Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Keio Flying Squadron presents itself as a classic 2D side-scroll shooter, but it brings its own quirky charm to the genre. You pilot your trusty green dragon, Spot, while guiding Rami—dressed in an adorable bunny suit—through seven varied stages. Enemies come at you in predictable but satisfying patterns, from rolling eggplants to flying demon masks, and each encounter demands quick reflexes and strategic use of your power-ups.

Throughout each level, you collect glowing orbs that upgrade your main shot, unlocking wider spreads, powerful lasers, and screen-clearing bombs. You can even summon option characters—cute sidekicks that float alongside you, adding extra firepower or homing attacks. Mastering each weapon type and knowing when to deploy your limited bombs brings a surprisingly deep layer of tactics to what otherwise looks like a simple kids’ shooter.

With three difficulty settings—Easy, Normal, and Hard—Keio Flying Squadron offers a tailored challenge no matter your skill level. Veterans of horizontal shooters will appreciate the tight hitboxes and deliberate enemy placement, while newcomers can enjoy the friendly visuals and forgiving checkpoints. Each stage ends with a boss fight that tests all of your acquired upgrades, keeping the pace brisk and rewarding.

Graphics

Graphically, Keio Flying Squadron is a vibrant feast for the eyes. The pixel art is clean, colorful, and brimming with personality. Backgrounds range from serene traditional Japanese gardens to lava-filled caverns, each rendered with parallax scrolling that gives the world genuine depth and motion. Spot and Rami’s animation frames are fluid, lending real weight to jumps, dives, and fire-breathing blasts.

Enemy sprites are equally engaging, featuring traits drawn from Japanese folklore—ghostly lanterns, bloated toads, and mischievous tanuki. Their bright palettes pop against the lush backdrops, making it easy to distinguish friend from foe amid the screen’s hustle and bustle. Special effects like the sparkle when upgrading your weapon or the explosion when dispatching a boss are charmingly over-the-top without ever feeling distracting.

Between stages, short animated cutscenes tie the action together, showcasing Rami’s spunky expressions and Dr. Pon’s exaggerated villainy. These sequences run at a smooth frame rate, underscoring the team’s commitment to presentation. Even today, the game’s cartoon-style visuals hold up, delivering a timeless aesthetic that’s both nostalgic and universally appealing.

Story

The narrative of Keio Flying Squadron is refreshingly light and comedic. You assume the role of Rami, a bunny-suit-clad cadet of the elite Flying Squadron, entrusted with safeguarding the “Special Holy Object.” No sooner do you receive this precious artifact than the dastardly Dr. Pon absconds with it, setting the stage for a globe-trotting chase across seven imaginative domains.

Rather than bogging you down with text dumps, the game uses brief dialogue bubbles and playful cutscenes to advance the plot. Dr. Pon is less menacing and more mischievous—he hurls taunting remarks as you pursue him on his spiked, robotic eggplant fortress. Rami, ever fearless, responds with pep talks and determined poses. The story never pretends to be Shakespeare; it’s a fun, cartoony romp that keeps you smiling between waves of enemies.

While the overarching goal is straightforward—retrieve the stolen Holy Object—the game peppers in cultural nods and quirky humor. One level plunges you into an undersea realm teeming with pufferfish and log masks, another pits you against a yokai-infested shrine. These touches give the chase narrative a delightful sense of variety and make the journey memorable beyond its shooter mechanics.

Overall Experience

Playing Keio Flying Squadron feels like unearthing a rare piece of retro charm. Its blend of approachable difficulty, endearing character design, and solid shooter fundamentals makes it a standout among 16-bit era titles. This is a game that welcomes newcomers to the genre while still offering a respectable challenge for seasoned players.

The family-friendly aesthetic ensures younger gamers can dive right in without encountering gore or mature content. Yet the game’s mechanical polish—tight controls, well-paced power-ups, and cleverly designed bosses—will satisfy anyone seeking a pick-up-and-play experience with genuine depth. The three difficulty modes extend replay value, encouraging you to revisit stages with more aggressive enemy patterns and fewer lives.

Though relatively short by modern standards, Keio Flying Squadron’s seven levels are packed with personality, secrets, and high-score potential. Whether you’re chasing nostalgic memories or discovering the title for the first time, this is a delightful ride that deserves a spot in any retro shooter enthusiast’s collection. Strap in, fire up those power-ups, and enjoy the whimsical chase of Rami and her trusty dragon.

Retro Replay Score

7.3/10