# Silpheed (Sega CD)

13 Hacker News commenters recommended Silpheed (Sega CD) and 5 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its striking presentation, music and early use of CD hardware, though critics agree the gameplay has aged and is often judged weak.

## Why people recommend it

- Striking presentation, graphics and visuals (4 comments): "the presentation makes it worth playing at least a few levels of Silpheed even now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894994)) "loved the graphics, music and artwork from the manual" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48914585)) "it even had speech(!) during the introduction" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48897007))
- Soundtrack and sound design (2 comments): "The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48896670)) "The sound design is amazing!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48895612))
- Showed what CD drives could do (3 comments): "Silpheed was amazing back in the day. It was one of the first titles that really showcased what CD drives could add to games" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48906030)) "Unlike most FMV games, Silpheed actually felt like controlling a movie." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894143)) "Silpheed on Sega CD is a prime example of what can be done." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46050093))
- Still worth replaying (2 comments): "the presentation makes it worth playing at least a few levels of Silpheed even now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894994)) "Thank you Game Arts for making a game I still play through a few times a year." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50261976))

## What people warn about

- Gameplay weak or lacking (2 comments): "the gameplay isn't amazing. But I wouldn't call it awful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894471)) "the gameplay left a lot to be desired" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48901428))
- Judged awful as a whole (3 comments): "as a complete package, it can’t be called a good game." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48895439)) "Silpheed is a genuinely awful game." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894113)) "the original is awful too" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48895081))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Earthion](https://hackerapproved.com/p/earthion.md): 13 recommend
- [Metal Slug](https://hackerapproved.com/p/metal-slug.md): 6 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Silpheed (Sega CD)", https://hackerapproved.com/p/silpheed/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).