A Kemco horizontal shooter with polished tech, demanding and fast. Obscure but inspired, for SFC shmup fans.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Horizontal SF shoot-'em-up with an ultra-fast spacecraft in space corridors, original Japanese version. Published by Zoom, released in Japan in 1992. Phalanx spacecraft in dense enemy tunnels, power-ups and rock soundtrack. Original Japanese version of Zoom's Phalanx shooter.
Phalanx - The Enforce Fighter A-144 review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,6 MB📅18/12/1992
Published by Kemco
Phalanx - The Enforce Fighter A-144 (SNES) price, value & rarity
Original Japanese version of the shooter developed by Zoom, subtitled The Enforce Fighter A-144, predating the Western editions and carrying the original presentation before the famous American banjo cover was added. The NTSC-J cartridge is the game's source strike, free of the offbeat imagery that made the export versions' reputation. Desirability rests on this status as a clean Japanese original, sought by purists of the Zoom studio.
Is Phalanx - The Enforce Fighter A-144 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.
