The standard for vertically scrolling shooters, Star Soldier is the original game that spawned all of the titles in the long-running Soldier series. Go inside a floating space station inhabited by a giant computer known as Starbrain. Your mission: to stop Starbrain's galactic invasion by piloting Caesar, a new, compact space fighter through 16 deadly stages.

Collect power capsules to increase three different attributes of your ship: firepower, movement speed and defensive shields. Blast wave after wave of approaching enemies or use the innovative Trap Zone feature to fly beneath a land mass and avoid incoming fire. Conquer each stage to make your way to the final confrontation with Starbrain.

Review

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 by Damien McFerran

The standard for vertically scrolling shooters, Star Soldier is the original game that spawned all of the titles in the long-running Soldier series.

We’ve already been blessed with the sublime Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade but now it’s the turn of the game that started it all as the NES classic Star Soldier hits the Virtual Console.Released on the NES way back in 1986, Hudson’s shooter..

Read Review

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

User Comments

1. Jonno 30 Jun 2007, 07:33 BST

The first of the star soldier series, looks... hard. Lol

2. deggs 05 Jul 2007, 06:28 BST

I had this game... I loved it. It was hard but it was fun. However, it's nothing near the awesomeness that is the tg16 star soldier games (which were absolutely stellar). I remember buying it for $15 back in the day for the nes so I don't know how good a deal it would be buy it for 500 points...

Still, it's a fun game and it is great to see the origins of this amazing series. Still, the top down shmups weren't that great until the 16 bit era (salamander/life force excepted)...

If you want a solid top down view shmup, wait for Life Force/Salamander. Now that game was one of the best for the nes...

3. sami 24 Jul 2007, 20:47 BST

its good but no way near better than axelay.

4. Adamant 31 Jul 2007, 03:16 BST

It is indeed a good game, the timing of it's release was just way off, with all it's superior sequels already being out (okay, Final Soldier isn't out outside of Japan, but that's the only place it was released anyway).

I agree that Life Force is far superior, but Star Soldier is still solid, and does not deserve such a low score.

5. hollywood 31 Jul 2007, 06:20 BST

You think that Star Soldier was tough, take a shot at manuevering through all sixteen stages of Xevious for the NES. That's what I call "pain".

6. Jonno 02 Aug 2007, 05:38 BST

Ah, once again, a game whose sales were massively depleted due to bad timing; tisk, tisk. Still, it is good enough.

7. deggs 07 Sep 2007, 17:38 BST

hmm,

this game isn't that bad. it's just that there's better similar games around. 2 stars might be a little harsh but it is pretty much an atari/c64 style game with not that much to it (and it is fairly tough. as a kid it took me years to get anywhere in this game. still, i played it over and over and over...)

8. deggs 07 Sep 2007, 17:40 BST

another cool thing about this one was the ability to duck under the action. too bad that wasn't around in life force