despite the limitations its 8-bit origins. It’s a solid, if unspectacular shoot ‘em up.
Its spiritual sequel Steel Empire is another solid shooter, but that bit more slick thanks to running on the 16-bit Mega Drive. Steel Empire also eschews Over Horizon’s botanical terror in favour of an appealing steampunk visual style sets it apart from yer standard space-based shooter.
The game is not just included in its original Mega Drive incarnation, but also in the form of a Game Boy Advance remake.
And while both are great fun, and it’s good to see the original version of the game being preserved and re-presented for a new audience, the Game Boy Advance version is the superior one, though considering we’re comparing a 16-bit machine from 1988 to a 32-bit machine from 2001, this should come as no surprise. Indeed, the game serves to remind us just what a pocket-sized powerhouse the GBA really was, serving up games that look like they’ve come straight from a late 1980s arcade on a handheld machine.
Both Over Horizon and Steel Empire offer a more sedate pace than the bullet hell madness you’d find in today’s shmups, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy! Far from it! In fact, in order to make the games more palatable to modern gamers, some optional quality-of-life enhancements have been included. Namely, cheats and the ability to rewind the games. However, if you take advantage of these, your high score won’t be saved. Only fair, innit?
The Steel Empire X Over Horizon package offers a welcome chance to experience some of the less well-known shoot ‘em ups from gaming’s history. And it comes highly recommended to those of you who want to delve that bit deeper into gaming’s past, or to anyone who enjoys a good side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. It’s available on the eshop now, and it’s a real “steal” (Empire) at just £13.49.
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