SATAZIUS

About

SATAZIUS is a single player arcade platformer game with a anime theme. It was developed by ASTRO PORT and was released on December 16, 2011. It received positive reviews from players.

SATAZIUS is an awesome old school side-scrolling arcade shooter by accomplished indie developer ASTRO PORT (Gigantic Army, Armed Seven, Supercharged Robot Vulkaiser), featuring an arsenal of 13 types of upgradeable weapons, power-ups, obstacles and boss encounters that arcade veterans will enjoying getting to grips with. Customize your ship by selecting two side weapons which can be selected at an…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 195 reviews

graphics16 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Authentic old-school horizontal shoot'em up gameplay heavily inspired by classics like Gradius, R-Type, and Darius, eliciting nostalgia and delivering a polished, challenging experience.
Wide variety of weapon loadouts and upgrades, allowing strategic customization and replayability with interesting boss battles and levels featuring vertical scrolling and branching paths.
Responsive controls (best with a gamepad), solid graphics with clear visibility of enemies and bullets, plus a catchy techno soundtrack that fits the sci-fi space theme well.

Game is very challenging with frequent trial-and-error and 'gotcha' moments that require memorization, making it frustrating for less experienced players or newcomers to the genre.
Limited technical features including locked low resolution (640x480), lack of D-pad support, no pause function on controllers, and forced analog stick usage which impairs precision.
Progression system flaws such as weapons and upgrades resetting each run, no saving of unlocked weapons, and a few buggy/unobtainable achievements diminishing long-term replay value.

graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
52%
10%
The graphics are generally described as clear, retro, and reminiscent of classic 16-bit or 90s shmup aesthetics, with a focus on visibility and fluid animations despite a low resolution (640x480) and some reuse of sprites. While some find the visuals basic, blurry, or outdated, many appreciate the nostalgic style and how the graphics support fast-paced gameplay and enemy visibility. Overall, the graphics are decent but lack modern polish, appealing primarily to fans of classic arcade shooters.
- “I was actually fairly impressed with the graphics in this game. Granted there's nothing spectacular, however, if this game was released alongside R-Type HD it would definitely have given it a run for its money, as this game has a much higher pixel density and the animations are so fluid they look almost as good as another game called Intrusion 2, which features one of the best-animated bosses I have ever seen.”
- “The graphics are old-school and fantastically done, and the music fits the game like a glove.”
- “With its Sega Mega Drive-style graphics and classic arcade 16-bit console gameplay, this is pure uncomplicated fun.”
- “The graphics feels a little blurry.”
- “This game needs a graphics and UI update badly, but it's worth picking up for the classic shmup player who has some time to kill.”
- “The level design varies from stupidly easy to cheap and frustrating, the graphics are dull, and the music is bland, but if you're desperate for a shmup, you could do far worse.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reactions, with many praising its catchy, techno-inspired soundtrack that suits the sci-fi and retro shooter theme, often described as energetic and pumping. However, some find it repetitive, bland, or not as memorable compared to classic shmup soundtracks, while a few consider it off-putting or mediocre. Overall, the soundtrack complements the gameplay well but may not appeal to everyone.
- “A tough damn good horizontal scrolling shoot 'em up in the best traditions of Gradius/R-Type etc., thumping amazing soundtrack, really good visuals and tight gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack is great, a metal retro mix of high-speed loops and fast guitar riffs that really set the mood and get your blood pumping.”
- “It's like a cross between goa trance and cyberpunk and while fairly simple and loop based, it's very well done and a welcome modern spin.”
- “I hated the music, with a few exceptions, but the graphics are clear and nice, even at lower resolution.”
- “And secondly, the music doesn't match the catchy melodies of the above mentioned games, or so many other old-school shmups.”
- “The level design varies from stupidly easy to cheap and frustrating, the graphics are dull, and the music is bland, but if you're desperate for a shmup, you could do far worse.”
gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
36%
12%
The gameplay is largely praised for its fun, tight mechanics, and engaging power-up system, offering a classic shoot-'em-up experience with varied level designs and challenging difficulty. While some find the design decisions occasionally frustrating and the core loop occasionally unengaging, the overall gameplay is seen as revitalizing, tough yet satisfying, capturing the spirit of classic arcade shooters.
- “The choice of power-ups is cool, the gameplay is fun and how some levels can scroll up and down pretty far with different paths is ingenious.”
- “They obviously put a lot of love and care into their games which are always replete with gorgeous details, excellent stage and enemy designs, epic bosses, and fun gameplay mechanics.”
- “+ New weapon power-ups given after each level make your gameplay experience revitalizing and fresh for the next level.”
- “A tough damn good horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up in the best traditions of Gradius/R-Type etc., thumping amazing soundtrack, really good visuals and tight gameplay.”
- “The core gameplay elements are fine and the game feels fun at times; the only things that make this game not fun are the design decisions.”
- “Gameplay is really tough and unpredictable.”
- “This game is hard, and I mean classically hard. If you aren't familiar with this style of gameplay, you will have a rough go of it.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game offers minimal storytelling, with no in-game cutscenes or dialogue, relying instead on a brief backstory provided only in the manual and visual cues during gameplay. The focus is on action, with players quickly engaging in missions rather than following a detailed plot, which some see as fitting for its arcade-style design. Overall, the story is viewed as simple and secondary to the game's core shooting experience.
- “Though there really isn't much dialogue or story to the game, the gist of Satazius involves pirate-infested planet Satazius, and assault ship Trafalgar's crew taking immeasurable odds on to wade through fleet after fleet of enemies, and destroy the pirates' base situated there.”
- “There is no wordy text to explain the story, no worry about catching up the story by reading while you are busy blasting stuff, creating beautiful fireworks.”
- “The story is pretty much explained through visual presentation, a normal thing I see in some of the old hits.”
- “There is no story text or cut scenes provided in the game to explain any plot; you just mindlessly jump into a ship and blow stuff up.”
- “The story is only available in the manual (accessible by right-clicking the game in your Steam library), and it's not even interesting to read.”
- “No story, no cutscenes!”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Replayability is bolstered by competitive highscore chasing, varied and powerful equipment encouraging experimentation, and multiple difficulty levels offering extended challenge. However, some players find limited content after completing the game and encounter issues with bugged achievements. Overall, it provides solid replay value typical of classic shmups, especially for fans of the genre.
- “If you like these old school scrolling shooters like Darius, check this out: very few cheap deaths, lots of weapons to choose from, lots of replay value, very fun.”
- “Every equipment feels powerful and useful, adding to experimentation and replay value.”
- “This impacts the replayability as well, as it leaves not much to do after beating the game once other than hunting for achievements; and that itself is problematic too because some achievements are bugged and will not unlock.”
- “The game isn't that long, but the harder difficulties give it decent replayability.”
- “If you wish to compete to improve your own highscores it will be nice to come back to.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is seen as tedious and frustrating, with repetitive maneuvers and unexpected hazards that often result in repeated deaths before players learn to avoid them.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly optimized, running smoothly even on very low-end hardware, ensuring a good performance experience for a wide range of systems.
- “It is a greatly optimized game that runs very smoothly on some very low-end hardware.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional experience is marred by frustration due to difficult navigation, where touching walls results in instant death and checkpoint resets, disrupting player immersion and enjoyment.