Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

U.N. Squadron delivers a classic side-scrolling shoot-’em-up experience that immediately hooks veteran fans of Gradius, R-Type and Scramble. Players are thrust into the heat of “Area 88” airspace, where hordes of enemy fighters, ground installations and naval vessels swarm in relentless waves. The core loop is simple yet compelling: fly your jet, blast everything in sight and collect mission rewards to fuel your war chest.

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What sets U.N. Squadron apart is its light RPG layer. You choose one of three mercenary pilots—Shin Kazama, Micky Schymon or Greg Gates—each offering distinct strengths in flying agility, weapon handling and damage repair. Early missions see you piloting the underpowered F8E Crusader, armed only with basic forward-firing guns. As you rack up kills and complete objectives, you earn cash to upgrade to more formidable jets with higher speed, better resilience and a wider arsenal of special weapons, from homing missiles to devastating napalm strikes.

The mission variety keeps the pace frantic and engaging. You’ll attack desert bases, take down the nuclear sub “Seavet,” raid enemy supply camps and dogfight sky swarms of bandits. Levels introduce new hazards—flak cannons on the ground, enemy bombers dropping payloads, naval vessels unleashing torpedoes—so you must constantly adapt your tactics. With tight controls, responsive hit detection and a steady ramp in difficulty, U.N. Squadron offers a challenging, satisfying ride for shoot-’em-up aficionados.

Graphics

On the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, U.N. Squadron pushes the hardware to deliver crisp, detailed sprites against richly layered backdrops. Aircraft and enemy units are easily distinguishable, even amid the chaos of explosions and projectile fire. The developers make excellent use of parallax scrolling to create a sense of depth as your jet zooms over sand dunes, jungle clearings and open seas.

Environmental variety shines through each stage: the golden hues of desert outposts, the dark silhouettes of naval fleets against stormy waters, and the smoky ruins of burned-out camps. Special weapon effects—napalm bursts, wide-arc lasers and homing rockets—light up the screen, providing both spectacle and clear feedback on your firepower. While occasional slowdowns occur when dozens of sprites cluster on-screen, they rarely hamper the flow of combat.

The user interface remains clean and unobtrusive, with a simple status bar indicating your score, remaining lives, special weapon stock and current cash reserves. Small touches—like the pilot portraits during mission briefings and the polished HUD animations when you purchase a new jet—add to the professional sheen. Overall, U.N. Squadron’s visuals hold up as a standout example of 16-bit era artistry.

Story

Though U.N. Squadron prioritizes action over narrative, it weaves in enough storyline elements to lend context and motivation to your aerial crusade. The game is loosely based on the Japanese manga “Area 88,” where three pilots serve as mercenaries contracted by the United Nations to defend allied airspace. Each pilot biography hints at personal stakes—redemption, duty or survival—that subtly color the campaign.

Story beats emerge primarily through mission briefings and occasional cutscenes between stages. Briefings outline the strategic importance of targets—destroying the Seavet nuclear sub to prevent fallout, or crippling a forward supply camp to slow the enemy advance—giving you tactical insight and a sense of progression. While the narrative depth is modest, the changing goals maintain interest beyond mere score hunting.

For players seeking a more robust plot, the lack of extensive in-game dialogue or character interactions may feel thin. Yet the story’s brevity becomes a strength, allowing you to jump straight into the action while still enjoying a backdrop of wartime drama. The tension of each mission, combined with the lore of Area 88, fuels your commitment to upgrading planes and seeing the conflict through to its conclusion.

Overall Experience

U.N. Squadron strikes an excellent balance between arcade-style shooting and light strategic progression. Its learning curve is fair: early missions teach you basic enemy patterns and power-up management, while later stages demand pinpoint precision and resource planning. The ability to switch pilots and tailor your load-out adds meaningful replay value as you master different playstyles.

The game’s pacing never lets up—each new stage introduces fresh enemy formations, environmental hazards and jumbo bosses that test your skills to the limit. Combine this with a pumping soundtrack and crisp sound effects, and you have a high-octane sensory cocktail that keeps adrenaline levels soaring from start to finish. Even occasional slowdown cannot dim the thrill of narrowly dodging bullets and unleashing a fully charged special weapon.

For shoot-’em-up enthusiasts and retro gamers seeking a challenge, U.N. Squadron remains a must-play title. It captures the essence of 16-bit era design while injecting enough unique mechanics—pilot selection, cash-based upgrades and diverse mission objectives—to stand apart. Decades after its release, its frantic action, polished presentation and strategic depth ensure it’s still worthy of your cartridge slot or virtual shelf.

Retro Replay Score

7.5/10