Review - Compilation which includes coin-op ports of Sol Divide and Dragon Blaze.

Sol Divide has already been ported to Saturn and Playstation in 1998, so it's not new to the home console market. It's a side-scrolling shooter with excellent graphics and an awesome visual flair thanks to the character design by Katsuya Terada.

It plays somewhat like Forgotten Worlds since you control big flying characters and often have to engage in melee battles. Smart bombs come in the form of spectacular magic spells and deplete a magic meter when performed.

Sol Divide is a great little shooter with original audio-visuals and somewhat different gameplay. If you never played it, this compilation gives you the opportunity to experience one of Psikyo's greatest moments. Try it and you won't be disappointed.

To me though, the point of this collection is Dragon Blaze since it's the first time it has ever been ported to a home console ( so-far it was an arcade exclusive).

As soon as I loaded it , I felt right at home. The minimalist intro, the bare option screen, the short levels and the furious bullet-hell gameplay are Psikyo's trademark. If you played games such as Gunbird I & II, Espgaluda or any other Psikyo vertical shooter, you will know exactly what to expect. Is this good or bad? Well, Dragon Blaze visuals ooze quality from each and every angle you look at them.

Backgrounds are very detailed, colourful and varied, while sprites are very well drawn. The visuals are particularly attractive because they masterfully blend the typical western fantasy D&D-style setting with anime ingredients.

Gameplay is very intuitive as the game mechanics are simple but effective. You have your usual array of powerups, bombs etc to help you clear out a path in the ultra-crowded levels. If you don't mind bullet hell, you will have a kick out of the 7 levels this game has to offer. Dragon Blaze is a nicely crafted shooter, with beautiful graphics and challenging gameplay (especially the last 2 levels!).

Bottom line: another awesome compilation with two classic althouh lesser known shooters from psikyo. 8/10