FAST STRIKER Reviews
Fast Striker pays homage to the original game, but it offers very little in regards to modernization. Fast Striker has some simple, intriguing elements to it, but it lacks the polish of other games in the genre.
In review, Fast Striker is a difficult, but scrappy homage to the shoot 'em ups of old. Its Neo Geo graphics, while nostalgic, don't particularly stand out, and use an ugly palette of colours. The lack of additional gameplay features, especially powerups is its most egregious sin, but the experience is still an enjoyable one, if only for ten minutes at a time. On a PS Vita and for short bursts, this could provide entertainment for a bus journey or two. On PS4, however, it doesn't cut the mustard, and fails to stand out from the many, many indie shoot 'em ups available on the Store.
As someone who hase fallen so deeply in love with the genre, whose itch for a new brilliant shmup has been left unscratched for years, I can't help but feel disappointed – especially because of how promising NG:DEV.TEAM seem to be.
Fast Striker is solid all round. It has four modes of ever-increasing challenge and complexity. Novices are able to get a feel for the game, while Maniacs can push their skills to the limit. The shields are an interesting idea. Under the right circumstances, they are a satisfying means of escape, yet they can also be a crutch. If they are always being exhausted, it's proof that the player needs more practice. Overcoming the impossible is what STGs are all about, and this title clearly understands that mantra.
A fast, furious and fun shoot ‘em up that brings some interesting gameplay changes into its different modes. Doesn't do anything groundbreaking but plays like a dream and looks and sounds exactly as you remember shmups do!
If you are a fan of retro vertical shooters then Fast Striker from eastasiasoft is definitely a good option, especially since it's a cross-buy release, so you'll be getting both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation Vita versions with one purchase. There's also a physical copy available in very limited quantities from Play Asia, which you can pre-order by clicking right here.
Fast Strikers is a title that is fun to play once or twice but doesn't have longevity or content to enjoy much longer than that.
If you're a shoot 'em up aficionado who must play every single one in existence then Fast Striker will provide a worthwhile albeit unmemorable arcade-style experience.
At the end of the day (having played the game for about 2 weeks (roughly 1-1.5 hr/day), I came back to that initial question that I set out with – What unique element sets this game apart from all the others? The gameplay is pretty standard fare, the music is nice, but unmemorable, and there is no defined story or end goal. The one aspect that did stand out to me was the quality of the animations. I can’t put my finger on why, but the animations used for a lot of the larger enemies, bosses, and even the backgrounds were really impressive to me. Were they game-changing? I wouldn’t go that far, but they definitely impressed me and helped make the game feel somewhat distinct. Fast Striker currently retails for $6.99 on the PSN. Playing on PS4 is a much nicer experience than on the Vita, but this type of game tends to work best when played in shorter bursts or while on the go. If you’re interested in the limited physical editions, PlayAsia still has both PS4 and Vita copies. Given the low price point and overall level of enjoyment that I received, I’d say this one’s still worth a look.
Fast Striker is definitely, firmly a danmaku game. But it does also throw a couple curve balls to keep the design unique. Aside from the actual difficulty adjustments, each difficulty (plus the extra Omake mode, which has a bunch of extra mechanics for score chasing) also puts you in a different ship, with its own firing patterns and thus playstyle. Each ship gets a rapid fire, a sustained fire, rapid and sustained rear fire, and the strike shield.
Fast Striker then is a competent score focused shooter that’s short but satisfying. It’s missing some modern day features like online leader boards but it’s a visual treat for the eye balls that’s accessible for newcomers on the Novice difficulty and a real test for shmup veterans on Manic or Omake. If you already have the 1.5 edition on the Dreamcast, the only new additions here are screen sizing and button mapping so it’s probably not worth the double dip but if this is the first you’re hearing about Fast Striker and you fancy a coin-op inspired shoot ‘em up to tide you over, Fast Striker could fit the bill.