Radiant Silvergun

The good news: Great 2D shooters live on. The bad news: The latest great 2D shooter is only available in Japan. Radiant Silvergun is Treasure's (Gunstar Heroes, Guardian Heroes) latest work of art. Not only does it sport some fantastic graphics and controls, but it has some fresh ideas that should please fans of the genre.

This one- or two-player simultaneous game offers you seven different weapons (see sidebar). But instead of picking up power-ups or icons to get these weapons as in most other shooters, you get them all right off the bat. While this may seem like a bit of a spoiler, it lends to some pretty interesting techniques. Since each weapon is very different from the next, you have to be constantly making decisions as to which weapon will work the best in the current situation. And since this is a fast-paced shooter, you have to make those decisions quickly.

Radiant Silvergun doesn't offer power-ups to strengthen these weapons. Instead, you'll have to earn more powerful weapons by being efficient in combat. When you hit a series of enemies in a row, you'll be awarded with chain combos. The more chains you get, the more powerful your weapons will become--you'll get more shots, more power and more area of effect (i.e., wider shots).

If you get a chance, you should import this gem. Since it doesn't require a RAM cart, you can easily play it on your U.S. Saturn (with the help of a GameShark, or alternatively, you can use the 4-in-i carts mentioned in this month's Letters section). There is also a very strong possibility that Radiant Silvergun will be coming to the United States for the PlayStation sometime in the future. We'll keep you posted.