Review-Soldier Blade is the last chapter of the “Soldier” trilogy on PCE and it manages to close this epic space-2D shooting series with a bang!
The visuals are of the highest possible quality and their style is somewhat reminiscent of Toaplan's finest arcade vertical shooters. Sprites, bosses and backgrounds are very detailed and definitely inspired while weapons have been greatly overhauled and now look totally impressive. Some neat parallax scrolling has also been added to the mix for extra class.
The music is also extremely catchy and doesn't sound particularly rusty.
Gameplay further develops what had already been seen in both Super Star Soldier and Final Soldier but this time, Hudson managed to strike the perfect balance between addictiveness and difficulty. You should keep in mind that Soldier Blade is a tough shooter aimed at experienced players. Still it isn't excessively difficult so with a little bit of practice, you'll be able to master it.
It's hard to believe that all of this goodness has been squeezed into a tiny Hucard but somehow, the miracle happened. Soldier Blade is without a doubt the best game of the “Soldier” trilogy and Hudson really got EVERYTHING right with it. Soldier Blade oozes quality in every department. It is an unrivalled classic which every PCE owner should have in his collection.
It is the best vertical shooter on Hucard along with the all-conquering Gunhed. Hum, no that's not enough...I'll say even more: Soldier Blade is probably one of the most accomplished vertical shooters on the market as of October 2006. It has beauty, it has style, it has nerve, it has the perfect pace and it will make you the proudest of PCE collectors. Buy it, play it and keep it.
from retro to modern gaming 
