Journey to Silius Left Its Mark on Me

Journey to Silius is a strange case. Good, but strange. Originally intended to be a game based on the film The Terminator, developer Sunsoft lost the rights before the game was completed. Rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater, they decided to salvage what they had and make a standalone title. This resulted in a game without licensed images or music, and a story that had to change from one of a future technological uprising to one of a world torn asunder by nuclear war.

As a kid I really dug this game, especially for its kickass soundtrack; a staple of Sunsoft’s releases in the eight and 16-bit eras. However, my lack of skill in video games was just as bad as a kid as it is as an adult, and Silius isn’t the easiest cartridge in the bin.

From the start, you are dealing with an onslaught of enemies and projectiles, some too small to see. My younger, angrier self was so incensed by these relentless obstacles that I hurled my fist into my bedroom window in rage near the end of the third stage.

Sixteen stitches later, I am forever scarred by Journey to Silius‘ difficulty and a young boy’s inability to know when to quit. I can’t hate this game, however, because as hard as it can be, it does have responsive controls, and the level design gets the job done. And, as I already said, the music is fantastic.

If you want to try Journey to Silius for yourself, just be warned: you might not leave the same way you went in.

Here’s my quick video review so you can see the game in action: