Blazing Lazers, known in Japan as Gunhed, is a 1989 shoot 'em up video game.

The player takes control of the Gunhed Star Fighter through nine vertically-scrolling areas. The player's mission is to destroy the Dark Squadron and its eight enemy Super Weapons. Every area contains one or more bosses, all of which must be destroyed before continuing in the game.

Final Soldier is a vertical shooter by Hudson Soft and is the second installment of the Star Soldier saga to be released for the PC Engine system. The Earth is under attack from hostile inter-dimensional aliens and it is the player's responsibility to stop the impending invasion. Unlike other games in the Star Soldier series, the player is given the opportunity to customize his weaponry before springing into action. The different weapons settings can be changed by visiting the setup menu at the beginning of the game. Four main weapons are available throughout the game - a Vulcan Gun (V), Laser (L), Flame-Thrower (F) and E-Beam (E). The player can switch from one to the other by collecting colored pods and picking up the same color again increases the strength and range of the active weapon. Secondary missiles are also available. But the core of the gameplay is built around special flying pods that follow the ship around and add to its firepower - these pods can be released in desperate situations to unleash devastating explosions. The game features seven long stages with mid-level and end-level bosses. Because of the nature of the game (see the info section), Final Soldier also features a two and five minutes score attack modes.

Final Soldier was part of the Caravan Festival organized by Hudson Soft in 1991 and a limited edition of the game exists (picture on the left). This Special Version comes as a single HuCard and offers short Time Attack modes in the Caravan Festival tradition. The card is extremely hard to find and can fetch high prices. (See Star Soldier for more information about the Caravan Festival).

Gunhed (aka Blazing Lasers) is a vertical shooter co-developed by Compile and Hudson Soft. It is loosely based on a Japanese feature film of the same name originally released in 1989 (they however share little in common). The Dark Squadron forces are poised to take over the galaxy, and eight of their deadliest weapons must be destroyed in order to thwart the interplanetary invasion plot. The player pilots the Gunhed, a powerful space-fighter, and flies his way through nine massive areas, from a huge space station to organic tunnels and other odd alien worlds. Gunhed offers vast levels, most of them featuring middle-bosses as well as bosses. To succeed in his mission, the player has access to a vast array of weapons. A lot of weapons. Four main weapons are available throughout the game - Photon Blasters (I), Disrupt Wave (II), Field Thunder (III), and Ring Blaster (IV). Each weapon (I to IV) also comes with several levels of power upgrades, which can be powered-up by collecting the same weapon-icon several times, or by collecting purple floating orbs left behind by defeated enemies and power pods. Then secondary weapons or special abilities can also be equipped along the way - floating F icons (Full Fire) increase the power of the active weapon, Multi-bodies serve as support options/satellites and fly alongside the ship, Homing missiles spread out and attack nearby enemies, and Shields protect the player against enemy attacks. Finally, in case of extreme emergency, the ship has a stock of powerful bombs than can clean up most of the enemies on screen.

It is the fourth game in the Star Soldier series and the last one for TurboGrafx-16. On the surface, Soldier Blade is a less-than-spectacular vertical shooter against armies of non-descript machines. The space station backgrounds are nicely detailed, but most of the scenery appears static and uninspired. Enemies assume the form of jets, tanks, cannons, and large shapeless chunks of metal floating in the sky. That's okay, because none of them stick around for long. Soldier Blade may not look like much, but in terms of pure gameplay, this is a shooter fan's dream.

Unlike most shooters that ramp up gradually, Soldier Blade turns up the heat immediately. Not only does the action get off to a fast start, but it never lets up, and your firepower is devastating from beginning to end. When you're spraying the screen with green waves, or wiping away enemies with your blue electric beams, you start to wonder, "How could I possibly die?" In addition to your awesome main weapons, you have a special attack that performs your dirty work for you, including one that resembles a ghostly head that "sits" on enemies while zapping their strength.

It's nice how the game alerts you about enemies sneaking up from behind, and I also like how taking a hit reduces your firepower instead of destroying you outright. The bosses are forgettable but well spaced and thankfully don't overstay their welcome. There's no slow-down or break-up to speak of, and topping it all off, the electronic soundtrack is terrific! If shooters are your thing, you really can't go wrong with Soldier Blade.

Starbrain, a giant super computer programmed for destruction, is threatening the Galactic Empire. As a skillful and experienced star soldier, you need to pilot the Caesar into the space station Starbrain has occupied. The space station is heavily guarded by enemy ships and strange robotic creatures. You will be able to find different weapons along the way to power up the Caesar and increase chances of a successful mission. Star Soldier is an arcade style vertically scrolling shooter for one player.

A terrific vertical shooter with some of the greatest graphics on the TurboGrafx-16. Although popular in Japan, it received less attention from the rest of the world. It skillfully straddles that fine line between exciting and chaotic by throwing just enough stuff at you at any particular moment. In addition to the main game, there are some entertaining "2 minute" and "5 minute" modes, which challenge you to maximize your score within these fixed periods of time.