Greetings, brave retro gamers!
Retro games can sometimes be tricky and puzzling – in a good way. But don’t panic if you’re struggling – we are here to help! Each Antstream Arcade guide will include tips and help on how to play and beat a particular game from our catalogue. We have over 1500 brilliant retro games on Antstream Arcade – so we’d better get cracking!
The Game: Strikers 1945
Publisher: Psikyo
Developer: In-house
Year: 1995
System: Arcade
Background
It is the summer of 1945, and the world is finally at peace… or is it? A mysterious force known as CANY is taking advantage of the end of World War II and has begun a shadowy takeover of vulnerable countries. Using futuristic weapons and technology, CANY plans to eventually control the planet via a network of mechanical power and clandestine activities. Enter the United Military Command Headquarters, an organisation comprising some of the world’s finest fighter craft and pilots. As one of the vaunted ‘Strikers’, can you cut down the CANY threat before it engulfs the world?
Did you know?
Despite sounding like another sequel to Capcom’s 1942, Strikers 1945 is completely unrelated to that other legendary arcade series.
The Aim Of The Game
Strikers 1945 is a vertically-scrolling shoot-‘em-up set across eight different theatres of war. After selecting their aircraft (see below), the player flies up each map, destroying enemy planes, ships, tanks and more, picking up power-ups to bolster their attack. At the end of each level, an oversized boss enemy stands in the Strikers’ way; destroy it to progress to the next location.
Choose Your Plane
There are six selectable planes at the start of Strikers 1945, each with its strengths, weaknesses and range of attacks:-
Main attack: Performed by tapping fire.
Wingmen attack: Automatically activated after collecting a certain amount of power-ups.
Formation attack: Activated by holding down fire once the wingmen are acquired.
Special attack: has its own button and unleashes a devasting weapon against the enemy.
Now, let’s have a look at each fighter.
P-38
The famous fighter of Strikers 1945’s cover and a good all-rounder.
Wingmen attack: Homing missiles
Formation attack: Parallel attack – all wingmen detach, form a row and fire.
Special attack: A powerful one-ton bomb
Pros: Decent main cannon and an excellent wingmen attack that doesn’t require player guidance.
Cons: Its size can sometimes make it difficult to avoid enemy fire, it’s a little on the slow side, and its main attack is narrow.
P-51
Fast and elusive, the P-51 is an excellent smaller plane that packs a powerful punch.
Wingmen attack: Rocket missiles.
Formation attack: A shield that sweeps up the screen.
Special attack: Three B-29 bombers drop multiple bombs on the enemy.
Pros: Wide field of advanced fire; small and nippy. Shield gives valuable breathing space.
Cons: Its speed means the P-51 can be challenging to control in tight situations.
Spit Fire
Another small fighter and another good all-rounder despite its relatively slow speed.
Wingmen attack: Heat missiles.
Formation attack: Wide formation – wingmen detach and sit in front of the player’s plane, firing constantly.
Special Attack: A powerful blade of fire that incinerates enemies.
Pros: Very wide main attack (once power-up’d); solid attack stats.
Cons: Slow and initially weak main attack.
Bf-109
This German plane is typically sturdy and reliable and boasts excellent attacking potential.
Wingmen attack: Automatic gunner (homing fire).
Formation attack: Laser drill.
Special Attack: Diving Stuka bombers.
Pros: Excellent special and formation attacks.
Cons: Low main weapon power; main and formation attacks are very narrow.
Zero
A Japanese fighter specifically designed for use on aircraft carriers.
Wingmen attack: Small bombs.
Formation attack: Hunter – wingmen home in on enemies.
Special Attack: God Wind, an elemental storm that sweeps away enemies.
Pros: Excellent formation attack that automatically targets enemies; good main weapon damage.
Cons: Slow and has a weak wingmen attack that only affects enemies at close range.
Shinden
A strange-looking fighter with its wings situated at the rear of the fuselage.
Wingmen attack: Anti-tank rockets.
Formation attack: Assault formation, sweeping up the screen while firing horizontally.
Special Attack: Samurai Sword bomb.
Pros: The most powerful special attack in the game; fast and elusive.
Cons: A narrow band of fire for its basic main and special attacks.
The Enemies
The devious CANY throws an entire armada at the Strikers – here are some of the more notable enemies and how to combat them.
B-35 Bomber
The ‘Flying Wing’ is slow and easy to target but spits out a lot of bullets, making it dangerous in combination with other enemies. A variety of these appear throughout the Strikers games.
G8N Renzan
This heavy bomber usually appears in groups of two or three and, like the B-35, can produce a powerful blanket of deadly fire across the whole play area.
Gun Emplacement
Gun emplacements are based on the ground or ships, constantly firing at the Strikers. Static and slow, they are easily destroyed but a pain if bunched together.
Standard Fighter
While sometimes dangerous in swarms, these are the cannon fodder of the enemy air fleet, taking one shot to destroy and offering minimal firepower.
Junkers Ju 88
A medium bomber that’s slow but fires a deadly stream of eight wide bullets directly down the screen, making it hard to target.
V-1 Flying Bombs
V-1s descend the screen in clutches, their zig-zagging patterns making them hard to hit. Unlike their real-world inspiration, they fire bullets, too, making them a tricky opponent.
General Tips
- The player’s plane is briefly invincible when it first appears. Use these valuable few seconds to gather any errant power-ups.
- The power-ups hover tantalisingly above the player – don’t get too sucked up the screen chasing them. It won’t end well.
- Using the formation attack is a tactical choice – charging it up renders the Striker temporarily defenceless.
- As with all shooters, studying the enemy patterns (movement and firing) is vital for survival.
- Power-ups are dropped by red planes and specific enemies throughout each level.
- Enemies also drop bonus bombs. You can hoard up to six at a time.
- Try and save at least two or three bombs for the boss at the end of each level – you’ll need ‘em, soldier.
High Score Chasing
There’s a pitched battle taking place at the summit of the Strikers 1945 Antstream Arcade high score table. Just over 2000 points separate the leader, justrach (1,583,737 points) and third-placed KrazeCaze (1,581,640). If you fancy having a pop at the top ten, you need to focus on collecting the gold bars that often appear in the wreckage of destroyed opponents. These precious slabs of metal pulsate, and collecting them when they flash white will accrue the maximum tally of 2000 points.
Strikers 1945 Challenges
There are three Strikers 1945 challenges on Antstream Arcade:-
- Zero To Hero: Score as many points as possible with just one life.
- Bombing Run: Survive for as long as possible with no guns, one life and two bombs.
- Spitfire Fury: A high-score challenge where you pilot a fully-upgraded Spitfire across two stages.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our latest Antstream Arcade Guide – stay tuned for more helpful hints soon. If you’re still trying to get a high score in Strikers 1945, why not head to the Antstream Arcade Discord server and see if someone can help you? You can find us at: https://discord.gg/antstream.
This blog primarily written by Graeme Mason covers retro gaming and offerings of Antstream - and can be checked out at it's original published location of https://www.antstream.com/retro-gaming-news/
