As the first console to reach 100m sales, the PS1 had a long life, with new games appearing as late as 2005 – at which point the PS2 was well established. Even the UK Official PlayStation Magazine, known for running far past the console’s prime, no longer existed by then. Many late PS1 games were budget titles from the likes of Midas and Phoenix, with the latter releasing Sonic Wings Special in PAL territories in 2004. Being such a late release, it often sells for a handsome sum on auction sites nowadays. Enter Hamster, with a more affordable solution.
While Sonic Wings Special reached European shores in 2004, this arcade-style shooter actually dates to 1996 – making it a relatively early PS1 game. So early that it was on the SEGA Saturn too. So, what we have here is a re-release of an obscure PS1 game that not many will have played before, making it an ideal candidate for a re-release. This isn’t the version Phoenix put out back in 2004, which is fortunate as they cut features to save on localisation costs, but rather the Japanese version. Aside from the memory card screen, menus are in English. However, all character dialogue and the ending screens remain in Japanese, which is disappointing. The new digital manual provides backstories for each character though, along with brief descriptions of their arsenal, so we aren’t entirely going in blind.
Bearing a military theme, Sonic Wings Special – so called as it remixes parts of the series that came before it – pits a crack team of fighter pilots (and a dolphin) against rival jets and tanks, along with experimental aircraft. Backdrops can be partly destroyed, and there are a few fun touches, including spoof billboards in the city stage. There’s a surprisingly high number of playable planes, each with their own bullet formats and bomb styles, varying from those that bounce around to those that only damage the top half of the screen. Trying out each craft in a bid to find one that suits takes some time.
Stages are short, lasting just a few minutes each, culminating in a runtime of around 30 minutes – par for the course for arcade-style shooters of the era. Around the halfway point it’s possible to choose between two stages, all of which are based on real-world locations – with Stonehenge representing ‘ol Blighty. It’s also at this point that it becomes no longer possible to continue instantly, forcing you to grab power-ups swiftly and learn bullet formats. In that regard, Sonic Wings Special isn’t too hectic. This isn’t a bullet hell shooter, and most projectile waves can be easily avoided – even if this does mean relocating to the top corners of the screen for a few seconds.
Visually it’s pleasing enough. It begins with a CGI intro that lasts around a minute, depicting raging battles against some of the bosses you’ll face. In game, there’s no sprite flicker, and the explosions are well drawn. Backdrops can be dull and unappealing though, and it was certainly upstaged by later PS1 shooters such as R-Type Delta and G Darius. This is more comparable to something like Strikers 1945 and The Raiden Project, due to it featuring 2D sprites and having a distinct 16-bit feel despite being on a 32-bit system.
When it comes to options, there are two sets to discuss. In game it’s possible to alter difficulty (easy, normal, hard, pro) and choose the number of credits, including an infinite amount. This doesn’t guarantee success however, as only two lives per continue are granted and later bosses can be tricky. The screen can be rotated within this menu too. Then by visiting the new Console Archives menu you can save anywhere, add a wallpaper, alter the screen size, add filters, and change button layouts. Being able to save anywhere makes progress a breeze, should you choose to blitz through it rather than memorise attack patterns.
If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll know that Sonic Wings Reunion launched late last year. I enjoyed this re-release more than the new 3D revival. The 2D art is timeless, and the challenge is fairer. The PS1 went on to gain bigger and better shooters (remember, this is from 1996) but considering this had such a limited release in the west, it could almost be considered a lost piece of shooter history. It isn’t essential, lacking something other than its character roster to make it stand out, but all the shooter fundamentals are in place. It’s also quite amusing that the £8.99 price point aligns with the price Phoenix charged back in 2004. Consider this an inflation-busting treat.
Console Archives Sonic Wings Special is out now on PS5 and Switch 2. Published by Hamster. Original game by Video System.