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Shoot-em-ups (or shmups) are one of the more notoriously difficult genres to properly get into. It might seem somewhat counterintuitive; its games are generally short, and they were one of the most pronounced genres of the arcade golden age—a medium that demanded quick adoption. But arcade titles were often designed to appear easy to learn but hard to master, and as with most arcade titles, shmups required precise inputs and memorization in about equal measure.

So if you wanted to be your local cabinet's greatest Galaga player, you'd have to have the knowledge of enemy movements to back up your skills, and that would require experience. The shmup fandom that developed was one backed by persistence. And it's this same quality that made later home console and PC titles so intimidating; most "Top 10 Shmups" lists will consist solely of games that newcomers are likely to bounce off. At least, most lists published prior to 2018—these days, there's a good chance you'll find ZeroRanger on some of them.

ZeroRanger is the debut title of Finnish studio System Erasure, and for those who have even a small amount of shmup experience, it's clear that accessibility was a core component of the game's philosophy. This is most notable via the game's continue and stage select system; as long as you reach a level in a previous run, you're allowed to start your next run from the same level, with any power-ups previously acquired. This is useful both for new players as well as those looking to optimize strategies in later stages. You also gain continues via your hi-score, each run giving you more chances to pick up where you left off. These work together to create a very beginner-friendly experience without feeling rudimentary; there are some challenging sections here, and adept players will naturally have fewer continues to work with.

It certainly helps inspire players to work towards beating the game rather than dropping it, and the smooth gameplay and killer presentation don't hurt either. Its pixelated, bichromatic graphics make it immediately recognizable, all while presenting a high level of visual clarity that a good shmup requires. Controls are good, enemy attacks are often well-telegraphed and never really feel unfair, and the first four stages provide a plethora of unique enemies and interactions. ZeroRanger feels very natural to play, and while you will be gaining continues with each failed run, even without them it feels like you're making progress on your failed attempts.

At the end of the 4th stage, you'll find yourself sent back in time to play through each stage again with stronger enemies and different patterns. It does represent an increase in difficulty, but a bit more variety in stage design would have been appreciated here. It does, though, culminate in an impressive final boss fight that feels great to overcome...or so it appears. You'll then find yourself given a choice to travel back once more, far before the start of the game, to take on the game's true last boss.

Thus enters ZeroRanger's most infamous aspect: failure to defeat the final boss here deletes your save file and puts you right back at the very beginning. It's certainly a bold decision, and one that ties in to the game's core themes. But its execution feels like ZeroRanger was desperate to implement it no matter the costs. Putting it plainly, the TLB is a poorly designed encounter that will almost certainly defeat you on your first encounter solely because of how it changes the core gameplay. It's designed to catch you off guard and not do much else; once you know the mechanic, your 2nd encounter with it is a breeze. It's a disservice to the entire game, for sure, but especially to the game's penultimate final boss.

Admittedly, deleting your save file is a good way to show the player how much they've improved—you'll probably be able to blast past the first few stages with ease—but a game with practically only 4 stages doesn't quite justify the amount of repetitiveness ZeroRanger expects for completion. Its gameplay is supplemented with a story and symbolism on a level that is rare for the genre, but it rarely reaches beyond the realm of "pretty good." It's certainly part of the core experience, and it's short enough that reaching the TLB from scratch again isn't that much of an encumbrance, but it still feels like a fantastic concept that was implemented without more forethought.

But that aside, there's a reason ZeroRanger is recommended so frequently to shmup newcomers looking for a game they could reasonably beat. It offers modern amenities and classic controls to a genre that is famous for its selectivity, and it's a great introduction for those looking to try their first shmup or complete their first 1cc, and its stumbles are mostly a result of an ambitious but ungraceful adherence to its story. Putting those aside, ZeroRanger is a stylish title that serves as both a love letter to the genre's classics and a gateway for fans to come.

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