A little-known Jaleco vertical shooter on Mega Drive with polished aerial atmosphere. Technically dated but pleasant, worth discovering for shmup fans.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
P-47 II fighters battle enemy aircraft in this Jaleco horizontal shoot'em up for Mega Drive. Published by Jaleco, released in Japan in October 1990. Horizontal shoot'em up with the P-47 II fighter, varied armament power-ups and difficult enemy aircraft bosses.
P-47 II MD review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The propeller fighter is drawn with its roundels, its glazed cockpit and its shadow cast on the landscapes flown over. The scenery alternates sea, desert, bombed cities and aircraft carriers, in natural tones contrasting with the bright colours reserved for the weapon modules to collect.
The themes take on the bearing of an aerial march: sustained synthetic brass, steady snares, simple and purposeful melodies that recall the war film more than the space shooter. The loops stay long and avoid breaks, giving the flight an almost documentary continuity.
A horizontal shmup from Jaleco, P-47 II sends a World War II fighter to pulverise enemy squadrons across snappy stages. The weapon system, built on picking up and managing fire modules, offers real variety of approaches and rewards mastery. The polished presentation, the sustained pace and the clarity make it a convincing arcade shmup on the console. For a fan of old school horizontal shooting or someone curious about the Jaleco catalogue, the title keeps a snappiness and an action pleasure still effective.
