Review of 'Operation Night Strikers' for the Switch: A Nostalgic Light Gun Shoot 'em Up Experience
In the world of retro gaming, the name Taito is synonymous with arcade greatness, and their latest release, Operation Night Strikers, is no exception. This 2025 collection brings together four iconic rail shooters from the late 1980s and early 1990s: Operation Wolf (1987), Operation Thunderbolt (1989), Night Striker (1988), and Space Gun (1990).
Available on Nintendo Switch and PC, the collection offers an authentic arcade gaming experience with solid emulation, smooth controls, and multiple customisable options suitable for home play. This includes Joy-Con motion aiming, traditional controls, and mouse aiming, making it accessible for modern audiences.
Gameplay
Operation Wolf and Operation Thunderbolt are light-gun shooters where players rescue hostages while shooting enemies. Thunderbolt is the sequel to Operation Wolf and features missions like rescuing hostages on a hijacked plane in Africa.
Space Gun is a corridor-based shooter set aboard a space freighter invaded by aliens. Players search for survivors, blasting hostile creatures as they progress.
Night Striker differs from the others by featuring a flying car that automatically moves forward through a futuristic cityscape in a third-person perspective. The player steers this vehicle in four directions to avoid obstacles and enemy fire while shooting enemies. The game uses sprite-scaling and branching paths, offering a fast-paced, into-the-screen shoot ’em up experience akin to games like Space Harrier or After Burner.
Historical Context
These games reflect the height of Taito’s popularity in arcade shooters during the late 1980s and early 1990s, known for rapid gameplay, flashy arcade cabinets, and memorable soundtracks that defined the genre. The collection preserves these titles in their original arcade form but adapts control schemes for modern platforms.
Additional Notes
Operation Night Strikers is praised for its faithful arcade emulation and accessible controls but lacks substantial extras or bonus content, though DLC offers console ports of some titles. Difficulty remains high, mirroring the original arcade design aimed at maintaining player challenge and coin usage, but unlimited credits at home mitigate this frustration.
In summary, Operation Night Strikers is a curated set of iconic Taito arcade shooters, combining classic light-gun action with a distinctive fast-paced, vehicle-based shooter in Night Striker, offering both nostalgic value and intense shooting gameplay for modern audiences.
[1] Retro Gaming Magazine [2] Kotaku [3] Gamespot [4] Taito Corporation [5] Clear River Games
- For avid gamers and technology enthusiasts, Operation Night Strikers is a must-review on both PC and Nintendo Switch platforms, combining elements of entertainment and gadgetry with a collection of Taito's iconic video games that showcase light gun action and unique gameplay mechanics like those found in Night Striker.
- In the realm of retro gaming, the addition of Operation Night Strikers to one's entertainment gadget lineup not only boosts the collection's value but also promises a thrilling journey through the historical context of Taito's arcade greatness, offering a blend of nostalgia and modern gameplay experiences with adaptable controls.
