Man. M2 is definitely doing some amazing work these days when it comes to retro restoration. From Ray’z Arcade Chronology to the just-released Gradius Origins to its countless (and amazing) Sega ports, they get every bit of magic out of the old school. And now we have another example of their fine work with Clear River Games’ Operation Night Strikers.
This is a peculiar but highly entertaining collection of Taito’s arcade shooter titles. You’ve got Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, the obscure Space Gun and the equally uncommon Night Striker. And they’re all amusing in their own way, especially what you can tweak.
The games are faithfully emulated, and the available options – including USB support! – are more than welcome. On top of that, you have the ability to adjust CRT settings, as well as looking over cool retro materials. There’s also home versions of each game available, and those ports are top-notch. However, they’re surprisingly high priced, instead of being part of the default collection. Your mileage may vary, depending on what you want out of each franchise.
But even if you stick to just the default games, Operation Night Strikers offers a whole lot. Plus you can’t deny that Zuntana music goodness, which Night Striker clearly possesses. Turn the volume up.
Get the Guns, It’s Time For Operation Night Strikers!
Each game in Operation Night Strikers has something unique to offer.
Perhaps my favorite of the bunch is Night Striker. It’s a third-person driving/flying/shooting game with super smooth forward scrolling and a whole bunch of targets to shoot at. It can be challenging in a hurry, but it’s a really well done port of the arcade game.
Operation Wolf and Operation Thunderbolt follow a Rambo-esque theme, as you invade overseas terrorist camps and save hostages. The games haven’t aged particularly well, but M2 has given them perfect treatment anyway. And the gameplay options are plentiful, with both USB mouse and JoyCon gyroscopic support. (You can use the good ol’ fashioned manual aiming as well.) I prefer Wolf over Thunderbolt, but they’re both a great time.
Finally, Space Gun shamelessly carries over the Alien theme as you visit a corrupted space facility. You shoot aliens and save hostages, while saving secondary ammo types for serious situations. It’s a short but sweet little game, and an awesome gem worth rediscovery. However, I do admit I miss the quirky design of the original arcade unit. It was soooo skinny.
The options in Operation Night Strikers give you plenty to do, including CRT goodies and gameplay items. Just be warned – if you make it too easy, you automatically disqualify for online leaderboards. If it’s a challenge you want, you’ll need to deal with the struggle. But it’s nice that the game has something for everyone.
Now…the DLC. There are some great add-ons here, including a surprisingly capable Master System port of Space Gun and the Mega CD version of Night Striker. But the pricing is a bit much. It’s $18, which is nearly the same price as the $25 base package. If this were $10 – or even added into the game – it wouldn’t be nearly as bad. Some may want to wait for a sale, or perhaps buy the complete game in physical form.
M2’s Masterful Work Continues With Operation Night Strikers
I was already enjoying the masterful effort M2 put into Gradius Origins Collection, which arrived last week. But, man. They continue to knock it out of the park here.
Operation Night Strikers has accomplished emulation, with each arcade game ported to near accuracy. Of course, that comes with caveats, such as small items that are difficult to shoot while moving. But I digress. And the ability to turn on CRT and other little items is good to have. It’s almost like being in the arcade, but without the weird smell of taffy and cigarette smoke.
Likewise, the home ports are lovingly tuned as well. I don’t think I’d ever get into Space Gun on a home console like I did, but here we are. And the Operation Wolf ports are pretty good too, albeit a tad difficult. (That’s not M2’s fault by any means, though – more like Taito’s.)
As for the sound, it’s just about perfect. The in-game music is themed to the original arcade games, and the in-game music is spot on. Especially for Night Striker, which contains the magic of Taito’s Zuntana team. Look them up – they did unbeatable things back in “the day”.
Lock and Load For This Stunning Collection
Unless you have a thing against arcade shooters, Operation Night Strikers is a must-own. Despite its somewhat high-priced DLC (again, $10 would’ve been more reasonable) and occasional emulation quirks, it’s a hit. Space Gun and Night Striker will definitely grow on you, and the Operation games will remind you of gaming’s golden years.
Save your quarters up and invest in this fun little collection. Here’s hoping that M2 keeps the effort going – maybe into a Chase H.Q. compilation next. Hey, why not?
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Clear River Games for providing a review code! The game is available now for PC/Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Want more arcade shooting goodness at home? Check out our review of The House of the Dead 2 Remake!
