Horizontal shooter. Varied stages with unique enemies and hazards, some of the stages involve manipulating the environment or your enemies doing so and a big point in the game's favor is this is one of the few shooters that I've played where enemies and their bullets don't typically go through solid objects that you can't pass or shoot through. Good music. Limited weapons of a homing shot, laser, and bomb but before you can edit each by assigning five points into the two other weapon slots (max of five points to each) to give them properties of other weapons. Can shoot in front and behind you. Select toggles ship speed. Can pick up two pods that shoot in the direction you are shooting, can block shots, and you can cycle between two formations with an edit option that allows you to alter their placement in those formations before the game starts. For a better offense or defense choice depending on the situation.

An alternate graphics code done on the menu changes your ship to a samurai and your option pods to two horses.

Easily of one the best shooters on the NES.

Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1584331145810149377