Starr Mazer: DSP

About

"Starr Mazer: DSP is a single-player Science Fiction Action game with outstanding gameplay, awesome graphics, and a wonderful soundtrack. In this side-scrolling shoot'em up, you control a squadron of pilots with diverse skills and weapons, battling through nine intense levels to take down the G'ell Super Ship. The roguelike twist on the lives/continues system, combined with the ever-evolving SK:ORE system, ensures that the fight never ends."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 371 reviews

music60 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Great pixel art and animations, creating a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic SHMUPs.
Fun gameplay with a unique pilot hiring mechanic that adds depth and replayability.
Engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and keeps players immersed.

The game has been in early access for years with little to no updates, leading to concerns of abandonment.
Many players report issues with hit detection and collision, making gameplay frustrating.
Lack of content and features, with only one level available, makes it feel incomplete and not worth the price.

music
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
5%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and energetic soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly in evoking nostalgia for retro arcade games. However, some players note that the music can become repetitive and criticize the audio design, suggesting that it lacks variety and depth. Despite the controversy surrounding the original composer, the current soundtrack is generally seen as a positive aspect, with requests for additional music content in the future.
- “The game offers some very retro gameplay and graphics, topped off with some really challenging difficulty but gives you that feeling of 'just one more' and has some fantastic catchy music even though it's changed since the copyright incident.”
- “The music, effects, voices, pixel art, and gameplay all come together to create an outstanding experience; I have a handful of much more expensive shmups in my library, and none of them are this fun.”
- “Beautiful retro 80s graphics and music, and fun even if you aren't the best at shmups.”
- “Audio design is perhaps the worst part of the game, with a forgettable soundtrack and very lousy sound effects.”
- “Muting the game entirely and playing your own music is pretty much a must.”
- “The music's also not the best.”
gameplay
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
76%
3%
The gameplay is generally praised for its fluidity, retro aesthetics, and engaging mechanics, particularly the unique roguelike elements that enhance replayability. However, some players find certain mechanics, like the health bar and store interface, poorly explained or cumbersome, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game offers a solid challenge and nostalgic appeal, it also exhibits some repetitive elements typical of the genre.
- “The gameplay is fun, the presentation is cool, exciting, and enthralling as a throwback to old 16-bit era shoot-em-ups.”
- “The gameplay is rock solid, and rock hard, but amazingly compelling.”
- “The music, effects, voices, pixel art, and gameplay all come together to create an outstanding experience; I have a handful of much more expensive shmups in my library, and none of them are this fun.”
- “The gameplay decision to reset the entire game on loss is annoying and sucks out the fun.”
- “Definitely buy on sale; the gameplay is both a little slow and a little repetitive.”
- “As expected, this game is pretty, but the gameplay is generic.”
graphics
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their outstanding artwork, vibrant pixel art, and retro aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic arcade games. Many reviewers highlight the colorful visuals, detailed environments, and smooth parallax scrolling, while some express a preference for the modernized take on 16-bit graphics. However, a few critiques mention that the graphics can feel simplistic or lazy compared to contemporary standards, yet overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The graphics are colorful and bright, with the stages showing some variation (night/day) between runs.”
- “Excellent music, amazing graphics, high detail and polish to just about everything.”
- “Beautiful retro 80s graphics and music, and fun even if you aren't the best at shmups.”
- “Large pixel-y graphics.”
- “Graphics: 6 meh, I lived through 8-bit, it's not all that, kinda lazy in my opinion.”
- “In all, I probably would have passed over this one due to the graphics if it were not for the issues the studio faced, but I'm glad I did find this game.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The game's story is generally considered mediocre, typical for a rogue-like, but it effectively compensates with humor and character development. Players appreciate the unique mechanic of losing hired pilots instead of lives, which adds a fresh twist to the gameplay. The lighthearted tone and references to pop culture enhance the overall atmosphere, making players eager for a more in-depth narrative experience.
- “Any cracks in the overall storyline are filled in well with humor and character. This game captures the atmosphere and humor to fill those cracks.”
- “Instead of losing lives, you lose the pilots you hired for each mission, which adds a fresh twist to the game's genre.”
- “Game is good, just needs better OST, mediocre story, and a faster pace.”
- “The pilots on the way to their doom are chipper in their own right, quoting from great works such as Firefly and Duke Nukem as they go about their hopeless mission of death.”
- “Any cracks in the overall storyline are filled in well with humor and character; not that a roguelike (Nethack anyone?) has a whole lot of story in general, this game captures the atmosphere and humor to fill those cracks.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by funny quips from the pilots and engaging voice acting, particularly from characters like the Jersey girl and dudebro variants. While the comedic clips can become repetitive for skilled players, they effectively fill in narrative gaps and enhance the overall atmosphere, contributing to a lighthearted experience amidst the chaos. The combination of humor, character interactions, and a lively soundtrack makes for an entertaining gameplay experience.
- “Any cracks in the overall storyline are filled in well with humor and character. This game captures the atmosphere and humor to fill those cracks.”
- “The voice acting is legitimately funny; I especially like the Jersey girl pilot and the dudebro variant.”
- “There's even some good humor here and there as the pilots and your commander, a cat, say a variety of interesting lines as chaos unfolds around you.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely criticized for its persistent and severe bugs, with many users expressing doubt that any fixes will be implemented in the future. Overall, stability remains a significant issue that detracts from the gaming experience.
- “When I bought this game years ago, it was buggy, so I thought I would wait for development to finish.”
- “The game is extremely buggy, and most likely no fix is ever coming.”
- “The game is extremely buggy, and most likely no fix is ever coming.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The optimization of the game has been positively noted, particularly in relation to performance on the Steam Deck, where users share experiences and discuss how game mechanics, such as death as progression, scale with performance. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to run smoothly on various platforms.
- “Death as progression and reward scaling up with performance.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its humor and character, effectively compensating for the minimal storyline typical of rogue-likes. The music and voice acting of the pilots complement the overall ambiance, maintaining freshness even through repeated gameplay.
- “Any cracks in the overall storyline are filled in well with humor and character; this game captures the atmosphere and humor to fill those gaps.”
- “The music and the voices of each pilot mesh well with the game's atmosphere and don't reach the point of repetition nausea even after repeating the same level over and over.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly regarded for its replayability, with users consistently noting that it offers a fun experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Ultimately, this is a very fun game with a lot of replay value.”
- “Great replayability.”
- “Ultimately, this is a very fun game with a lot of replay value.”