Strikers 1945 sequel, more ambitious with futuristic planes mixed with wartime aircraft. Refined gameplay, more memorable bosses. Generally considered superior to the first. The definitive Psikyo WWII experience on Saturn.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Co-op
Description
Sequel to Strikers 1945 featuring new aircraft and enriched mechanics. Published by Psikyo, released in Japan in 1998. World War II combat aircraft with improved firepower, revised bomb charge system, more complex bosses with new phases, fiery soundtrack. Enhanced Saturn port of the 1997 arcade.
Strikers 1945 II review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Psikyo pushes Second World War iconography into the fantastic: meticulously drawn propeller aircraft face fortresses that unfold into giant robots. Spraying explosions, clouds of brightly coloured bullets and the contrast between believable ground scenery and impossible machinery build a dense picture that somehow stays readable.
Twisted military marches, saturated guitars and martial percussion give every mission its drive. The boss themes drop into a graver, almost threatening register before the victory piece picks the pace straight back up. A short soundtrack, but one built for repeated runs, matching the game's rhythm without ever wearing thin.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Japan exclusive Saturn port of Strikers 1945 II, distributed by Atlus in October 1998, a Psikyo sequel that expands the plane cast and the special attacks, regarded by many enthusiasts as the apex of the sub franchise. Atlus Japan run was particularly short at that late Saturn catalogue date, jewel case with intact obi, and the combination of the reduced run, the absence of localization and the cult status makes a complete with obi marked Strikers 1945 II copy a Saturn Psikyo grail. Sought after.
An underrated gem
This sequel refines everything that made the first so strong: more varied aircraft, a reworked bomb mechanic, and bosses with even more spectacular transformations. Obscure outside Japan, it stayed the province of devotees. More accomplished and just as demanding, it stands as one of the best vertical shooters on the console.
Is Strikers 1945 II still worth playing in 2026?
A direct enriched sequel by Psikyo, Strikers 1945 II offers an enriched WWII vertical shoot with new planes, denser patterns and even more spectacular transformable bosses. The vibrant military art direction, strategic depth and energetic soundtrack make it an absolute vertical shoot reference on Saturn. For anyone who loved Strikers 1945 or seeking a particularly accomplished sequel, a warm recommendation still valid today without any hesitation on the Sega machine for Japanese military shoot genre fans truly here indeed.
