Silpheed

Story
In the year 3076, an unmanned space fleet started attacking the colony planets. The Grayzon System, which houses the central photon computer that integrates and controls the galaxy network on the mother planet Earth, was network-jacked by a terrorist group known as the Zakalite.

The Galaxy Union and Colony Planets Fleet survivors assembled their forces and added the SA-77 Silpheed fighter ship to their fleet to counter-attack the Zakalite.

Gameplay
Silpheed is a fast-moving shooter, being a bit of an updated Galaga (with the way enemy ships swarm in formation, although that can be like any number of previous similar games), Zaxxon (the Silpheed flies over similar space fortresses in several stages on the Sega CD version), and Cobra Command (as sometimes the player is given oral warnings/orders in regards to dodging various obstacles on the Sega CD version) arcade games.

The player has a set of Main Weapons to use during the course of any stage, which, depending on how well they do during a game, will result in how much energy they will earn for their Optional Weapon during the next stage. One or more Optional Weapons may be available to the player in between stages, which the player can pick and choose which one they want before the next stage begins, although some Optional Weapons will work better during certain stages than others. Each time an Optional Weapon is used, the player's energy level for that weapon will decrease, although the player is able to increase that energy level a little as they destroy ships during a stage.

With each hit the player takes, their Shields will decrease, and the game will end when the Silpheed is hit two more times after they run out of Shields. Also, the player's firing, then maneuvering capabilities will go down with the last few hits after their Shields are gone.

Stages (Sega CD version)
Stage 1

This stage takes place over (assumedly) one of the colony planets. This is pretty much a basic stage with small ships that quickly swoop in from the screen edges and has a few bigger ships and missiles that take more hits to be destroyed, along with having the usual bonuses and Shield restore modules.

(Note: unless otherwise indicated, almost all stages have bonuses/power-ups and end level bosses of some sort.)

Stage 2

This takes place in an asteroid field, several of which large asteroids can get destroyed by huge laser fire that comes from behind (assumedly from friendly forces) and the player has to dodge the smaller pieces as those asteroids splinter off. Also, there are a few giant asteroids during the stage that the player will receive an oral warning in regards to which way they should turn to avoid them (in the vein of Cobra Command).

Stage 3

This stage features several huge ships that the player flies over. Destroy and Option Energy Up power-ups are present in this stage. In the final area, the player flies over a huge ship, which they must dodge various structures on the ship that can cause damage, but there is no boss at the end, just giant laser blasts are shot at the player, which they must dodge.

Stage 4

Like Zaxxon, the player flies over huge fortresses, which have several laser towers and laser blasts to dodge, as well as structures that also suddenly rise up from the platforms that also must be avoided.

Stage 5

This one is set in free space, having two mini-bosses that require multiple hits to be destroyed. During part of the stage, it appears the Silpheed either enters warp or hyperspace, which is pretty hazardous, as not only do enemy ships materialize out of nowhere, but there are also NO power-ups during this stage at all.

Once out of warp, the Silpheed emerges right by what appears to be Jupiter, which there is a cutscene after the level is completed where the player joins the fleet and docks with a ship.

Stage 6

This is another asteroid level, which again a few huge laser blasts have to be dodged, lest they cause damage to the Silpheed. An invincible power-up is also present during the stage.

Stage 7

Most of the time here is spent flying over a gigantic spaceship, which the player has to dodge various obstacles that will cause damage if contact is made with them. There are several mini-bosses/groups of them, along with a tank on the surface area of one point that can't be destroyed, only its projectiles can be dodged. There are also laser beams near the end that have to be taken out before the Silpheed runs into them (as they're positioned straight down the center of the player's flight path), but there is no main boss, just several groups of ships at the end that must be destroyed, plus a ring of some kind of energy particles float around in the meantime that the player has to dodge until the spaceship gets destroyed, ending the stage then.

Stage 8

The background for this stage showcases two spacefleets at war with each other. There are several groups of mini-bosses and a few giant laser blasts to dodge. A Destroy power-up is also present in this area.

Stage 9

The Silpheed flies over Earth's moon in this one. A mini-boss and enemies that fire missiles from behind the player are present.

Stage 10

The player is flying over Earth (in slo-mo, no less) during this stage. There is an Option Energy Up and Destroy power-ups present in this stage, and enemy forces include groups of mini-bosses and missiles that appear behind the Silpheed, and at the end boss stage, the setting suddenly switches to outer space, which the end of game area is in the background at that point as well.

Stage 11

The player flies through a gigantic fortress. Rows of projectiles that fill up parts of navigation lanes explode and impede the player's progress, along with the energy bursts that the player can only avoid at the end of Stage 7, along with surface cannons whose fire must be dodged like in Stage 4. There are also giant black box obstacles that the player must dodge (which is difficult to do, as the screen area blinks on and off, making it hard to see), as colliding with them cause damage, with triangle-shaped enemies present with them. The ground tanks from Stage 7 also reappear, although shooting lasers, rather than air projectiles that rain down from overhead this time around. There is no boss, just a giant laser blast at the end that the player will have to avoid that shoots straight down the center, and an Option Energy Up power-up is also present in this Stage.

Stage 12

This is the final battle, against a weapons' platform. The flight path is all over the place, as the Silpheed automatically will zoom close, then away from the platform, left and right of it, etc. as many laser blasts emit from the platform, which its center gun takes many hits before the player can destroy it and win the game. Also, several projectiles will also join in the fray and will cause damage if they make contact with the Silpheed.

Trivia
The Sega CD version is known for having exquisite pre-rendered backgrounds during stages, as the player flies through open space, over huge spaceships, fortresses, planets and moons.

This article uses material from the Silpheed Sega Wikia article and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

Needs differences with other versions, as the Gameplay area might have to be changed to coincide with those