The Nintendo Switch has been a haven for old and new spaceship shooters, from RXN to Astebreed to Danmaku and more. Continuing this trend is a special game from Hucast that so happens to be a recent release of a SEGA Dreamcast game. Ghost Blade HD has arrived on the Nintendo Switch, with assistance from EastAsiaSoft. Beginning as a homebrew SEGA Dreamcast game, Ghost Blade HD found solid success among the Sega Dreamcast Indie community, eventually making its way to Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. With the game being ported to Switch the incredibly sharp presentation and tight gameplay is now portable.
When an ancient weapons system malfunctions, three specially trained women take to their advanced starships and fight to save mankind. Taking inspiration from classic shooters (often called shoot-em-ups or shmups for short) of the 1990’s, Ghost Blade HD presents itself in a highly-detailed 16-bit pixelated presentation, with tight spaceship shooting mechanics and gameplay. Across five stages, players blast off across enemy-filled battlefields with dangerous mechanical foes, including several challenging boss fights. Each pilot, Sharon, Mimi, and VIolan has their own ship. Each ship has its own array of laser shots. Players can hold the Y button to focus all laser shots into one continuous beam or hold the A button to spread the shots. Holding Y does slow the ship down, but yields more concentrated firepower to quickly destroy larger enemies and bosses. Hitting X unleashes bombs that can clear enemy shots and get players out of a tight spot. The rest of Ghost Blade HD is a matter of skill, wit, and repeat gameplay to memorize the game’s toughest points.
Ghost Blade HD is absolutely engaging, fast, and acute in its challenge but is nonetheless fun to play. Reminiscent of older games, Ghost Blade HD is gorgeous, from the precise animations and sprites to an incredible soundtrack by Rafael Dyll. Ghost Blade HD evokes an old-fashioned arcade sensation, especially for those who grew up playing spaceship shooters in the age of 16-bit and 32-bit consoles.
For me personally, I grew up playing titles such as Star Soldier, Einhander, and RayStorm, games that featured jaw-dropping visuals with tight spaceship shooter gameplay and sheer challenge. Players that grew up playing on NeoGeo, PlayStation, and even SEGA Saturn will feel right at home with the presentation and gameplay of Ghost Blade HD .
Ghost Blade HD embodies the coined phrase of “easy-to-learn, hard-to-master.” Controlling each ship is easy and shooting is remarkably rewarding. Players slay hundreds of enemies and each star an enemy drops will increase the firepower of the ship, as well as the score. Where Ghost Blade HD gets difficult is in its bullet-hell mechanics. The screen fills with enemy shots, requiring the player to keep an close eye on their ship and barely squeeze through the volleys of enemy ships. This surmounts with the game’s five bosses, each one posing a sheer challenge, especially as players vie for ascension on the leaderboards. While bombs help to clear these bullets, they are finite and should be used wisely. Ghost Blade HD is a game of skill and determination, though each playthrough of Ghost Blade HD is always immeasurably exciting.
Ghost Blade HD is an excellent shmup set back by the amount of content available. While there is a score attack mode and the ability to play on multiple difficulty settings, there isn’t any new content to the game. I feel by now that new levels, a story campaign, or other game modes could have been added to the overall game for more content to experience. At $15, Ghost Blade HD is a solid title, though, considering the production values, I was hoping for there to be more to experience with this particular shmup. Multiple game modes, in-game achievements, and the chance to play the game with another player do extend the experience but only slightly. As for comparisons of Ghost Blade HD to other platforms, the primary differences are the Switch’s portability and a Tate mode. Tate mode allows players to flip the Nintendo Switch vertically. As Ghost Blade HD is a vertical spaceship shooter, this helps better arrange the visual input for the player.
Ultimately, Ghost Blade HD is a wild good-time and excellent shmup experience. While short, the game’s sharp gameplay mechanics and stellar presentation make this an incredibly engaging spaceship shooter that all Nintendo Switch owners should have in their library. Choose your space ace femme fatale and strap in. The world needs to be saved.
More information about Ghost Blade HD can be found on the official website. A digital copy for Switch was provided for the purpose of review.
