Strikers 1945 III
1. Game Background
1.1 World Setting
In the year 1999, Earth faces an unprecedented crisis. A mysterious mechanized legion calling itself "F.G.R." (Future Great Revolution) has descended from the depths of space, sweeping across major global cities with devastating firepower. Unlike the WWII setting of previous titles where propeller planes fought alien technology, humanity now faces invaders composed of AI and mechanical lifeforms—equipped with energy weapons, giant mechs, and adaptive combat systems far beyond human technology.
Facing this existential threat, the UN secretly launched the final phase of the "Strikers Project." Air forces from around the world assembled the most advanced active-duty fighter jets—from the US Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet to the pinnacle of stealth technology, the F-117 Nighthawk; from the Royal Air Force's AV-8 Harrier to the experimental X-36 unmanned prototype. This elite squadron of six top-tier fighters carries the last hope of humanity, soaring into the skies to launch a desperate assault on the F.G.R. mothership.
Unlike its predecessors, Strikers 1945 III completely moves away from WWII nostalgia, embracing a turn-of-the-millennium sci-fi aesthetic. Enemies are no longer clumsy propeller bombers or experimental saucers, but mechanical behemoths made of gears, energy conduits, and armor plating. Every boss is like a mobile steel fortress, from deep-sea submarine mechs to orbital railgun platforms, giant walking tanks, and space-warping energy cores—the display of F.G.R. military might is breathtaking.
1.2 Development History
Strikers 1945 III (known as Strikers 1999 in Japan) was released in 1999 by the renowned Japanese shooter developer Psikyo. It is the third and final main entry in the Strikers 1945 series. Founded in 1992 by former Video System employees, Psikyo became famous for high-difficulty vertical scrolling shooters, with notable titles including Sengoku Ace, Gunbird, and Dragon Blaze.
This title runs on Psikyo's proprietary SH-2 hardware, known for its high-frequency bullet processing and smooth scrolling performance. The game's biggest technical innovation is the "Technical Bonus" system—the second form of every boss briefly exposes a blue weak point core. If a player can get close enough to turn it red and destroy it, they can instantly kill the boss and earn a high score bonus. This mechanic was later used in subsequent titles like Dragon Blaze, becoming a signature design of Psikyo shooters.
the game uses a 2-Loop system: after clearing all 8 stages, the game automatically enters the second loop, where enemy bullet density increases significantly, boss attack patterns change completely, and the true final boss only appears at the end of the 8th stage of the second loop. This design significantly extends playtime for core players and reflects Psikyo's precise grasp of arcade operations—the first loop attracts coins, the second loop retains the experts.
There is a key difference between the international version of Strikers 1945 III and the Japanese version, Strikers 1999: the international version has a higher starting Rank (difficulty level), with faster enemy bullets and denser patterns. This means players in Western arcades faced a "Psikyo Hell" from the very first stage. This design choice remains a hot topic in the shooter community to this day.
2. Fighter Introduction
F/A-18 Super Hornet
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Movement Speed | ★★★☆☆ (91 frames) |
| Main Shot | ★★★★☆ |
| Sub Weapon | ★★★★☆ |
| Super Shot | ★★★★☆ |
| Bomb Power | ★★★☆☆ |
| Difficulty | ★★☆☆☆ |
- Shot: 8-way blue bullets + green side shots, excellent coverage.
- Sub Weapon: Homing Missile, up to 4 auto-tracking missiles at once.
- Super Shot: Rapid Missile—four drones lock onto positions and unleash a barrage of missiles.
- Bomb: Super Tomahawk—large-scale explosion in the center of the screen with lingering fire rings to clear bullets.
- Hitbox: 5×8 pixels.
Verdict: The most balanced starter ship. Homing missiles allow beginners to maintain output while dodging, though damage drops off at long range. The Super Shot's stationary missile rain performs well in boss fights. Perfect for those new to Psikyo shooters.
F-117 Nighthawk
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Movement Speed | ★★☆☆☆ (96 frames) |
| Main Shot | ★★★☆☆ |
| Sub Weapon | ★★★☆☆ |
| Super Shot | ★★★☆☆ |
| Bomb Power | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Difficulty | ★★★★★ |
- Shot: 8-way purple bullets + green side shots.
- Sub Weapon: Heat Mine—slow-moving proximity mines deployed forward, up to 6 at once.
- Super Shot: Sonic Wave—two small circular AOE zones in front.
- Bomb: Thunderbolt—full-screen bullet clear, but damage is "very low."
- Hitbox: 5×6 pixels.
Verdict: An expert-level ship. Slow movement and slow fire rate require aggressive point-blank shotgun-style play to deal damage. The bomb damage is negligible and should be used purely as an emergency clear. Not recommended for beginners.
F-22 Raptor
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Movement Speed | ★★★★☆ (81 frames) |
| Main Shot | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Sub Weapon | ★★★★★ |
| Super Shot | ★★★★★ |
| Bomb Power | ★★★★☆ |
| Difficulty | ★★★☆☆ |
- Shot: Narrow green bullets fired straight ahead.
- Sub Weapon: Baryon Laser—6 side lasers (3 per side) that pierce multiple enemies.
- Super Shot: Twin Stinger—two drones lock on and fire powerful piercing lasers.
- Bomb: Cluster Bomb—full-screen clear and damage.
- Hitbox: 5×7 pixels.
Verdict: King of stage clearing. Piercing lasers easily clear enemy formations, but the narrow main shot lacks single-target output. The Super Shot is the main source of damage in boss fights and must be used actively. High speed is crucial in late-game stages with dense bullet patterns.
AV-8 Harrier
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Movement Speed | ★☆☆☆☆ (102 frames) |
| Main Shot | ★★★★★ |
| Sub Weapon | ★★★☆☆ |
| Super Shot | ★★★☆☆ |
| Bomb Power | ★★★★★ |
| Difficulty | ★★★★☆ |
- Shot: Two rows of purple bullets fired straight ahead, most consistent damage.
- Sub Weapon: Straight Missile—two drones fire missiles forward.
- Super Shot: Hunter Formation—drones detach and independently track targets.
- Bomb: B-52 Carpet Bombing—two large bombers perform a carpet bombing run. The Harrier remains free to move during the animation. Extremely high damage, but not an instant bullet clear.
- Hitbox: 3×6 pixels (smallest in the game).
Verdict: The slowest ship, but with the smallest hitbox and highest main shot damage. Bomb damage is terrifying, perfect for point-blank boss fights. Drones function like the Option system in Gradius—following the ship's movement trajectory rather than being fixed. A choice for survival-oriented players, though scoring potential is lower.
F-4 Phantom II
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Movement Speed | ★★★★☆ (85 frames) |
| Main Shot | ★★★★☆ |
| Sub Weapon | ★★★☆☆ |
| Super Shot | ★★★★☆ |
| Bomb Power | ★★★★★ |
| Difficulty | ★★★★☆ |
- Shot: 5-way fan bullets + green side shots.
- Sub Weapon: Roll Napalm—slow-moving incendiary bombs, up to 4 at once.
- Super Shot: Cross Napalm—a single slow but high-damage missile.
- Bomb: Samurai Sword '99—fires a giant flame projectile with a spinning animation similar to Sengoku Ace. Damage is potentially the highest in the game at point-blank range, but negligible at distance.
- Hitbox: 5×6 pixels.
Verdict: The ultimate point-blank burst ship. When released at zero range, the bomb has the highest instant damage in the game—this requires the player to know boss patterns inside out. Not for the faint of heart.
X-36 (Hidden Ship)
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Movement Speed | ★★★★★ (78 frames) |
| Main Shot | ★★★★☆ |
| Sub Weapon | ★★★★★ |
| Super Shot | ★★★★★ |
| Bomb Power | ★★★★☆ |
| Difficulty | ★☆☆☆☆ |
- Shot: Five rows of blue bullets fired straight ahead.
- Sub Weapon: Variable Laser—purple homing lasers.
- Super Shot: Spiral Laser—powerful piercing laser.
- Bomb: Mega Smasher—the ship transforms into a mech and throws an energy ball; you can move freely during the transformation animation.
- Hitbox: 5×7 pixels.
Verdict: Widely considered the strongest ship in the game. Homing lasers make stage traversal easy, and top-tier speed and powerful Super Shots make boss fights a breeze. Recommended by the community as the best choice for both beginners and experts.
How to unlock: In Maintenance Mode, enter code 01999, then press "Up" on the "?" random selector on the ship selection screen.
3. Controls
3.1 Basic Controls
| Button | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A (Tap) | Shoot | Rapid fire with repeated taps |
| A (Hold) | Super Shot | Consumes Super Gauge energy |
| B | Bomb | Consumes bomb stock, clears bullets |
| 8-Way Stick | Move | Controls ship movement |
3.2 Energy and Upgrade System
Super Gauge: Located at the bottom left, charges by hitting enemies (including bosses). Three levels: Blue Lv.0 (fastest charge), Green Lv.1, Yellow Lv.2 (slowest charge, highest power). Hold A to release a Super Shot; the fuller the gauge, the stronger the attack.
Power-Up:
- Pick up red P items to increase shot level, max level 3.
- 2nd P item unlocks sub-weapon.
- Getting hit by enemies reduces power level by one.
- Getting shot down resets power to initial state.
Bomb Stock: Pick up B items to increase bombs, max 9. Picking up a B item at max capacity grants 10,000 points.
3.3 Technical Bonus
This is the core mechanic and the key skill that separates beginners from experts.
- When a boss enters its second form, a blue weak point core is briefly exposed.
- Get close to make it turn red, then destroy it to instantly kill the boss (regardless of remaining HP).
- Bonus points: 40,000 for stages 1-4, 50,000 for stages 5 and 7, 36,000 for stage 6.
- The final boss (stage 8) has no Technical Bonus.
- The core is exposed only once per boss fight, accompanied by dense bullet patterns.
- You can use bombs to create a safe window to approach the core.
Double Technical Bonus (Double Kill): An advanced technique. Destroy the core at the very last frame before it is covered, or destroy the core and the boss body simultaneously (within ~2 frames) to trigger a double bonus. Some ships require bombs to ensure frame consistency.
4. Stage Flow and Boss Strategy
Stages 1-4 are randomized, while 5-8 are fixed. The following is the standard walkthrough.
Stage 1: Over the City (Japan)
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | Japanese city skyline at dusk, weaving between skyscrapers |
| Boss | Giant walking mech tank—tracked mobile fortress with multi-barrel cannons and missile launchers |
| Strategy | Sparse bullet patterns, perfect for practicing Technical Bonus. The core appears when the turret opens in the second form. Use F-4's point-blank bomb to finish it easily |
Stage 2: Desert Military Base
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | F.G.R. frontline base in the Middle Eastern desert, burning oil wells and hangars in the background |
| Boss | Heavy armed helicopter + missile platform—giant rotating turret hovering over the base |
| Strategy | Boss patterns are mostly fan-shaped spread shots; dodge by making micro-movements at the bottom of the screen. Core appears after the second transformation |
Stage 3: Naval Fleet Battle
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | Allied fleet in the Pacific, battle on an aircraft carrier deck |
| Boss | Deep-sea submarine mech—giant mechanical squid rising from the ocean, tentacles are energy whips |
| Strategy | Tentacle attacks have a pattern; weave through the gaps. Core is exposed when the "head" unfolds |
Stage 4: Spaceport
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | Equatorial launch base, giant rockets in the background |
| Boss | Orbital defense platform—multi-layered armored turret array hovering over the launch pad |
| Strategy | Multi-layered bullet system, each turret fires independently. Prioritize destroying side turrets to create safe space |
Stage 5: Enemy Airspace
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | Deep into F.G.R. territory, flying over a mechanized city |
| Boss | Giant transforming combat mech—switches between humanoid and aircraft forms |
| Strategy | Frequent form switching; aircraft form has dense bullets, humanoid form exposes the core. Technical Bonus worth 50,000 points |
Stage 6: Edge of the Atmosphere
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | High altitude, blue planet and starry sky in the background |
| Boss Choice | Your position when the boss appears determines the fight—left or right triggers Geo Bite, center triggers Cross Blade |
| Strategy | Geo Bite is a mechanical snake with spiral spread bullets; Cross Blade is a high-speed dual-sword mech. Geo Bite has a famous "Zombie Bug"—destroying the core at the last moment can cause the boss to enter a non-colliding, non-firing state |
Stage 7: Outer Space
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | Outer space, outskirts of the F.G.R. mothership |
| Boss | Shadow Blinder—giant armored satellite with multi-layered shields and omnidirectional bullets |
| Strategy | Shields must be broken to damage the body. Bullet density increases sharply in the second form. Core is hidden until the shields unfold |
Stage 8: F.G.R. Mothership Core
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scene | Inside the F.G.R. mothership, giant energy pipes and reactor core |
| Boss | F.G.R. Central Hub—no Technical Bonus, go all out. Peak bullet density for the game |
| Strategy | Final boss of the first loop. Automatically enters the 2nd Loop after clearing |
Second Loop and True Final Boss
In the second loop, enemy bullet density and speed increase significantly, and bosses gain new attack patterns. At the end of the 8th stage of the second loop, you face the true final boss—a hyper-dimensional core with time-warping abilities. Only after defeating it is the F.G.R. threat truly ended.
5. Tips and Advanced Strategy
5.1 Basic Survival
- Hitbox Secret: Every ship's hitbox is only a few pixels large—the smallest, AV-8, is only 3×6 pixels. Learning to "watch the hitbox, not the whole plane" is the first step to advancing.
- Firepower Priority: Do whatever it takes to keep max firepower in the first three stages. Losing a level means losing sub-weapons, causing a cliff-like drop in screen-clearing ability.
- Bombs are not for damage: Unless you are using the F-4 for point-blank bursts, the primary function of bombs is to clear bullets and create safe windows for Technical Bonuses. Don't waste bombs for points—staying alive is the only way to score.
- Super Shot Rhythm: Don't release the Super Gauge immediately. Wait for the boss to expose its weak point or for dense enemy formations to appear to maximize efficiency.
- Edge Movement: Most bullet patterns have a weak point at the very bottom of the screen—bullets naturally spread out, leaving gaps. Stay calm; micro-movements are better than large dodges.
- Medal Chains: Gold medals have 4 point states (200/500/1000/2000) during their rotation. Picking them up at the "brightest" moment (a 7-frame window) grants 2000 points. Two consecutive 2000-point medals trigger a +200 chain bonus. There are 101 medals in one loop, with a theoretical max score of 222,000 points.
5.2 Co-op Tips
In two-player mode, players share screen space—the biggest challenge. Bullet density increases slightly, but combined firepower is far superior to single-player. Suggest one player clears the left, one the right, and alternate bombs during boss fights to create safe windows. Don't bomb at the same time—staggering them covers a longer safe period.
5.3 Boss Fight Rules
- Observe First Form: The first form's pattern is the foundation for the second. Observe once before committing to a strategy.
- Identify Technical Bonus Timing: Every boss's core exposure timing is fixed. Remember it and move to a favorable position in advance.
- Point-Blank Burst: When using F-4 or AV-8, release a bomb at point-blank range after the core turns red to get both the Technical Bonus and massive bomb damage.
- Rank Management: Psikyo's difficulty system means the better you play, the harder the game gets. Intentionally staying at Lv.1 firepower instead of maxing out is sometimes a wiser survival strategy.
5.4 Advanced Trivia
- Continue Easter Egg: If you continue when the countdown shows "3 identical digits" (e.g., 3:33, 2:22), your Super Gauge will be fully charged.
- X-36 Unlock: Enter 01999 in Maintenance Mode, then press "Up" on the "?" selector.
- Full Unlock: Enter 81650 in Maintenance Mode to unlock more debug options (stage select, difficulty, etc.).
- Rank Difference: The international version (Strikers 1945 III) has a higher starting Rank than the Japanese version (Strikers 1999), meaning the same player faces denser bullets in the international version.
- Second Loop Ending: Only by defeating the true final boss in the second loop can you see the complete ending animation.
- AV-8 Drones: Unlike other ships, the Harrier's drones follow the ship's movement trajectory like Gradius Options, meaning you can "place" them by moving.
- F-4 Bomb Truth: Samurai Sword '99 can deal the highest instant damage in the game at zero range, potentially skipping an entire second boss form.
6. Trivia and Arcade Legends
6.1 The Millennium Naming Mystery
The Japanese version is titled Strikers 1999, while the international version is Strikers 1945 III. This wasn't just a localization strategy—it was Psikyo rethinking the series' positioning. "1999" implies a contemporary story, while "1945 III" continues the brand recognition. This dual naming created a paradox: a game named after 1945 telling a story set in 1999.
6.2 From Propellers to Jets
The first Strikers title focused on WWII propeller planes, and the second continued that theme. For the third, Psikyo made a bold decision—abandon WWII nostalgia and move to modern jets. This caused heated internal debate. Some felt the "David vs. Goliath" spirit of WWII was the soul of the series, while others felt WWII themes were stale by 1999. The latter won.
6.3 F-4 Phantom's Samurai Sword
The F-4's bomb, "Samurai Sword '99," is a tribute to Psikyo's other masterpiece, Sengoku Ace. The spinning animation and flame sword visual effects were taken directly from the special moves in Sengoku Ace. This "self-tribute" is known among fans as a "Psikyo In-Joke."
6.4 Zombie Boss Bug
Geo Bite and Shadow Blinder have a famous "Zombie Bug": if you destroy the core at the last possible moment, the boss enters a strange state—stopping firing, stopping movement, and losing collision detection, but Super Shots and bombs are also disabled. Players must slowly chip away the remaining HP. Fans call this "Psikyo-style Pacifism."
6.5 The Psikyo Difficulty Curve
Psikyo shooters are known for their "Rank" (dynamic difficulty) system. But in the international version of Strikers 1945 III, the starting value was set higher than in the Japanese version. Arcade owners recalled that the international PCB "ate all the players' pocket money" within a week, forcing them to lower the difficulty to keep coin rates up.
6.6 X-36 Reality
The hidden X-36 is not fictional—it's based on the McDonnell Douglas X-36 tailless technology demonstrator. Only two were built to test the feasibility of tailless flight. Psikyo choosing this obscure experimental plane as the "strongest hidden ship" shows the team's deep knowledge of aviation.
6.7 Porting History
As one of Psikyo's most popular works, Strikers 1945 III has had a long porting history. First ported to Android by Mobirix/Taito in 2015, then to Nintendo Switch by Zerodiv in 2019. In 2020, City Connection/Zerodiv released a PC version on Steam as part of the Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha collection. Every port sparks debates about "input lag" and "arcade feel."
6.8 Psikyo's Glorious Finale
Strikers 1945 III is widely considered the pinnacle and perfect conclusion to Psikyo's vertical scrolling shooter era. Afterward, they shifted to fantasy-themed shooters like Dragon Blaze. Many veterans believe the Technical Bonus system in Strikers 1945 III is the most exquisite core mechanic in any Psikyo shooter—rewarding knowledge, courage, and precision, perfectly balancing risk and reward.
