All the latest weapons technology can't mask the fact that space combat is cold, violent, and intense.  Blink and you're hit. Blink again and you're a smoldering carcass floating lifeless through the abyss.

Now you're handed the ultimate space fighter the Earth has to offer. The Starfighter GeoSword - with a weapons bank that can pulverize a few Class 12 Planets let alone incinerate a swarming alien armada. But all that technology, all that firepower doesn't mean squat if you don't have the guts and skill to shoot. This is war. Survival depends on your trigger finger.

Discussion
I'm usually not real big on the late generation FMV shooters, but for some reason Namco's legacy holds a special place in my heart. I think that stems from playing way too much Galaxian 3 way back when, but I digress. The game at hand is Starblade Alpha.

Ever wanted to just shoot stuff? Like, not worry about driving, ducking, diving, or even where it is you need to fly? Well, here's your game! All you need to do is worry about who and where to shoot, the game does the rest.

You are the main and apparently only gunner on a huge spacecraft known as the GeoSword. You're task is to stop the invading fleet of alien Armada by plowing through their offense, their defense, and then nose diving into the huge power source known as The Red-Eye. Once that is destroyed, the alien fleet will be powerless to stop the rescue of Earth.

The game is separated into two lengthy stages: the initial offense, and then the chase back to Red-Eye. From here, all you need to do is make sure your cursor is over a bad guy when you press X, and you're good to go. The rest is just hand-eye co-ordination.

What's surprising is how well the FMV rail shooter compares to more controllable turds like Jupiter Strike. Namco made sure there was enough virtual dodging and weaving going on to make you feel like you wanted to keep going.

It's a quick ride - 20 to 30 minutes at most, but if you're the kind of person who likes to beat your score, then this is the game for you. Specifically because you can't save your score unless you beat the game. It's not the same experience as the arcade obviously, but for a quick romp on 3 continues, you really can't complain all that much.

• Only released in Plastic Shell Long box.
   
• The case has some misleading information. While it does say it's 1 or 2 Players, in reality it's just 1. Both controllers move the same one cursor. Meaning 1 person could 'move' the cursor, and one person could 'shoot'. Also, the game does support the Memory Card, but you can only save your score if you beat the entire game.
   
• Like Cybersled, Starblade Alpha offers the player a choice between the original Arcade flat shaded polygons, or the new textured version. This option was exclusive to the PlayStation.
   
• Game was also released on the Sega CD and 3DO, with the PlayStation being the rarest of the three.
   
• Based on the 1991 arcade release, where the original was a huge, almost 900lb sit-down machine! The seat rumbled when you were hit by a missile.
   
• The game keeps a running tab on how long the mission is, but since it's always the exact same pattern, you can use the timer as a mental memory marker, so you know what enemies will be coming at what time.