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# Hidden Gems of Game Design Vol 51
- URL: https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/hidden-gems-of-game-design-vol-51/
- Published: 2026-09-03T15:53:30.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-03T15:53:40.000Z
- Description: Unearthing Phantom 2040, Soukyuu Gurentai, and Sky Destroyer.
- Author: Josh Bycer
- Tags: Hidden Gems, Phantom 2040, SNES, Metroidvania, Shmup, Sega Saturn, Sky Destroyer, Famicom

**Plenty of amazing games go unnoticed and are not widely played, for various reasons.** Maybe it’s a diamond in the rough, or the marketing wasn’t there, or it could be a game ahead of its time. For this monthly series, I’ve asked my fellow writers at SUPERJUMP to pick a game they think is deserving of a chance in the spotlight. Please share your favorite hidden gems in the comments.

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## Josh Bycer

### Phantom 2040 (1995)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/phantom-2040-2.png)

Source: Author.

This month’s pick goes to a game that features quite possibly the worst password system ever conceived, paired with some of the most ambitious gameplay ever released on consoles. Phantom 2040 is based on the cartoon of the same name, which is further based on the classic comic book character. In a dystopian world, the Phantom must fight evil corporations to try and make things better.

The game plays out like an episode of the cartoon – bad guys are doing bad things, and only the Phantom can stop them. While you may expect a generic platformer, the game is instead a choose-your-own-adventure Metroidvania. It's made up of various stages that will often hide upgrades and new tools for the player. Every so often, the player will face a narrative decision; in turn, this will change the story, what upgrades the player has, and which levels/sections they can access. Quite literally, the first choice is deciding whether to investigate a building under attack or pursue the group fleeing the scene.

Some levels have routes accessible only via keys the player gets based on their choices. Do you help animal poachers to get easy access into the corporation’s factory, or do you let a rare animal run free in your wildlife preserve? There are multiple endings and routes to be discovered.

The controls are just okay; the game’s main unique movement is firing a line that acts as a grapple, enabling the player to swing around and through obstacles. For a game in 1995, all these systems were unheard of; it wouldn’t be until 1997 that Symphony of the Night would forever change and define Metroidvania design. Phantom 2040 beat them to the punch in that respect.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/phantom-2040.png)

This isn't a real password, I just did it for show. Source: Author.

However, it also proved just how truly limited a password system is when it came to how games were growing in complexity. Since the game not only had to keep track of what routes the player did, what routes are open, which upgrades they found, and which decisions they made, it led to one of the longest password systems ever conceived for a game. And if you thought I had a horrible time with Addams Family Values, this was just a nightmare for me. Despite the advances in level design and progression, the upgrades and paths were basic by metroidvania standards.

If you're a fan of gaming history and want to see one of the more original branches of Metroidvania gameplay, then be sure to give this one a look.

## **Ben Rowan**

### Soukyuu Gurentai (1996)

During the 32-bit era, Japanese arcades were overflowing with high-concept shooters, but few titles captured the pure, unadulterated thrill of arcade action like Raizing’s Soukyuu Gurentai (released as Terra Diver in Western arcades). Bizarrely never granted a Western console release, it remains one of the Sega Saturn's most rewarding imports and a shining example of the system’s superiority in pushing 2D sprites over Sony’s more 3D-focused PlayStation.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-66301ea1-60ce-4317-a0a0-aa73ae058c02.jpeg)

Source: Author.

Soukyuu Gurentai is a super fun, dynamic hidden gem that sits right in the sweet spot between tactical depth and raw speed. Its core loop revolves around the “Nanomachine Electro-Brake-Web”, which is a very fancy way of describing the game’s lock-on mechanic. Holding down the secondary attack button projects a targeting grid across the screen; releasing it launches a barrage of homing lasers that strike every locked enemy simultaneously. Because your main guns pause while deploying the web, every lock-on creates an exhilarating risk-versus-reward tension between vulnerability and massive point multipliers.

Compared to the brutal, screen-filling bullet patterns of DoDonPachi, Soukyuu Gurentai takes a far more accessible approach to difficulty. Where DoDonPachi demands pixel-perfect precision to thread through dense bullet-hell gauntlets, Soukyuu Gurentai offers a fairer challenge with crisp hitboxes and the web mechanic, letting you aggressively purge entire waves before they even have a chance to fire at you. Even better, the console port actively respects your time: accumulating total play hours permanently unlocks infinite credits, allowing anyone with some time to reach the game’s ending while also sharpening their skills.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-b7bca6ce-2e32-47fc-998c-c7c3caf0c41b.jpeg)

Source: Author.

Running on hardware identical to Sega’s ST-V arcade board, the Saturn's performance is flawless, devoid of slowdown and load times. Gorgeous 2D sprite work glides over detailed 3D scrolling backgrounds with dynamic camera swoops and explosive particle effects. Elevating the hectic action to something truly special is the cinematic soundtrack created by [Hitoshi Sakimoto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi%5FSakimoto) (of Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics fame), blending dramatic orchestral brass with dark 90s techno to create an unforgettable, epic atmosphere. It's truly one of the great shmups and a must-have for the Saturn.

## Terence A.

### Sky Destroyer (1985)

A rail shooter published by Taito (of Space Invaders fame) for the Famicon in Japan, Sky Destroyer was never released in the US. Blame its chaotic WWII-era dogfights against American F6F Hellcat fighter aircraft as you pilot the Imperial Japanese Navy’s infamous Mitsubishi A6M Zero. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/09/image-1.png)

Source: IGDB.

The game’s clever 3D perspective was novel for the time, with 2D aircraft sprites growing as they approached your machine guns. Your fired bullets would shrink to simulate depth. I played the NES game decades later, emulated on the Game Boy Advance.

Sky Destroyer’s swarms of fighter planes, submarines, and the occasional four-engine bomber keep you on edge throughout levels it called “scenes.” These have further subtypes, like planes that dive toward you instead of shooting. To destroy a submarine, you’d have to drop a self-propelled torpedo that zips straight across the ocean. Unlimited ammunition means your eyes never leave the action. 

It only takes one hit to lose a life, so if a fight isn’t going as planned, switch directions or adjust altitude before returning to your opponents. While the goal is to rack up points by eliminating foes, the game takes on a desperate air of survival as scenes grow difficult. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/09/image-2.png)

Source: IGDB.

As you progress, the cloudy sky over the ocean changes from warm orange to an inky blue and vibrant cyan. There’s hardly any music beyond the Indiana Jones-like intro tune, so you’ll be hearing whirring propeller blades and gunfire for hours. Setting the scene builds immersion, even when you can barely tell what a pixelated enemy aircraft looks like. While it’s no must-play, Sky Destroyer is worth trying, especially if it came on a multi-game cartridge.

Thanks for reading! Come back next month for another entry and more great hidden gems to check out. [You can find all previous Hidden Gems stories here](https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/tag/hidden-gems/)