Phelios is a shoot’em up inspired by Greek Mythology. I like the idea of the game, and I’m hoping it’s better than some of the other games that have tried this theme.
The Wikipedia entry for this game is quite amusing, particularly the description of the story, where the author gets a little sassy. Aside from that, there isn’t too much to say about it. I’m looking forward to seeing what this game has to offer.
A while ago, I did a “Best Shoot’em Ups on the Genesis” post. I’m not sure if this was on there, and since I can’t remember if I’ve played this game before, I’m going to give this the benefit of the doubt. All I want is a decent shoot’em up.
TLDR: A very good Greek Mythological themed Shoot’em Up
Narrative
There is a little story in this game. It isn’t anything amazing, but it does set things up for the player. It also takes some liberties with Greek Mythology.
You play as Apollo, and you have to save Artemis from the titan Typhon. In between each stage, you see Typhon torturing Artemis. Apollo is riding Pegasus during the game, which is cool.
The story suggests that Apollo and Artemis are lovers. Some of the discrepancies lead me to believe that there was another plan for this game, and the Greek Gods were added later on. The person who wrote the Wikipedia description took exception to how Apollo and Artemis were depicted.
I’m sure there is a story in Greek Mythology where Apollo and Artemis slept together. I know they were siblings, but that has never stopped the Greek Gods from knocking boots before.
The story is fine for what it is. I don’t have a problem with any of it. The developer didn’t need to do much, and they kept things simple.
Gameplay
The gameplay is good. You’ll have to deal with the enemies being bullet sponges, but that isn’t as big of a deal as it could be. Having a larger hitbox adds some more challenge to the game.
Phelios has seven stages. It isn’t a long game, but most shoot’em ups from the 1980s and 1990s are very long games. These games were designed to get quarters in the arcade, which doesn’t always translate to the home console.
Your power-ups come from Golden Owls. Here is a short list of the power-ups you can get in the game:
- Option – This is another sword
- Speed Up
- Beam – A temporary beam weapon
- Homing – Homes in on the nearest enemy
- Across – A ricochet attack
- Extra Life
The names are taken from the manual. It is available online; here is a link to it (Link).
If there is one thing I can complain about, it is that the enemies are bullet sponges. The game is trying to encourage the player to power up their shots, similar to how R-Type and other shoot’em ups work, but even then, it feels like you’re underpowered. It doesn’t help that you’re playing as an actual god in this game.
Overall, I like the gameplay. The only problems I have are with the difficulty, which is something you can overcome with practice. It is similar to other games in the genre where you have to memorize enemy patterns and get better at it over time.
Visuals
Phelios is a wonderful looking shoot’em up. The screen does get rather cluttered, and your character has a large hitbox, but it isn’t any different from the other games in this genre.
Everything is easy to see in this game. I didn’t encounter a spot where enemy projectiles blended into the background, which is always a nice touch. I did notice a few instances of slowdown, but they were rare.
The bosses look very good! They do have weak spots that you’ll have to identify. It is easy to do so, and you’ll get a visual cue that you’re hitting them.
The other enemies aren’t all that special. A few look excellent, but most are forgettable. The major draw is the bosses in games like this.
Between each stage, you’ll see Artemis chained up. It looks great, from a pixel art standpoint! Perhaps it looked different in the arcade, but I don’t see anything that would be out of place in the late 1980s.
Overall, this is a spectacular looking game. The graphics are bright and colorful. It stands out a bit from the other shoot’em ups by going for a theme that wasn’t set in a random part of space.
Reviews at the Time
So, let’s talk about the release of the arcade game. I can’t find a source for this, but I wanted to present it here since it is out there on the internet. The arcade version of Phelios wasn’t released in the U.S. because of a bondage/torture scene. This is shown between each stage.
With that out of the way, let’s go over the reviews for this game. The only one I found was from GamePro, which gave the game a 21/25. They praised the graphics, story, and gameplay.
I had to look up the scoring system for GamePro, and I included a screenshot of it.
8/10. This is a bright and colorful game that has sound controls. It can be difficult because of the large hitbox your character has, but it isn’t anything you can’t overcome with practice.
Pros
- Wonderful Graphics
- Great Controls
- Decent Story
- Multiple Hit Points
Cons
- Large Hitbox
- Overpowered enemies
Conclusion
This is a fun shoot’em up, and it is a nice change of pace from the space-themed games in the genre. It is always nice when a game takes a chance with a different setting.
For a game released in 1990, the graphics are very good! This is a beautiful game. There are very few things I can complain about with this game. It is simply a lot of fun to play.
I found the story to be a welcome addition to the game. Also, the pictures of Artemis helped to motivate the player to keep going. This is one of the better shoot’em ups on the Sega Genesis.
If you liked this post, please check out my other posts about shoot’em ups, such as Area 88 and Stinger.