Nearly 20 years after the original game hit arcades, Sega issues another re-release of Galaxy Force II for the Sega Ages 2500 series. This time around, they bundle together the Mega Drive version, the Master System version, the arcade original, and a "Neo Classic" version which is a remake of the original arcade game with cleaned-up graphics and a 16:9 aspect ratio for a cinematic experience of sorts. In addition to all of the gaming goodness, a gallery which contains flyers, images, and instruction manuals from the original arcade version as well as the home conversions of the games may be perused.

For Galaxy Force players who enjoy watching expert players do their thing, the Theater Mode under the Archives section features a Master Play recording which features an ace who blows through the arcade game and the Neo Classic remake in a single sitting and one credit.

Jan Code: 4974365831943

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

» Press START and the following versions of Galaxy Force II may be played:

Galaxy Force Neo Classic
Galaxy Force II (Arcade)
Galaxy Force II (Mega Drive)
Galaxy Force II (Master System)

» The original Galaxy Force II is a 3D shooter where the ship is viewed from behind the thrusters and plays somewhat like Space Harrier and/or Afterburner. Maneuver the ship through the expanse of space and across planets to lock on and destroy legions of enemy spacecraft. When your ship runs out of fuel, it sort of flutters down and crashes.

» Galaxy Force II (Master System)
The title screen looks pretty good and the overall conversion is decent. There's one level where green walls which look like pcboards dot the landscape. As they parse forward, they blink and can potentially cause seizures but the space levels aren't too bad, Only the d-pad can be used for movement.

The ARCHIVES section of the game features a Sound Test, a Replay (record and save/load and view) function, and a Gallery which contains the original European game manual which is multi-lingual.

» Galaxy Force II (Mega Drive)
The 16-bit console conversion of the game isn't visually comparable to the coin-op original but it's superior to the Master System conversion. The controls are tough and stubborn however. Moving up and down is a chore but the left and right movement is easier to handle. Not bad for a cartridge game but it can't measure up to the arcade original. Only the d-pad can be used for movement.

The ARCHIVES section features a Replay (record and save/load and view) function, a Sound Test, and a Gallery which contains a scan of the Japanese Mega Drive cartridge insert and the complete Japanese game manual. There's also a scan of the USA Genesis cartridge insert and a scan of the front and back cover of the USA game manual but no scans of the actual pages within.

» Galaxy Force II (Arcade)
Press the TRIANGLE button to insert credits and be wowed by an action-packed 3D tour-de-force from the late 80s. The game uses the L-analog pad for full freedom of movement as the ship rocks through the cosmos. There's a Death Star moment in the first level when you penetrate through the enemy waves and enter a massive planetoid through its porthole and wreak havoc within. The ultimate goal is to destroy the Command Center at the core of the planetoid as your energy runs precipitously low. The next level has your ship skimming over a lake of fire as plumes of flames arc above the sea of lava.

The ARCHIVES section features a REPLAY section where you can watch an expert blow through the game on a single credit in 13 minutes and 45 seconds. Check out the masterful way that he takes apart the starcruiser at the beginning of the first level. At the end of the replay and after the congratulations message, he signs his name "T 9."

There's also a Replay (record and save/load and view) function where you can store your own game play to memory card, a Sound Test, and a Gallery which contains 30 pages of flyers, promotional material, arcade game manual, scans of the Saturn game packaging, and scans of the Sega Saturn version game manual. There's also a THEATER section in the ARCHIVES which shows the original Galaxy Force arcade machine with footage from April 11, 1988. Someone dressed in a shiny spacesuit and helmet walks into the smoky room and plays the game. The arcade game was mounted on a rotoscoping platform where the player would sit and it would spin 360 degrees while playing. The video lasts for about 2 minutes.

» Galaxy Force Neo Classic
Sega basically cleaned up the graphics from the arcade version of Galaxy Force II and got rid of the aliasing for a smoother, prettier looking game. All of the levels are the same and play the same as the coin-op original. The third level is eye candy with its green alien plants and exploding beetle conglomerations. The waterfalls are a nice touch.

The ARCHIVES section features a REPLAY section where a master player finishes the game in one sitting in 13 minutes and 45 seconds and a replay function for your own save/loads. A Sound Test is also available. There was one point on the sixth level of the Master Play replay where we thought he was going to eat dirt but he toughs it out and destroys the Command Center with 66 energy units remaining. The game ends after that and a corny congratulations message plays followed by the High Score entry which he signs "T.A."

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