This game absolutely deserves a HD remake or sequel.

Einhander blew me away as a kid. Such a great game and barely anyone has even heard of it

The references in KH3 were more because the director and most of the staff who did Einhander were tasked with making the Gummi segments. Really absolutely beautiful when a studio lets its creators be self-indulgent, even if just slightly.

It's god to see someone appreciate Einhander!

I cried myself in the store as a kid to have my mom get the einhander when I saw the disc cover because it was really cool. Guess those tantrums was worth it since this was the best shooters i've played

22:22 Clearly the pilot did not died, he was MIA. That ending with the footsteps give the hints to a possible sequel as well. (Not happening though)

All these years, I still find this to be one of the best side scroller space shooters ever created. The overall soundtrack really helped make it so much more memorable

Fun fact, the rap segment of the "Shudder" track is actually a stock track used by a few more games, most notably Street Fighter 3: Third Strike in it's basketball minigame theme.

This review nails everything about this amazing game! Good work sir, love to see Einhander getting the recognition it deserves.

Only had the demo version, but I replayed it a ton as a kid.

Einhinder was a hidden gem. It was perfect: gameplay, graphics, music, sound effects, presentation, secrets, and FUN!

I remember playing this old game on a PS1 sampler disc.

Shoutouts to the reference in one of the dungeons in FF14 where the first boss 'Einhander' is a giant bird carrying a gattling gun in it's claws. Also even by PS1 standards, the OST in einhander is worth the cost alone. *chef kiss*

Just picked this up. Forgot the name for so long. Recently I saw it at a game store for 100 bucks so I traded in a bunch of call of duty stuff and got it super cheap. I love it! It’s so underrated.

This game is one of my favorites on the PS. Good memories from my HS days, playing this after school and then after work.

man this is one of the most memorable game I've ever played on PS1. I remember there are alternate routes you can access on the stages. I love this game to the point that this is my very first Rick Roll experience checking out if Einhander II rumors were true back in the day.

The one thing that was missed: secret weapons! Those were amazing finds when I stumbled across them.

The game was directed by an ex-Konami dude who'd worked on Gradius II and Xexex, a man who knew what exactly what he was doing.

Einhander is basically Contra with spaceships. It's amazing!

This is easily one of my favorite console games of all time. I lucked out and had a demo disc with this lovely title on it. It only featured the first level, but I was instantly hooked. I managed to save up my rupees to pick up a used full copy a couple years later. I used to have a college radio station show and I'd play at least 1 or 2 tracks from the OST every Friday night, for years. I let a friend borrow that copy I had, but lost touch with them. I found out years later that they sold all of their ps1 games to a gamestop or something. Likely for mere pennies. So sad! I did get another copy and one with a jewel case and manual this time. Sadly again, I let another friend borrow that one and... haven't seen it since. I should go hang with them again and get it back. XD

The year was 1999 and my friend bought the game and didn't like it, so he offered it to me for $20. Hands down, the best game I've played on the PS1 and I still have it in my collection.

This is one of the games that I religiously play and finish at least once a year. Some games on my list are Castlevania SOTN, Dewprism, Gitaroo man (PS2), Ghostbusters (Genesis)

My dude I feel your pain on all those PS1 Square games we missed out in the PAL region. It's just brutal haha

I used to spend the night at my best friend's house when we were kids and after playing til 2 am we'd crash with the music playing loud af. Used to burn into the tv lmao

WHERE ARE ALL OF YOUR SUBS!?!? This video is some of the best quality content I've found on the entire platform in a long time, definite sub from me. Glory with the moon, mercy on the earth!

Beating hard without using any continues will give you an awesome version of the Mk. I that will give you 9999 ammo every time you get a gunpod. Using a flash on each pod will make you unstoppable.

criminally underrated

I was introduced to this game in the way that most people were, and that was through playing the sampler discs for the PS1. It really is an underrated classic. I still have my copy of the sampler disc and PS1, and I enjoy playing the first level over and over again. I’d really like to play the full game, but it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever get my hands on a copy. At least I can play the game through an online emulator.

Pretty nice game, yes. As a German I especially enjoyed the german voice bits through out. Unfortunately I discovered Einhänder AFTER R-Type Delta and thus wasn't that much into it at the time.

I remember playing the demo as a teenager. I spent hours on it, but never bought the actual game, did not have the money. And now that I see your video I want to play it but it’s hard to find a copy and it’s really expensive too.

I want a remaster so bad... I had the demo on Ps1 and sunk thousands of hours in the demo when I was younger.

I was amazed that your weapons was extra armor.

This was one of my favorite obscure video games that I played when I was a kid!

As a huge Einhänder fan and one who made a fanfiction based on it back in 99, I greatly appreciate this! I’ve played this damn game consistently until 2005 then every other year still to now. I have YET to beat it on the hardest level with no deaths. However, that’s a challenge I’m still going to take m.

I remember playing the demo of this game for HOURS back in the day. I completely forgot about it until now. Thanks for bringing this back from my subconscious

Played this as a kid for YEARS. Loved it even though I could barely get past the spider tunnel thing. I think water level was the next one.

Wow what a great review man! So happy I found your channel, I’ve been searching for a great video game essayist that talks about more obscure games for a while now. I learned a lot from this video, good job!

I found your channel through this video a couple weeks ago. Like your stuff a lot and have been recommending it.

I pretty much only play shmups nowadays, they are just what I enjoy for whatever reason. "It feels impossible until it's not" is a perfect description of most of them (at least the good ones). This is a great video, I've been watching your videos the last couple of days, they are all top notch.

Just got recommended your channel, great video and keep up the content!

I'd like to see a video on racing lagoon honestly, it's got a translation and is surprisingly fun and the story is better than i was expecting

One of my favorite games ever. I don't know where my copy went but I still have my save 😂

I had always remembered this game from the demo disk until I actually played it fully It’s bgm was amazing and it was always in my head until KH3 had Schwarzgeist as a secret boss and I literally remembered it completely (using the Endymion gumi ship to fight it plays Thermosphere as the bgm)

Nice work, man. Excellent review!

Great video! Ah the nostalgia of this classic awesome hidden gem of a shooter! This game blew my mind when I first saw and played this game, oh so many years ago! I loved the soundtrack too! Square should definitely consider a remake / follow up!

Imagine if Germany got this game back then. They wouldn't even have to find a translation online to understand the dialogue.

I think I am the only person in Poland who was lucky enough to have had a copy of Einhander as well as Chocobo's Dungeon 2 in the 90's. I have no clue how I got my hands on either of these (apparently my dad had a friend who had an enormous weeaboo son) but they were my introduction to the world of Japanese media. Permanently embedding an idea in my mind that Squaresoft was _the_ company that made outstanding games with incredible visuals, music and atmosphere. I would've never been the person I am without these titles, they've influenced so many of my sensibilities as an artist. I am so happy to finally hear to someone talk about these games in great length, since I care for them a lot more than I do about FINAL FANTASY or other things that Squaresoft is predominantly known for. So thank you!

I just turned 37 and I remember playing this game at my friend's house on his PlayStation 1. This game is awesome I was instantly hooked by the whole design of the ships we piloted, the graphics, story and soundtrack. It reminds me of another game I was playing around that time, Project: Horned Owl. A gun shooter by Konami🙌 that felt other worldly and gritty. The whole machine and moving parts feel... Ahhh, sweet nostalgia induced dopamine rush .... 👦🏽🎮 📺🎮🧑🏻

It was the only rare ps1 game I owned, I managed to buy it for $30 around 2010. I personally didn’t care for the game’s attempt at a plot, but I did appreciate it for being a lot of fun to play.

I. Love. This. Game. Back in the PlayStation days I just couldn't get in to games like I used to. I played FF7 and MGS and loved those, PE was cool, and Brave Fencer Musashi too ... but that was it. I couldn't find anything else to hold my interest but then I ended up with a Pizza Hut demo CD and on it was an Einhander demo. I played and replyed that demo so many times. Never played the full game and now I think I should. ❤❤

One of my favorite underrated games with a killer soundtrack

I remember this game being so hard, it was my dad who finished this game. Man.. thise were the days. One of the best ps games we ever had back then. Thanks very much for the video. I never knew there were so much in this game up until now. Thebalternate endings, unlockables, heck, even the lore itself is pretty interesting.

Amazing review, thank you so much for taking the time!

Excellent explanation of the game and the story

I like rewatching this every now and then. Its just such a good game. As a kid, I never got the story but its neat comin back to it years later, realizing what went down.

I was thinking about the music and found this video in appreciation

I never played the full game but I remember playing the hell out of the demo over and over

This is definitely an interesting one! It has a surprising amount of depth for a side scroller shooter that you just wouldn't expect! Kinda sickening it didn't get a PAL release, be a nice one to get! Brilliant review man!

i remember getting einhander and my PSX for my birthday in '98 when i was in 5th grade. I remember my friends and i were straight up obsessed with it and have been ever since. I make it a point to play through it once annually, and it still is amazing, the pacing, the gameplay, the music, my goodness the music! I'm glad squenix is still referencing it here and there like in KH3 or in FFXIV and World of Final Fantasy, but I would like to see a re-release or something at some point lol

Einhander is one of my most favorite games of all time. I still pick it up to play often on emulators between my phone and PC.

Great review, man. I saw this game for the first time just the last week because a mate who's doing extremely well at speedrunning Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain streamed it on his twitch. And what has got my attention first - is the badass OST, OMG! Now it's in my playlist every day. Gotta give a try the game itself too... thought I play Syphon Filter series almost alone, lol. :D

Not a big fan of shmups but I love Einhander (And G Darius) on the PS1. I remember I had a demo of Einhander which I kept replaying and replaying. Never had the full game until I emulated it much later but still loved the experience.

great review, played it on my PSP more than 10 years ago

Might have seen this game once back in the 90s, but as for its soundtrack, that I discovered 3 years ago. What a wild ride it's been. Its atmosphere is similar to Starcraft and the cloud levels in Frogger 1 for the PS1 and PC. I love games that kind of carried that torch for me like Gradius V, Tekken 4, Gran Turismo 3, Mario Galaxy 1 & 2.

The intro bleeps are class lol

I just found this channel trying to see if Small Soldiers for the PS1 was a good or bad game. I'm so glad I did!

Awesome review!

nice video,We appreciate your efforts, thnks bro ;)

Freakin' love Einhander. Blew me away on release. Needs the HD treatment - would buy in an instant

Einhander is goat. OST is goat. I have spoken. Keep up the awesome work Mr.Sean.

Einhander is a classic! I use the music as my intro sometimes. It boggs the mind how they never ported the game to switch or release a remaster or a follow up? Best game which is worth a lot of money now physically

I remember having a demo disc with this on it, and i played that demo more than another demo as a kid. I should attempt to play the full game.

It's also a greatsword in Final Fantasy XI, just for a further bit of trivia :D Good video, man.

I still have my original copy of the game and that soundtrack bops! I love Yoko’s stage theme the most

Wow! I just found your channel today and watched the 3 hour Namco video. I thought surely that's got to be it right? How many videos can someone produce that are incredibly long and feature high quality content? Then I clicked your name to see what other videos you have and...I'm speechless. The answer to the question- How many feature length high quality videos can Sean Seanson create? Yes, all of them. Up-voted and subbed. ;) Addendum- Einhinder was such a rare game in the US (when it was new) that my best friend and I drove all across the state of Florida trying to find it. We skipped school for a solid week with the goal of tracking down a copy of Einhinder and Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. I found Tactics Ogre but we never found Einhinder. Finally, we had enough and wanted to play it so badly that we modded our PSX's with the Stealth Chip and burned copies of the game just to play it. The game is absolutely incredible and should be played by all. There are only three shmup's that I like better...Thunder Force IV (Genesis), Radiant Silvergun (Saturn), and Last Resort (Neo Geo).

I still have my original copy I got when it first came out, right when I got my first job. I remember being surprised at the idea of a Squaresoft shooter, but I still to this day play the hell out of that game. Always has been and always will be one of my favorites. 🤘🤘🤘🤘

Graphics and overall presentation reminds me of Alien Soldier (Sega Mega Drive)

thank you for this video, I played this A LOT as a kid, and actually never finished this game, due to its high difficulty, but still there were some times that I play this EVERYDAY, trying to get further and further, and whenever I managed to get to a new area or see new enemy, it was so exciting, now I wonder if I can actually finish this game finally, thanks for reminding me about this game, and after seeing some stuff I never saw "WAIT WHERE IS THIS? WHO IS THAT ENEMY?", I will try to play again, kinda skipped spoiler part of the video since was just seeing stuff I never saw but will watch again later fully.

I heard about this game back in the nineties as I love the PS1, but being a PAL owner I never played it. Have a Japanese machine now though, so I think I’ll right that wrong. The soundtrack sounds incredible, like Wipeout 2097 quality. Hard to decide whether I love the Amiga or PlayStation more for game soundtracks, both have amazing examples.

@5:57 the Riot is not the railgun of the game, that spot is reserved for the Flash. the Riot is an electrical shock attack weapon sir! how you got E-magnetic RAILGUN from LIGHTING BOLTS is beyond me 😅🤣 Still good to see this game getting the attention it deserves so thanks for making this sir!

Loved filling my ps classic with some of these obscure non EU released titles. I'm not big into shmups but Einhander is such a cool game

I remember playing a section of this on a demo disc. Pretty fun from what I remember

2-D Shmups are a genre of games that I've wanted to love my whole life, but could never get into. As an adult, I realized why: Einhander was the first one I ever played, and I've always loved it so much, it's completely ruined the rest of the genre for me.

I like so much that game, by that time all the ps1 I played were copies, so I never own the original. This game is in my top 10 of the best Shmups. Also I like so much all that blocky graphics of PS1 games, to me are like 3D 32bit pixelart. Also the music in this game is great.

Great game. Love getting the secret red fighter with the Wasp and Flash combo at 9999 shots. It was crazy hard but worth it.

Einhander is straight up one of the greatest video games of all time. It's an absolute tragedy that Square Enix hasn't touched it at all save for a light cameo in WoFF. At least FF Tactics gets some half-decent spiritual successors, albeit none that come even close to surpassing the classic.

Great video. Thanks for the spoiler alert, stopped watching right there! I still haven't finished the game even once, even though it's one of my fav childhood games and have played it for years (the difficulty is that high), but enjoy each and every playthrough :)

Dude, this is an amazing retro review! I actually never owned the game back in the day, but i did get to play Einhander on a Playstation demo disc. And I played it a lot! I know that first boss battle music very well haha =) Great work!

I remember beating the Japanese import version at 7 years old and I must say, finally someone also appreciates it. Also, the colossal machine in the tunnel scared me >:(

Einhander era el Metal Gear Rising de PS1, and it was also the Dark Souls of shoot 'em ups

I want Einhander: Reborn

This game is iconic!

As a 90s kid I agree

The soundtrack for this game goes crazy

Square-Enix Music republished the Einhander soundtrack a while ago. I bought the CD and have it hanging on my wall in a shadowbox. Listen to it on nice headphones with a quality CD player! I recommend the Sennheiser HD600 and a Sony Discman D-25 if you can find one.

I played a lot of it on the demo disk as a kid

Shudder sounds like Metallic Madness from Sonic CD's edgy cousin and I love that about it. The rap sample even gets reused in Ape Escape: Primed & Pumped.

One of the best games. Maybe the best game.

I had a demo disk that had the first mission on it and I played the heck out of that mission, sometimes I look it up in the Playstation store hoping it will randomly be added but no luck but I can dream and also Front Mission 3 was one of my favorite games when I was little, I would love to play both games again

Nice. I really hope Square revisits this.