Retrospective: Banshee

The Amiga certainly had its fair share of brilliant shooters over the years, most people mention games like  Apidya, Hybris, Blood Money, Project X or Battle Squadron as their number one Amiga shoot ’em up, all splendid titles but very few people mention any of the brilliant AGA exclusive shooters like Banshee, Super Stardust, T-Zer0 and so on.

Banshee Amiga Big Box…

Core Design made a few shoot ’em ups for the Amiga, but none of them ever reached the true brilliance of Banshee. Everything from the box design down to the very last in-game pixel oozes quality and style; they thought about everything and really wanted to make the best shooter ever to grace the Amiga.

The question is if they really put out the best game of this genre or not, i guess, it’s been an amazing 24 years now since the release of the game, and to make it even more apparent, the Amiga is on its 33rd year now.

The front of the Banshee box is indeed amazing, but the back is definitely not any worse. Brilliant use of colours and the screenshots shout *BUY ME* even by today’s standards.

That 2-player option sticker certainly caught a lot of people’s attention, too.

Alright, let’s dive into the game itself.

It opens with a flashy intro featuring one of the strangest stories you’ll find in a vertical shoot ’em up—something about microwave ovens and other oddities. Honestly, the story isn’t worth dwelling on, but the art direction definitely is. It’s unique and stands out as one of the few steampunk-themed games in the genre.

Right from the very first moment, it’s clear the developers poured everything into making this a visually impressive experience.

Here are a few shots from the early part of the game. The intro sequence (left screenshot) is a simple slideshow with text, setting the stage. The middle image is stunningly lush—something that must have taken the developers weeks to render back in the day.

The screenshot on the right shows the first level, which strongly evokes the classic 1942 both in visuals and gameplay style. But despite clearly drawing inspiration from that classic, Banshee manages to surpass it in nearly every way with its polished execution.

Banshee also features the iconic Loop’d Loop manoeuvre, similar to the one in 1942—something quite rare at the time, since most vertical shooters relied on smart bombs and other mechanics instead.

Banshee is one of those games with a surprisingly small number of levels—just four in total—but each level is incredibly long, often taking up to 20 minutes to reach the various boss fights.

Throughout the game, you’ll find multiple upgrade options, and if you manage to survive long enough, you can become quite powerful. However, the challenge remains high, so it’s usually wise to prioritise picking up extra lives and health to stay in the fight.

Dodging bullets never gets dull in Banshee. The constantly evolving level design and the captivating graphic style keep you engaged and eager to push forward, making it hard to put the game down.

Banshee is one of the rare shoot-’em-ups that features dynamic, on-the-fly weather changes—blizzards, wind, rain, fog—you name it, it’s in there. These effects transform the atmosphere so drastically that when they clear and the game returns to its default visual style, it feels like everything suddenly looks ten times better. It’s a striking contrast that really enhances the experience.

What truly sets Banshee apart, though, are the countless small details scattered throughout the game. Shoot an enemy, and they flail in a pool of blood. Fire at a crane, and its load comes crashing down. Blast a truck, and panicked people leap from it, engulfed in flames—yes, really!

There’s so much quirky detail that it actually adds a layer of replayability on its own. You’ll constantly find yourself thinking, “What happens if I shoot that?”—and more often than not, you’ll be rewarded with something unexpected.

One thing that still puzzles me is the lack of in-game music during play. All you get are sound effects—bullets, explosions, and screams. While this can eventually wear thin, the variety in levels and weapons helps offset the absence of a soundtrack for much longer than you’d expect.

The game comes with both a manual and an extra flyer info card, which explains how to install the game onto the hard drive.  

Banshee came on four disks, which were the standard for many games back in 1993-9,5 really. I never used the floppies much myself, as I installed the game on the hard drive right away and never looked back.  

Oh, and look at that awesome design on the front of the manual. 

The Amiga CD32 Version…

Banshee on the CD32 was, unfortunately, a bit of a missed opportunity.

Despite being a near-perfect game in its own right, the CD32 version didn’t take advantage of the platform’s capabilities.

There’s no in-game CD audio, no FMV intro; essentially, it’s identical to the floppy version.

The packaging is nearly the same as the original big box release, and I have no doubt that most people who picked it up back in the day still adored it.

But it’s hard not to feel like it could’ve been so much more.

With just a little extra effort, this could have been a true showcase title for the CD32.

Brilliant Presentation and Surprisingly Great Controls

The CD and manual/insert are beautifully designed—definitely a standout in terms of packaging.

Even more impressive is how enjoyable the game is, despite the infamous CD32 controller. Sure, a proper joystick would be the ideal choice, and yes, it does offer a better experience overall. But to my surprise, the game remains fully playable and fun even with the standard CD32 pad.

Who would’ve thought? The controls are surprisingly tight, even on a joypad.

No CD32 gamer should be without this gem—it’s easily one of the best titles ever released for the system.

I decided to include these animated GIFs here so that you guys can see how bloody brilliant this game really is.

The Verdict?…

Both versions of the game are shown here. The CD release was a bit of a disappointment, as it seemed like a golden opportunity to include a proper CDDA soundtrack. Then again, perhaps they did experiment with it and discovered that the game simply didn’t work well with music after all.

Core Design delivered something truly special with this game, and I can confidently say it sits firmly in my top 10 Amiga titles of all time. It’s about as close to perfection as you can get—damn near flawless, with every moment radiating pure magic. Banshee has aged remarkably well compared to most games from its era, and for me, it stands shoulder to shoulder with the original Raiden games, as well as the more recent Sky Force Reloaded—which, let’s be honest, clearly drew inspiration from Banshee in the first place.

The box shots are from my own game collection, as always, but the screenshots come from the best Amiga gaming resource out there – Hall Of Light -.