Radiant Silvergun Review

Radiant Silvergun (XBLA)
Published By: Microsoft Game Studios
Developed By: Treasure
Date of Release: September 14, 2011
Price: 1200 MSP

Ah nostalgia... how sweet it can be. The memory of playing a favorite game along with the urge to collect can drive people to spend exorbitant sums of money just to experience those feelings again. Which is likely why the original Sega Saturn version of Radiant Silvergun sells online for prices in the triple digit range. Luckily Treasure has come to rescue their fans with Radiant Silvergun for the Xbox Live Arcade. Priced at a mere 1200 Microsoft Points, the XBLA version has the original arcade mode plus the complete Sega Saturn version, even going so far as to include a cleaned up HD version of the anime intro video for story mode.



This amazing port also boasts some welcome additions, such as the ability to choose between pixel-perfect and smoothed versions of the original graphics, or brand new HD rendered visuals with an option to choose between Saturn style mesh or modern alpha blending for transparencies. Whether you're an oldschool purist or a modern graphics junkie, there is something here to please everyone.

In most games of this genre you start out with one weapon and then collect upgrades to unlock more firepower as you defeat your foes, however that is not the case with Radiant Silvergun. Instead you have your entire arsenal available from the start, and in story mode you actually can improve each weapon's power level by using it, and your progress is saved even if you get a game over. Speaking of which, you can expect to see the game over screen a LOT, as Radiant Silvergun retains it's oldschool style challenge. That's not to say that deaths are cheap, the game will reward you if you learn enemy patterns and play carefully. Thankfully as you accumulate playtime you unlock more and more continues, by the 7th hour of play you should have freeplay enabled, if you choose to use it. One word of warning, if you tinker with the difficulty settings, you cannot upload your scores to Xbox Live.



Radiant Silvergun has a nice bonus for those who also own Treasure's other magnum opus, Ikaruga. Having any achievement from Ikaruga unlocked on your account will give you access to the Ikaruga Mode, which uses the chain scoring system from Ikaruga itself. This adds a whole new dimension to the gameplay, and is something that should please both veterans and newcomers alike. It's time to pack up your dusty old Saturn and download Radiant Silvergun on XBLA.