Sylphia (1993). Play online

Summary

Sylphia stands out among PC Engine shooters by swapping the usual spaceship for a winged female fighter drawn from Greek myth. You guide her through eight vertically scrolling stages, switching among fire, air, water and earth weapons, each paired with a distinct sub‑attack such as homing fireballs or rotating rocks. A chargeable lightning beam provides a desperate, high‑damage burst, while collectible crystals and green orbs boost weapon power and health‑bar “mirrors” can grant extra lives. Compiled by the veteran team behind Spriggan, the title was one of the last shooters the studio released before a long hiatus, with Junichi Nagatsuma directing and Shinichi Nogami programming. Although Tonkin House only pressed a limited run in Japan in 1993, the CD‑ROM² version now commands premium prices among collectors. The soundtrack features contributions from composers of Robo Aleste and Spriggan Mark 2, giving the fantasy setting an extra atmospheric punch. For fans of element‑based vertical shooters, Sylphia offers tight controls, a generous upgrade system, and a rare glimpse of Compile’s classic feel in a mythic world that rarely appears on the TurboGrafx‑CD lineup.

Storyline

Sylphia, the TurboGrafx‑CD action‑platformer, drops players into a classical Greek world where gods and mortals still walk together. The story follows Silphia, a brave maiden warrior who falls in battle and is reborn as a demigoddess under Zeus’s protection. Armed with dragonfly‑like wings, she can glide over the battlefield while wielding divine power.

Hades, lord of the underworld, has been corrupted by a mysterious mask that awakens monsters once sealed in Tartarus. These creatures spill onto the surface, razing cities and forcing the Olympian gods to retreat to Mount Olympus. Silphia’s mission is to halt the invasion, destroy the monstrous armies, and end Hades’s madness.

Along the way she confronts iconic mythic foes – towering giants, a ferocious Minotaur, a soaring griffin, and the bronze titan Talos. Each victory restores a fragment of the Greek world to its former peace. The game’s narrative blends fast‑paced combat with a mythic quest to free humanity from the underworld’s grip.