Though by saying that, Steel Empire is not a bad game. It actually holds up reasonably well in this day and age. It’s just that there is nothing about this title that will attract much attention.
While in 1992 the story was probably quite special, in 2005 it’s nothing special or unique. The game is set in a sort of neo-18th Century where the world has been taken over by an evil Empire that has mastered steam and steel technology to create many large war machines. You play as a representative of the Republic of Silverhead, the last remaining nation that the Empire hasn’t captured. Even though you have much smaller machines, you have a huge secret weapon, the Imamio Thunder superbomb.
Imamio Thunder action
Effectively the story is a mere vehicle that gives you an excuse to enter one of the games seven levels and shoot everything that moves or shoots back. Each level has the premise that you progress forward, shooting everything to get to the sub-boss, then shoot everything else until you get to the final boss. Wash, rinse and repeat seven times.
You have the choice of two machines to do your dirty work. One is a smaller flyer that is faster but weaker and the other a blimp that is slower but stronger. They’re at the opposite ends of the scale and neither has an apparent advantage over the other.
Sub-boss
As a side-scrolling shooter, you are gradually moving forward and obviously have whole screen to work with. You can shoot forwards and backwards and each vehicle has its own type of bombs to take care of anything below you. You got plenty of pick-ups and power-ups on the way. To the game’s credit, the action is fast paced and challenging. To the games detriment, there really isn’t anything here that hasn’t been done over the last 13 years. The only thing that really tries to set this game apart is the Imamio Thunder bomb that is somewhat of a screen clearer. But there are a limited amount of them so they need to be used with discretion.
People who aren’t familiar with side-scrolling shooters may struggle a little with this title. The pace is frenetic and even on the easiest difficulty is a steep ask. There are so many missiles and shots flying in all directions. While the game would’ve been relatively forgiving in comparison to other 1992 games, in 2005, a game with no save function is unforgivable.
Power-up!
The games primary redeeming feature is its challenge. There isn’t that much strategy required, not even with the bosses. It’s just a matter of shoot and avoid. Though the avoiding part takes a keen eye, plenty of skill and a bit of luck.
Graphically, it’s a shame that the GBA screen is so small because the game looks good. The compression isn’t bad but given the amount that’s happening on screen it would’ve been much more epic on a larger screen. Still, the action is solid and the artstyle is freshly unique. Again, the game shows its age with simplicity and repetitive models and flickering brown cut-scenes don’t work well on a GBA. The sound comes from 1992 and should’ve stayed there. It’s not worth wasting your battery on it.
Despite its age and the fact that its stuck in the past Steel Empire is not a poor game. The challenge is there but the most damning downfalls are that there is nothing in this game that does anything special or unique that hasn’t been done over the last 13 years nor will is it likely convert you to liking shooters. However, if you were to find it in a bargain bin for $10-20, you’ve got yourself a very worthwhile short-time interval killer that’s better than a lot of other franchise cash-ins on the GBA.
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