The Saturn is by far the console of choice when it comes to shooters. Those who have tried Batsugun and Sexy Parodius can attest to the high quality of the shooters that have come out for the Saturn recently. Sengoku Blade from Psikyo/Atlus is another pulse-quickening game with five characters that you can choose from to be your on-screen persona. All of the characters have the ability to fly and have no need for airships but rather stay aloft on their own power. You can choose to play as a red haired girl, a dark haired swordswoman (she's the one with the ample bosom), a monk, a robot or a samurai. Every character has a sidekick that you can rely on to take care of enemies that your own shots cannot reach. For example, the red headed flying girl has a pet marmoset that shadows her through the levels. Her standard shots are metal knives that she propels forth but she can power up the marmoset so that he can shoot throwing stars as well as breath fire from his mouth to destroy any incoming enemies. Good pet if you can get one. The level graphics are detailed and show scenes of nature such as forests and of custom Japanese architecture. Many of the bosses are innovative renditions of animals that have been mechanized. There is a red metal butterfly that you'll have to battle with in one of the levels. It looks like a cross between a butterfly and a scorpion. Then there is the heavily armored, metal-blue tortoise in the undersea level that looks like a living submarine. The Sengoku package is well done and is a very entertaining shooter. Atlus makes it two weeks in a row that they have released something fun for the Saturn.

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