Power Strike II (Sega Master System) review "That'll teach those poor folk why they shouldn't reach for the skies!"

When it comes to shooters, I’ve long had a very soft spot for the games created by Compile. While I’m also a fan of those side-scrolling treks through hazardous and claustrophobic levels, there’s just something to be said for Compile’s efforts, which tend to be vertically-scrolling and possessing of fast action where you can pick between a wide variety of weapons, power them up big-time and take on hordes of enemies as the action gets more frenetic with each level you clear.

There’s just something intuitive and “natural” about how they feel. The best comparison I can make is how, when things are really clicking for you in a Super Mario Bros. game, you can just feel your actions become syncopated with the game to the degree that your every motion while jumping from platform to platform and either dodging or dispatching Koopas and other foes feels natural and right. Depending on your skill and familiarity with the game, this feeling might not last particularly long, but while it’s there, you feel like you’re wired into the game and nothing can stop you.

And it’s the same with Compile’s shooters. There I was, playing the Sega Master System’s Power Strike II. The action was pretty fast and intense, but after powering up my chosen weapon, I found myself at times entering the zone. Erratically moving from left to right and back again; covering the screen with ammo; barely dodging this bullet or that enemy and coming so, so close to disaster, but recovering in the nick of time to deliver more death to the seemingly infinite amount of foes careening towards me. And it felt good! Even if the game’s plot made me a bit unsure if I should be experiencing that much glee.

Before hitting the start button to begin blasting through this game’s eight stages of action, you can watch the fruits of its programmer’s brainstorming as a sad tale unfolds on your screen. A story about how the Great Depression made things so rough that poor souls had to resort to being criminals known as sky pirates. Your character: A bounty hunter whose job is to shoot down the worst of these people. The way this all gets phrased on the screen even indicates that your pilot feels some measure of sympathy for these folks who were forced into villainy due to poverty, but a job is a job.

Now, I must admit to having one minor issue with this plot. For being so poor, these sky pirates sure have one hell of a lot of fancy weaponry at their disposal. Not only do your main adversaries challenge you in massive, well-armored monstrosities, but each of them has a legit army of smaller vessels serving as their personal military. Feel pity for them? Hell, it only took getting through the weakest of those pirates for me to decide that, yes, it was cool to feel good about blasting these dudes to smithereens regardless of how hard their life was.

Power Strike II was released late in the lifespan of the Master System and it shows, as this is a very pretty eight-bit game. There will often be a lot of moving things on the screen and when you get to boss fights, they are large and detailed, with many of them possessing multiple parts for you to destroy — with doing that regularly inspiring them to unleash new attacks. You can tell effort went into creating them because their arrival is preceded by whatever ocean, military base, city or mine is serving as the level’s setting fading into one plain color. When programmers decide they can’t keep things functional if there’s any actual background decorations, you know you’re pushing the limits of a system.

Much like one would expect from a Compile game, you’ll get plenty of weapons to choose from. Some are stronger, but more focused; while others are weaker, but cover much of the screen…at least when powered up. I’ve always looked at this as one of their main strengths. I mean, most shooters give players some variety for their arsenal, but Power Strike II has seven different ways to attack. Hell, if anything, they give so much that it can lead to one of this game’s few genuine annoyances. Those weapon icons are released with regularity and they move in a back-and-forth manner as they descend down the screen, making it very easy to pick up one while you’re flying around and trying to dispatch foes. Take my word: If you play this game, count on having moments where you’ll grimace and utter a few choice words because of getting switched from your preferred weapon to one that works differently from how you want to do things.

Collecting icons of the same weapon will power it up, as will collecting little items that are constantly being dropped. There also are various shields you can collect that not only offer protection, but will augment your offense in some way. Upon dying, you’ll start from where you got blasted with some of your power remaining, so you’re at least not completely neutered for your next life. Which is good, as death is a very viable option in this game. It won’t take long for the action to get fast and it just gets more stressful the longer you play as each new levels has more planes, ships and guns deluging the screen than the previous one.

With Power Strike II, my issues were minimal. As I said, it’s very easy to accidentally replace your ship’s weapon due to the combination of weapon icons regularly descending down the screen and the game’s fast action. Also, the eighth and final level is disappointing, as it’s nothing more than a brief sequence where you can gain some power-ups, followed by the final boss. Still, this game moves to the front of the line as far as Master System shooters goes and probably deserves to be considered one of the best released during the eight-bit era. Compile’s games have always delivered a great time to me and this was no exception, even if I am getting a bit worried now. After all, I’ve reviewed a lot of their shooters over the years and it’s getting to the point where the supply is running low!

Staff review by Rob Hamilton (January 30, 2026) Rob Hamilton is the official drunken master of review writing for Honestgamers.