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Phalanx is a 2D side-scrolling space shooter video game developed by ZOOM Inc. (a disbanded Japanese video game company based in Sapporo, Japan) and Kemco for the Sharp X68000 (late 1980s home computer created by Sharp Corporation) and the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom. The game was released in Japan in 1991 and in North America and Europe in 1992.

Don't mind the weird box art. It is just a silly marketing gimmick. The game actually is a decent shooter in a time when shooter games were so damn abundant.

Cool Super Famicom box cover art for Japan. (Image source)

The Story

This is the fastest laser fight in the galaxy! You're about to blast to the next dimension of special effects - in the fastest star-fighter ever created. You're flying into the zone of danger. Through the deadly bio-cave. Down to the heart of the planet. Firing your missiles at thousands of monster bio-weapons that are trying to eat you alive. And no matter how many of the damn buggers attack you, the action never slows down. So ready your trigger, and blast off!

Box, manual and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

The fluid graphics are filled with many earthy tones and enemies that are mixtures of bio-mechanical designs. Each mission starts with a pic of your anime pilot and the level's name. Graphic showcase Level 1 starts out above the clouds/smog, then descends to above a very dreary, industrial, steampunk city. The other good-looking level is set in an outer-space asteroid field with neon signs all over the place. Some of the bosses and level backgrounds have cool and detailed designs to them.

The music is a good touch as well. It has that sort of generic, late 1980s to early 1990s game music that is catchy. The sound effects are okay, with exploding enemies, in particular, giving off a nice crunchy sound upon death.

Gameplay video sample of Phalanx on the Super Nintendo. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

As far as most 16-bit shooters go, Phalanx is mediocre. The power-up system is less interesting than other space shooters. You're constantly in search of anything to boost your firepower, and it's easy to find yourself crippled with your default weapon if you get killed once. When you do get power-ups, you'll be wanting something more destructive. You can cycle through your few weapons with the X button.

The best feature is the ability to adjust your speed quickly, which comes in handy when the game slows to a crawl where there are over 5 enemies on the screen. The enemy blaster fire is far slower than in most shooters, and easy to evade, especially since your ship is small.

7 levels of alien destruction madness plus two "secret" levels make this game far too short. The difficulty on easy mode is already moderately difficult, so the difficulty is high. That makes replay value somewhat decent.

My Verdict

Phalanx is still a decent space shooter that offers some maddening challenges on the hardest level, but nothing in-game is all that memorable. It is fun but rather forgettable.

Play it on the great Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on a good emulator.

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!