U.N. Squadron is the shoot'em up for the SNES generation. A 10 if I believed in them.
http://www.gamespot.com/users/raahsnavj/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25177156
How could I put this a 9.5?!
First I like shoot'em ups. There is a simplicity in the games coupled with quick reflexes, action, and a lot of strategy in how you move around. So my enjoyment of this type of a game is heightened. U.N. Squadron works great in such an environment. Almost to the point of perfection.
In this game you get the choice to fly as three different pilots. Each adding a twist to the genre. One levels up their primary weapon faster, another can use multiple weapons at the same time, and the other returns from damage quicker. The middle pilot can only really be tapped into by someone extremely familiar with the controls.
As you destroy enemies and objectives you earn cash to buy planes and special weapons. There are a large selection of planes to fly, if you can purchase them. Too bad during a game you will only have the money for 2 / 3 of them as the money you can earn by destroying every item every level is pretty low. But the planes you will end up flying work great. Additional fun can be added by flying the planes that just don't make the most strategic sense, so their addition to the game helps extend out the play quite a bit. Special weapons are fairly inexpensive, but during the course of the game you will realize that like the planes, you will only need 4 or 5 types. Each type of plane can hold only so much of a special and depending on the plane you can't even equip some of them. Once again causing you to only pick a few planes that will use the weapons of most use. During play you have to switch through the specials, making you still work to use the appropriate thing at the right time.
The maps are pretty straight forward. There are 7 main objectives, 2 aerial squadrons, a submarine you will get to sink, and "bonus" stages that are easy but don't really provide you with much cash. Some levels will move closer to your base as you play and when they get too close you have to play those levels. There are plenty of enemies on the screen at the same time. The levels are also well detailed. Haze in the desert, trees you can blow up in the forest, speed when pulling out of a canyon, lightning effects in the clouds all make for great distinguishable locations.
There are 'bosses' at the end of each level. A nice flash lets you know when you have hit the weak point. Some require special weapons to beat up effectively (for example, one boss is extremely hard without something that shoots up). Each boss will throw different things at you. Turrets, planes, homing missiles, flame throwers... you have to watch out from behind, above, underneath, front, things will come at you different each boss.
As you take damage your ship will become shortly invincible then be accompanied with a 'warning' period where you can't get hit again without being destroyed. After the warning disables a power meter will fill again but not as high. This adds a lot to the game in the sense if you get into a bad spot you are not instantly killed, but you are not out the thick of it. You have to regain a sense of where everything is and put yourself in a good position again until the warning goes away. This makes it more of a strategy shooter and allows more forgiving in the gameplay, often lacked in other shoot'em ups.
There are 4 difficulty levels. Easy, Normal, Hard, and Gamer. Gamer requires a code to punch in. Each difficulty not only increases how often the enemies shoot at you, but the speed of the bullets, and the hits you will have to inflict to wipe them out. On Gamer, even with the short invincibility there are so many bullets on the screen you will have to be really good to get through it, and some of the bosses can be so strong that you have to patiently pick them apart. The ending will change for each difficulty level, though in a very minor way. You can't expect much of the endings though. This is a SNES game after all.
When you die you do not lose your power-ups. So you will never have to restart a level that requires power-ups to finish it with nothing but your original gun at minimal power. This I believe is one of it's strongest points. You never get to cruise through levels just because you are at full power. And when you die the difficulty doesn't instantly ramp up to extremes. It's a constant increase of difficulty as you go through the levels.
So what is wrong with it? For one, it is different than the Arcade game of the same name. This I believe upset a lot of purists that wanted it to come home to a console unchanged. Two, it tries to do so much with the different planes and weapons, but you just won't have the cash for all of them, so it makes the game appear broken despite it has a lot more than the typical shoot'em up in the first place. If you try to get everything you will be bored fighting the bonus stages over and over. And then there is the slow down... You will unlikely see a lot of slow-down unless you use some of the specials that look cool, but are pretty useless (for example the 'lightning' weapon). The slow-down is nothing compared to most shooters for the SNES though. And the slow down is rarely caused by you just playing, but rather you forgetting to shoot things and they pile up on the screen.
None of these issues bother me though. I didn't play the arcade game. There is still the ability to buy what you need to complete the game (unless you try to buy everything!). Playing the bonus stages over and over is self inflicted and not necessary. And I kind of like the slow down... It's the games way of saying, "You should have shot something you putz... let me put you on auto-slow so you can see yourself die slowly." Which most of the time you will, other times it works for a great so you can take in your awesome flying skills. Stay ahead of the game by blasting things though and the slow down will not affect you much.
I have to give it a 10 on enjoyment. My favorite shoot'em up of all time.
A 10 on gameplay. With training everything plays exactly how it should, even the perceived negatives. On Gamer the Submarine and Ceiling boss are HARD! Patience and timed attacks are key. Frustrating, but every time they blow I feel quite a sense of accomplishment. Best balance in the genre the entire time you play it.
On story/purpose I gave it a 9. There is a story, though not compelling and it pulls of what I think is the best shoot'em up at the time of the release.
I think if you haven't played a shoot'em up in this generation (SNES, Genesis, etc), this is the one to play.