A Kemco horizontal shooter with polished tech, demanding and fast. Obscure but inspired, for SFC shmup fans.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Horizontal science-fiction shoot-'em-up with an ultra-fast spacecraft in space corridors. Published by Kemco, released in the USA in 1992. Phalanx spacecraft navigating enemy-dense space tunnels, power-ups to collect and heavy metal rock soundtrack. North American version of Zoom's Phalanx horizontal shooter.
North American run of Zoom's shooter, famous for its absurd cover showing an old man playing a banjo, unrelated to the game's space content, become an involuntary icon of SNES marketing. This image makes up most of the NTSC-U cartridge's renown, sought above all for its packaging. Desirability rests on this cult-curiosity status where the box outweighs the game itself in collectors' interest.
Is Phalanx still worth playing in 2026?
Phalanx is a Zoom horizontal shooter with polished technical character, long famous for the bizarre American box art featuring an old man with a banjo. Beyond the anecdote, the game delivers fast scrolling, good readability and an energetic soundtrack, all demanding on reflexes. Its frank difficulty and a sometimes uneven level design reserve it for enthusiasts. For fans of obscure Super Famicom shmups, it is an inspired cartridge that genuinely rewards the time spent.
