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Reviewing Compile's new shoot-'em-up first requires us to take a short history lesson. Step back to the 1930s, and The Depression. Can you imagine millions without work, prospects and the means to support their families? Of course you can, it's just like today. In those days there was only one thing for a cloth-capped, laid-off miner to do - build himself a futuristic space plane and label himself a 'sky pirate'. Next, he makes a packet by robbing all the wealthy travelers in the other futuristic planes that, er, didn't exist in the 1930s. Okay, so the programmer's scenario is a load of cack, but it's irrelevant to the action of the game.

You play the part of a Pot Hunter, arch-enemy of the Sky Pirates, who apparently have invested a good deal of their ill-gotten gains in massive ground bases, fleets, laser-weapons, and all the other common contraptions of the early 20th century. However, ignore the desperate plot and get shooting, in this frenetic vertical blaster.

A sequel to the original Powerstrike, from the team responsible for the 'Aleste' console shoot-'em-ups.

Shoot everything in sight, and collect bonuses to increase your ship's powers.

Forces bent on your destruction come from all directions, straddled with all manner of armoury. A salty selection of their piratical vehicles:

1. Land
   Status:
   Like strange Mayan sculptures, these shuffle through the jungle, spewing bullets a-plenty.
2. Sea
   The Fleet:
   Pothunter flies above a dense shipping lane, packed with battleships. Multiple hits are needed to pull the plug on these chaps.
3. Air
   Sky Ships:
   Heavily armoured and heavily armed, their only weakness is their slow movement.

As with most shoot-'em-ups, you are initially provided with a paltry weapon. Improving on it lies in collecting pods that float by, with numbers attached. The number relates to what weapon type is found inside. Each weapon may be upgraded to be more effective. To upgrade collect the same numbered pod as a weapon you already possess. Here's the weapon chart:

1. Front Cannon
   This is no extra weapon, but collecting the pod increases the power of your main gun.
2. Spread Shot
   A fan-shaped firing mechanism that widens as you upgrade. Good at low-levels.
3. Detonators
   Plasma bolts which detonate up-screen and spread out for some distance. After upgrades this is a massively powerful weapon, but it starts out slow and weak, leaving you vulnerable.
4. Missile
   A clutch of impact missiles follow a criss-crossing course up the screen. Fast, powerful and one of the better weapons. Powers up to a six missile max.
5. Homing Missiles
   Side-mounted missiles seek out the nearest on-screen targets. At low levels, this leaves you vulnerable.
6. Laser
   A solid beam weapon that looks impressive, especially when upgraded. A maximum of three 'options' may be tagged onto your ship for quadruple lasers.
7. Plasma
   Circular energy 'blobs' scoot out and attack the nearest target. This is an erractic and weak weapon and best avoided.

A selection of mad machines await travellers who reach the end of the level. Rather than the sleek-with-lots-of-guns look, the Sky Pirates have opted for some lavish designs that resemble fish, Roman galleys and flying saucers,

Powerstrike II is one of those rare games to savour, that makes the Master System perform beyond all reasonable expectations. The creators of Robo-Aleste for the Mega-CD have worked equal wonders on the 8-bit.

From the first seconds of the game there are tons of deadly sprites flying about, plus the game plays at a breakneck pace. The graphics improve as the game progresses, with all sorts of novel effects and imaginative enemies. This is just a simple blaster, but one of such quality I'd say Master System owners must get it.

This looks and plays brilliantly and is definitely the best scrolling shoot-'em-up for the Master System. The graphics are truly superb, with great definition, very smooth scrolling and masses of enemy sprites - with little or no sprite flicker whatsoever! It's an excellent blaster and tough to master too. Put simply, Powerstrike II is an essential Master System buy.

Presentation 86%
P. Four levels of skill make the game accessible to all levels of player. Intro and other options.

Graphics 88%
P. Loads of different enemies, and an amazing amount of flicker-free action.
N. Some of the backgrounds are a little fuzzy, making bullets hard to spot...

Sound 90%
P. Great accompanying tunes which sound just like coin-op blaster music. Excellent sound effects.

Playability 92%
P. From the first moment, the frantic but fair action drags you in totally. There is no lull.
N. Restarting without your assembled weaponry is a hellish proposition.

Lastability 93%
P. The action starts to get very hot indeed, and there's a massive four megs of Powerstriking in the cart.

Overall 92%
A completely berserk blasting classic that breathes new life into the Master System in a different league from other Master System releases and an utterly essential addition to your collection.