Pulstar (1995)

PULSTAR (AkeAka NeoGeo: Pulstar) is a shooting game released in 1995. Players play as Kaoru Yamazaki, the lone fighter pilot of the Dino246 and one of the few survivors of the Pulstar attack force founded to save the Solar System from alien invaders.

The Dino246 can fight its enemies by either firing barrages of small and rapid blasts which cover a wide area of the battle screen or via charged shots which deliver devastating emissions of energy. Players progress through the levels with a spacecraft, collecting power ups and protecting the spacecraft from destruction. Once a power up is obtained, a small orb appears at the posterior end of the ship. This can be used to deflect or absorb oncoming enemy fire and take out small enemies that run into it.