Ok guys I got to say Spriggan is more than just one hell of a game. It's the best shooter I have ever played. The level of detail in the backgrounds is astonishing! In the first level you will spot soldiers running around on the ground as you fly over them. In stage three your ship will actually fly up a waterfall while shooting monster-fish-things that leap out of the falls. The power-ups, like Blazing Lazers, are somewhat confusing to learn. Thankfully, if you let the game idol through the title screen a tutorial will play explaining the various combinations of weapon upgrades. And man, are they ever intense! I think my favorite one so far is the fireballs that spread out and away from your ship(or mech actually). The difficulty is way up there with R-type and Blazing Lazers. I have only managed to make it part of the way through the second level before giving up. Once my skills increase I'll post again and give you my thoughts.