Phalanx on SNES is one of those shooters that feels familiar at first—until you realize it’s got some weird little twists. Your ship can adjust speed on the fly, which sounds basic, but actually changes how you dodge everything. Crank it up to zip past entire waves, or slow way down to thread through bullet patterns. And hey, you don’t explode after one hit like most shooters—you can take a few before biting it, which is nice when you’re still figuring out the enemy patterns.

The weapon system’s the real standout, though. Enemies drop power-ups, and you can hold three at once. Switching between them mid-fight keeps things flexible, but my favorite part? Sacrificing one to trigger a screen-clearing bomb. Feels risky at first, but when you’re swarmed, trading a weapon slot for breathing room is so satisfying. Just don’t get too attached to that laser you’ve been hoarding.

It’s got that classic SNES look—bright colors, chunky sprites—but the pacing’s a bit slower than something like Gradius. You’ll spend more time weaving than outright blasting. Not a bad thing, just takes some adjusting. The music’s decent, though it won’t stick in your head forever.