so first thing's first: X86000 version is better than the windows version, and you're probably gonna want some kinda autofire. I use XM6 Pro-68k's built in option, but you can do whatever you want cos I'm not your dad. you can even ignore my suggestion and let your arm balloon into a hellish rod of ruby muscle and errant bone, just as koichi yoshida intended. people will wonder if it's infected or filled with saline or if you're some kinda lab experiment and maybe you'll get a chance to tell them "no, I'm just honourable" before someone calls the national guard and they shoot to kill with those long bullets that explode human heads

maybe you can even survive the first shot and amble into oncoming traffic, horrifying children and dogs and doglike children alike with your heinous appendage as vehicles swerve dramatically out of the way like salarymen about to drive into the ocean

maybe you'll escape your pursuers and find yourself in an old growth forest, the perfect resting spot for the beast you've become. your freakish arm will be a warning to others and you'll spend the rest of your years tearing bark off trees to suck down termites and carpenter worms. once in a while someone will stumble into your leafy manse and see you, but thankfully their photos will be inexplicably blurry and your existence will be deemed a hoax by all but true believers. your family will mourn the son or daughter they lost, your boss will replace you with someone they can pay less, and life will go on as it does so beautifully

in your final moments maybe you'll smile and think to yourself:

"what the fuck does curse know anyway?"

Considering the context the game was made in I think it should not be as good as it is.

Cho Ren Sha 68k (which translates to Super Rapid Fire) is a top down view arcade shooting style game that was originally made for the Japan exclusive X68000 computer in 1995. I'm playing the PC version

This game doesn't hide its influences, much like a modern indie-shooter like ZeroRanger it feels like a celebration of mid-nineties arcade games made by someone who is not only a true fan but has a deep understanding of the games they appreciate.

In this case; late Toaplan and Raizing games and maybe a touch of Recca and Raiden 2.
Despite being inspired by other games by very talented developers with decent budgets it is somehow competes with that level of quality and (arguably) transcends it while having its own identity and unique mechanics in a time when high quality indie and homebrew games were very uncommon.

There's nothing about this game (besides a few minor elements) that feels outdated, it seems like they wanted to make a challenging game but prioritized making it as fun and inviting as they could.

This game has style, it's really nice to look at, there's shrapnel, explosions, and particle effects that often fill the screen and the enemies and boss designs are top-tier, all-around it's just a pleasing spectacle to watch.
animations are smooth and sometimes creative, this game can impress from visuals alone.

But it's more than just a good looking game.
This is a game that seems simple at first but has more depth and intricacies to discover than most games in this genre at the time, after over 10 years I am still discovering new things when I play it.

It can be deceptive, at first it won't seem like much more than a typical STG for it's time, but the more time you invest the more secrets and game mechanics you discover the better it gets.

There are hidden extra enemies that can show up if you play a certain way, some bosses have secret attack phases, or alternate ways to fight them under certain conditions, most players might never find them.
And that's just on the surface; there's also hidden modes and options that completely change core mechanics of the game.
You can fine-tune the game to play the way you want it to if you know how.

This game is difficult, as you might expect. but it is far more reasonable than the arcade games of this generation, extra lives are not finite and powerups are frequent, you can get a sheild to take an extra hit or stockpile powerful bombs that leave you invulnerable for a short time.
There's a creative risk-reward mechanic within the powerup system that feels ahead of it's time, but even at base power the ship is powerful enough to take care of enemy waves and won't take that much longer to take out even the most intimidating bosses, recovery from losing a life is thankfully very forgiving.

Enemy bullets are easy to see and follow, I never lose track of my ship even when the screen is covered in enemy projectiles, hitboxes feel generous as well, I can slip through walls of bullets often without getting hit.

The game has a nice flow to it and there's no wasted space, new enemies and patterns are introduced often at a quick pace, it's an extremely varied game that doesn't get stale.

Not only does it flow well but the in-game music fits each level perfectly, the music always matches the intensity, and pace, slower levels have calmer themes that typically put me in a trance like state while playing. levels where enemies are dense and oppressive have equally intense music to match, tracks like the final level theme "all or nothing" give the impression that you're up against an impossible threat but always has hopeful undertones it really motivates the player to keep trying.

The boss theme is great, late into the game the theme unexpectedly changes and the boss is so much larger and aggressive than what came before, it perfectly gave the feeling of intimidation like you know you're in for a tough battle before it even starts, it goes way harder than you would expect and makes those later challenges even more memorable despite still being fair. If the player can overcome them it feels superhuman like you've transcended your own abilities. I wouldn't hesitate to call the final few bosses iconic.

The soundtrack really is very good, this is to be expected from games like this but it still stands on it's own. I like every track, the stage three theme "Pleasure Trip" especially stands out in a great way.

The soundtrack is incredibly good I can't do it justice with this review even with the sound limitations the composer was working with I think it so well done and still holds up.

The sound effects for things like powerups and enemy explosions are satisfying as they should be.

So far I've been going on and on about how great this game is, but there's just a few things I need to point out.

First of all, you don't have rapid-fire and have to repeatedly tap to fire, it adds to the intensity of the game. thankfully this is a PC game so if the player doesn't want to play that way all that's needed is a controller mapping apps and a decent controller and rapid fire can be used.

But there's two real weakness this game has:
For all of it's 7 stages there is one background. just one endlessly scrolling image, to make up for this the game is continuous.
It never fades or has to load in a new level, it's completely seamless and it pays off in a way I won't spoil, the player will have to manage to beat the game once to understand what I'm referring to.
Like many games of this time from Konami or Cave the game will loop when you beat it, but there's some extra content if you manage to clear it again. While the game does end there is no ending cutscene, no credits, no intro, no story, the game lacks this category of presentation, this may be a deal-breaker for some players, the game is all about it's gameplay and not much else.

Typically a legendary, well-polished decades old STG like this will cost way too much. The good news is, it's free.

The bad news is it has not been ported to modern systems, it's locked to X86k or Windows 10, you might have to make a serious effort to get it running properly, but it is more than worth the effort.

All of the positive elements I've mentioned perfectly come together to make a very addicting game I never stop playing and one I could never forget, it comes very close to being my overall favorite game. I think it was truly ahead of it's time and a game I don't think will ever be perfectly replicated.

If you like overhead arcade shooting games this is one you really should find a way to play.

Justice of Galaxy started playing.
The music had a moment- a dramatic sting. In perfect sync with this, the game introduces an enemy type you've never seen before in droves.

All 6 of them begin moving and shooting at the precise second the track kicks in. The rest of the stage never lets up after this.

I haven't beaten this game. I don't know if I'm going to be able to anytime soon. But things like that are what earns 10/10s from me; the understanding that the visuals and audio can be just as important to a game as its mechanics, and just as impactful if used correctly. The impression was definitely made, and now I'm committed to seeing it through.

This game wipes the floor with my ass and I keep coming back just because of that. I don't even care if the background is the same for the whole thing. It's good. And free!