Super Star Soldier is actually the first in a series of three vertical shooters for the Turbografx-16 system. That being said, it's also the weakest of the three as well. The game continues on with the style of gameplay that most Turbografx-16 fans fell in love with in Blazing Lazers, but the game just has too many nagging issues that seem to keep it from achieving greatness. There's nothing wrong with a difficult shooter unless it's so difficult that it becomes too frustrating to enjoy anymore.

Super Star Soldier introduces the "ship speed" selector that later became a staple of the Soldier series of shooters in which you can press the SELECT button and toggle between varying speeds at which your ship would respond to your control pad movements. This gives you more precise and steady control at slower speeds and lightning quick response at higher speeds. The ability to adjust this makes it a little easier in later levels to avoid enemy fire, but does leave little room for error as it can sometimes be so fast that it becomes a little erratic. As you fly through each level you'll encounter many powerups dropped by enemies that you destory that will offer you varying types of cannon fire. There are basically four types of cannon fire and they are: Multiple Shot, Ring Laser, Spread Laser, and Swing Fire. Each has their own pros and cons, and some are more effective in certain situations than others. Each time you grab another powerup of the same color as your current cannon fire the power and area of fire become greater. It will also increase the stength of the barrier shield around your ship. This at least allows you to take a few hits before you lose your shield and your ship is destroyed. This is where the frustrating part of the game starts to rear its ugly head.

The game is difficult enough as it is, but when your ship is destroyed you have to start the entire level over again at the beginning. That means that no matter where you advance to in the level, even if you're in the middle of fighting the enemy boss at the end of the level, if your ship is destroyed, it's back to the beginning again. And unlike many other shooters out there, you don't have the luxury of any type of smart bomb either. The one peice of good news is that since you'll be playing through each entire level from start to finish over and over again, you'll have plenty of time to memorize every square inch of every level in this game. And that's if you can get past the first few levels at all. The game has so many good qualities that it's such a shame that it's all brought down with these irritating game play issues. You'd better have super-human patience if you want to beat this game.

As with many shooters on the Turbografx-16 system, Super Star Soldier looks fantastic. Rich and vibrant use of colors and a great amount of detail in each level really bring the outer space world of the game alive. Even the individual enemies in the game show a good amount of detail. The bosses in the game are also outstanding and some span much of the screen in sheer size. The cannon fire in Super Star Soldier is flashy, but not nearly as flashy as the firepower found in the two sequels to this game. That being said, the overall visual quality in Super Star Soldier is quite impressive and easily stands up next to the two Soldier titles that followed it. The only downside is that you're not going to have much time to take in the sights since you're going to be spending most of your time being bombarded relentlessly with wave after never-ending wave of enemies in each level.

Super Star Soldier was originally a hucard game so it didn't benefit from the CD-quality soundtrack treatment that many other Turbografx-16 shooters did, but it certainly doesn't hurt the music quality. The soundtrack in the game is actually one of the best hucard soundtracks I've heard and every upbeat track during each level seems to fit the look and feel of the area perfectly. The sound effects are a little bland, but they get the job done. You'll become quite familiar with two particular sound effects, those being the "dink" you hear when your ship's shield is hit and the "crash" sound that follows your ship being blown to bits for the hundredth time. If you want to hear a shining example of just how capable the sound chip in the Turbografx-16 system is, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one than this.

I hope I've not been too hard on this game, but it's just such a shame to have so many outstanding ingredients for a game only to have a few minor flaws bring the entire experience down. Super Star Soldier has some outstanding visuals, a great MIDI soundtrack, and a smooth control system, but the ultra-high level of difficulty and having to restart each level everytime you lose a ship is just too much to handle after awhile. It's one thing to have a high level of difficulty, because most people can appreciate a tough shooter, but when the game just seems to be hard just for the sake of rubbing the player's nose in it, it's just not as much fun. Super Star Soldier is a good shooter that was almost great. Only recommended for the truly diehard shooter fans and those with a high tolerance for frustration.