Game Details
| Size | 425 MB |
| Region | Japan |
| Genre | Shooters |
| Format | 7z / ISO |
| Year | September 25, 2008 |
| Console | PSP |
PC Engine Best Collection: Soldier Collection (2008) is a premium compilation of legendary “Shmups” (shoot ’em ups) from the Hudson Soft library. It was released late in the PSP’s life cycle as part of a series intended to preserve the best of the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) era in a portable, high-fidelity format.
The Premise: The “Caravan” Legacy
The Soldier series is famous for the “Hudson All-Japan Caravan Festival,” a massive competitive gaming tournament held in the 80s and 90s.
-
The Goal: Unlike many shooters that focus only on survival, the Soldier games were designed for high-score chasing.
-
The Challenge: You pilot advanced starfighters against mechanical alien armadas, utilizing a unique “Power Capsule” system that changes your weapon type and strength based on the color of the crystals you collect.
-
The Collection: This UMD contains four complete, pixel-perfect ports of the original PC Engine hits:
-
Super Star Soldier (1990)
-
Final Soldier (1991)
-
Soldier Blade (1992)
-
Star Parodier (1992) — A “cute-em-up” parody of the series.
-
The Big Change: Handheld Preservation
Because these were originally 4:3 home console games, the PSP version includes specific features to handle the transition to a 16:9 handheld screen:
-
Display Modes: You can play in “Original” (bordered), “Smart Zoom,” or “Full” (stretched).
-
TATE Mode (Vertical): You can actually rotate the PSP 90 degrees to play the games in their native vertical orientation, using the face buttons as a D-pad.
-
Save States: Unlike the original hardware, you can save your progress at any moment, which is a lifesaver for the brutal late-game bosses.
Key Features
-
Soldier Blade: Widely considered one of the greatest 16-bit shooters ever made, featuring incredible parallax scrolling and a “Burst” system that uses your sub-weapons as powerful bombs.
-
Star Parodier: A hilarious spin-off where you can play as a giant flying PC Engine console or Bomberman, shooting enemies like giant smiling faces and stationary.
-
Caravan Modes: Each game includes the 2-minute and 5-minute “Time Attack” modes used in the original Japanese tournaments, perfect for a quick PSP gaming session.
-
Media Gallery: Includes high-quality scans of the original manual art and music players for the iconic synth-rock soundtracks.
Short Review: A Shooter Fan’s Dream
The Good
-
Incredible Value: Getting four of the best shooters of all time on one disc is a steal. Soldier Blade alone makes the collection worth it.
-
Perfect Performance: There is zero input lag or slowdown, which is critical for the “bullet-hell” sections of these games.
-
Sound Quality: The PC Engine was known for its “Chiptune Rock,” and it sounds crisp and powerful through the PSP speakers or headphones.
The Bad
-
TATE Ergonomics: While playing with the PSP rotated looks cool, it is physically uncomfortable to hold the console vertically for more than 15 minutes.
-
Screen Ghosting: On older PSP-1000 and 2000 models, the fast-moving bullets can occasionally leave slight “ghosting” trails (this is fixed on the PSP-3000 and PSP Go).
-
Rarity: Because it was a late-life Japanese release, physical copies have become very expensive for collectors.
Screenshots
