Strikers 1945 Plus is a vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up developed by Psikyo and released to arcades in 1999, arriving at a point when the developer had already established a strong reputation in the genre through the original Strikers 1945 (1995) and Strikers 1945 II (1997). By 1999, the arcade market was increasingly competitive in the shooter space, with Psikyo's own catalogue and rivals such as Cave pushing the boundaries of bullet-pattern design. Strikers 1945 Plus represents Psikyo's attempt to consolidate and refine the formula they had built across the previous entries, blending the World War II-era aircraft aesthetic of the series with increasingly dense enemy formations and a polished scoring system.
The game places players in control of one of several historically inspired propeller-driven fighter aircraft — including planes styled after the P-38 Lightning, Spitfire, Zero, and others — each with distinct shot types, bomb attacks, and charged super moves. The core control scheme is straightforward: a shot button for continuous fire, a bomb button for screen-clearing special attacks, and movement across the vertical playfield to dodge incoming fire and position for maximum damage. What distinguishes the Strikers series from many contemporaries is the charge mechanic: holding the shot button builds up a powerful charged shot unique to each aircraft, rewarding players who can momentarily cease standard fire during intense bullet patterns.
Level structure follows a branching stage format familiar to fans of the series. Players select their aircraft before the game begins and then navigate through a sequence of stages set across various theatres of war, each culminating in a large mechanical boss — often a fantastical super-weapon that escalates far beyond historical plausibility into science-fiction territory, a tonal contrast that became a hallmark of the Strikers identity. Boss encounters demand pattern recognition and precise bomb management, as each boss cycles through multiple attack phases.
The scoring system rewards aggressive play. Destroying enemies quickly and in clusters multiplies point values, and skilled players learn to manage their bomb stock carefully — using bombs to survive critical moments rather than hoarding them, since unused bombs at a stage's end convert to bonus points. The game supports the standard arcade credit-feeding approach for casual players while offering genuine depth for those chasing high scores or no-miss clears.
In its era, Strikers 1945 Plus was received as a competent and enjoyable entry in the shooter genre, appreciated by fans of Psikyo's previous work for its tight controls and satisfying aircraft variety. It did not dramatically reinvent the formula but delivered the reliable, high-quality shooting action the developer was known for. The game later found a wider audience through its port to the Neo Geo MVS and AES hardware, which gave it a home-console life and kept it in circulation among collector communities long after its initial arcade run.
