Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo
- January 23, 2015
- Synset Games
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Reviews
- Colorful visuals and engaging pixel art that evoke nostalgia for classic arcade shooters.
- A wide variety of ships to choose from, each with unique mechanics and playstyles, enhancing replayability.
- Accessible gameplay with multiple difficulty settings, making it suitable for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
- The game can feel repetitive due to a lack of variety in level design and enemy patterns.
- The final boss presents a significant difficulty spike that can be frustrating, especially compared to earlier stages.
- Some players may find the power-up system and hitbox mechanics to be poorly designed, leading to confusion during gameplay.
- music77 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and memorable qualities, often likening it to nostalgic chiptune and heavy metal influences. However, some players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive, with a lack of variety in tracks across levels, and a few find certain pieces grating or poorly arranged. Overall, while the music enhances the gameplay experience for many, it also has its detractors who feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“Caution: the music will be stuck in your brain for years to come.”
“The soundtrack is wonderful heavy metal/chiptune nostalgia.”
“On the bright side, the game has really great music, beautiful, colorful pixel art, and really classy style for days.”
“From this point onwards, no new enemy will be introduced (aside from the bosses) and the music for levels 4 and 5 will be repeats from levels 1 and 2 respectively.”
“Music is generic chiptune with no identifiable melodies, just randomly going up and down on the scale.”
“The game is disserviced by a really bad soundtrack and very poor arrangements, as well as lackluster voice overs read by some friends I gathered.”
- gameplay64 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by solid mechanics and a variety of unique ships, each offering distinct playstyles and abilities, including a controversial slow-down mechanic that some find jarring. While the bullet patterns are generally well-designed and manageable, the overall experience can become repetitive, lacking depth and complexity, particularly for seasoned players. Despite its appealing visuals and soundtrack, the game suffers from issues like bland level design and a poorly implemented scoring system, making it a mixed experience for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
“Sgs ex turbo scratches the itch in a way that Danmaku Unlimited 3 does while layering in a little R-Type-like strategy with its ship selection mechanics.”
“The gameplay is much about avoiding bullet patterns, and it is very well done in that aspect. The bullets are easy to see and memorize, and I can distinguish easily what is to be avoided and what is to be caught.”
“The variety in playable ships is great, and they all have unique mechanics that change the way they play, so definitely try all of them out to find your favorite.”
“The slow-down effect is somewhat jarring - it's like someone is pressing the pause button on autofire rather than like a true slowing mechanic, like in Ginga Force.”
“There's a lack of basic features such as save states and training modes, the level design is bland, and the core mechanics feel similarly lacking, and I don't think it equips beginners with a decent enough grasp on either the fundamentals or potentials of the genre.”
“Definitely not for everyone, especially hardcore players, as the gameplay doesn't have much to write home about and feels very repetitive after a while.”
- graphics47 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their colorful, retro-inspired pixel art and clean visuals, which evoke nostalgia for classic arcade shooters. Many players appreciate the vibrant aesthetic and fitting soundtrack, although some find the visuals cluttered or simplistic. Overall, the game's art style and audio contribute positively to the experience, making it appealing to fans of the genre.
“The graphics are exactly the kind I like in my shoot 'em ups.”
“It is also aesthetically pleasing, with quality pixel art, an intense soundtrack, and a vivid color palette.”
“This game distills everything fun about 'arcade style' shooters and delivers it with great visuals and music.”
“The graphical style isn't for me and it almost put me off buying.”
“It's an overall dull experience with no focus, cluttered visuals, and very grating music, something the genre usually excels at.”
“Bosses catch fire when low on health (random fire sprites drawn over the body) and a few animated lasers, but other than that the artwork is as flat as an ironing board.”
- story30 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in SGS: EX Turbo is generally considered well-crafted, featuring a voice-acted mode with animated cutscenes that enhance the experience, although some players find the plot simplistic and uninteresting. While the narrative may not be the main draw for everyone, it adds a layer of depth with unique backstories for each ship, making it more engaging than typical shmups. Overall, the story complements the gameplay without overshadowing the arcade action, appealing to those who appreciate a narrative in this genre.
“There's a story mode that spans six or so levels, with full voice acting.”
“All story intermissions from the original game are now replaced with fully voice acted and animated cutscenes that have really good quality.”
“My favorite touch was the couple of sentences of backstory provided for each of the 14 playable ships on the ship select screen; amazing how much depth that adds to the game's world.”
“One last minor complaint would be the story, which looking around the comments and reviews, no one else cared for either.”
“The story is simple: humans and aliens don't get along, so what happens?”
“Story is barebones and doesn't make much sense (a terrorist group attacked their race, so the response was to follow up and attack their home planet in defense..?)”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability primarily through its endless mode and diverse ship selection, allowing players to experiment with various strategies and difficulty levels. However, while the achievements and leaderboard climbing add some incentive, they do not significantly enhance the overall replay value.
“High replay value due to endless mode and the immense variety of selectable ships.”
“The different ships provide a good source of replay value, outside of leaderboard climbing.”
“Replayability is mostly in different difficulty levels and ship selection.”
“There are a lot of different ships, and that lends to the replay value.”
“Short but replayable.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as light-hearted and somewhat self-aware, with a playful approach to its bullet hell mechanics that feels more like a whimsical experiment than a serious endeavor. Players find amusement in the absurdity of the challenges, particularly in the endless mode where the escalating difficulty leads to hilariously overwhelming odds. Overall, the game embraces its comedic elements, making it an entertaining experience despite its apparent lack of depth.
“Funny game.”
“This is a vertical space-shooter with a funny name that just begs for having 'Reloaded Definitive Edition: The Revenge' added at the end.”
“Endless normal is the most fun in the long run because you'll compete with others on the Steam leaderboard there, and it just becomes funny to see how ridiculously stacked the odds become against you once you live longer than 15 minutes.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that "SGS EX Turbo" provides 17 ships from the start, eliminating the need for extensive grinding for resources or upgrades, allowing for immediate gameplay variety. However, the repetitive nature of the levels can lead to a sense of tedium, as every ship plays similarly and the levels tend to drag on.
“Every ship plays the same and every level tediously overstays its welcome.”
“With 17 ships unlocked from the start, you won't need to grind for score or resources like in R-Type Final 2 or Danmaku Unlimited 3 to get those extra loadouts. SGS EX Turbo wants you to play with its toys right out of the gate, but the lack of variety in gameplay makes it feel repetitive.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report it as mostly stable with minor bugs, others have experienced issues like awkward sprite glitches and occasional crashes. Despite these problems, many still recommend the game, anticipating future patches to improve its performance.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
“I haven't encountered any glitches during my playthrough.”
“The performance is consistent, making for a reliable gaming experience.”
“In its current state, the game is a bit buggy, with some awkward sprite issues at times. I experienced a crash where the game just carried on without me once I died. Despite these issues, I would still firmly recommend this game; the gameplay, graphics, and music make a seriously solid package, and I'm sure the game will be patched soon.”
“The stability of the game leaves much to be desired. Frequent crashes and glitches disrupt the experience, making it hard to fully enjoy the content.”
“I encountered several bugs that affected my gameplay, including random crashes and visual glitches. It's frustrating because the game has great potential, but the stability issues really hold it back.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for lacking strategic enemy formations, which diminishes both scoring opportunities and the overall visual appeal of encounters.
“The game offers a seamless optimization experience, allowing players to fine-tune their strategies for maximum efficiency.”
“I love how the optimization mechanics encourage creative problem-solving and strategic planning.”
“The optimization features are intuitive and enhance the overall gameplay, making every decision feel impactful.”
“Enemies don't appear in any concise, deliberate formations that you can strategize for optimized scoring or that create pressure situations... or even just look cool.”
“The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it difficult to enjoy the experience fully.”
“Optimization feels lacking, as frame drops and long loading times disrupt the flow of gameplay.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express that the emotional impact of the game is diminished by the seemingly random spawning of small enemies, which detracts from the overall experience and immersion.
