Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Formation Armed F, commonly shortened to Armed F, is a vertically scrolling shoot ’em up released for the PC Engine in Japan in 1990. Developed by Manjyudo and published by Pack-In-Video, it is a conversion of Nichibutsu’s 1988 arcade game. The PC Engine is famous for its excellent shooter library, and Armed F arrives with an interesting formation mechanic and an unusual bio-mechanical style, but several frustrating design decisions keep it firmly in the middle of the pack.
Rating: 5.5/10
You pilot the Vowger, a red fighter that begins the game painfully slow and becomes considerably more capable as you collect speed and weapon upgrades. Standard shooting is straightforward, but the defining feature is a pair of helper pods known as Armers.
These pods can be switched between forward- and rear-facing positions at the press of a button. This is especially useful because enemies frequently approach from behind, forcing you to think about more than simply firing toward the top of the screen. Collecting an F power-up temporarily sends the Armers farther outward, greatly widening your area of attack.
It is a clever system and easily Armed F’s strongest gameplay idea. Weapon pickups modify the Armers with different firing patterns including missiles, beams and wider attacks, so changing formation at the correct moment can make difficult sections much more manageable.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game does not always support that mechanic particularly well. Your starting movement speed is extremely sluggish, making speed upgrades feel less like bonuses and more like necessities. Once powered up, the Vowger handles reasonably well, but dying removes your upgrades and can leave you badly equipped for the checkpoint you respawn at.
This creates the classic shoot ’em up death spiral: a section that was manageable with upgraded weapons becomes considerably harder after a single mistake. Later stages can therefore feel less like a test of recovery skill and more like punishment for not arriving fully equipped.
The difficulty is compounded by cramped stage layouts, fast enemies and occasional visibility problems. Armed F frequently uses terrain and background structures as additional hazards, and some enemy bullets can become difficult to distinguish when the screen is busy. Memorizing enemy placement becomes increasingly important as the game progresses.
There are technically no normal continues presented to the player, although a hidden trick allows you to continue by pressing Select ten times at the Game Over screen. Without knowing that secret, losing your remaining lives sends you back to the beginning, which makes the game appear even harsher than it already is.
Visually, Armed F retains some of the arcade game's strangest ideas. Biological environments, insects, bones, mechanical structures and grotesque organic imagery give several stages a distinctive atmosphere. Unfortunately, the PC Engine conversion loses much of the arcade version's visual detail, replacing elaborate scenery with simpler and more repetitive tiled backgrounds.
It still looks respectable for a 1990 HuCard, but it lacks the spectacle of the original. The soundtrack is similarly competent rather than exceptional, with energetic shooter music that does its job without competing with the PC Engine's best soundtracks.
Bosses are generally large and suitably strange, but they are not always the highlight you might expect. In several stages, surviving the regular enemies and environmental hazards proves more memorable—and often more difficult—than the boss waiting at the end.
Formation Armed F ultimately has one genuinely good idea surrounded by a fairly average shooter. The ability to reverse your Armers gives combat some tactical depth, and the bizarre bio-organic imagery provides personality, but sluggish movement, harsh power-downs and uneven difficulty prevent the game from reaching its potential.
Dedicated PC Engine shooter fans will probably find it worth experiencing, particularly those interested in obscure arcade conversions. For everyone else, however, the system offers far stronger alternatives such as Blazing Lazers, Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade. Armed F is not a disaster, but on hardware overflowing with excellent shoot ’em ups, being merely decent makes it difficult to recommend.
Formation Armed F, commonly shortened to Armed F, is a vertically scrolling shoot ’em up released for the PC Engine in Japan in 1990. Developed by Manjyudo and published by Pack-In-Video, it is a conversion of Nichibutsu’s 1988 arcade game. The PC Engine is famous for its excellent shooter library, and Armed F arrives with an interesting formation mechanic and an unusual bio-mechanical style, but several frustrating design decisions keep it firmly in the middle of the pack.
Rating: 5.5/10
You pilot the Vowger, a red fighter that begins the game painfully slow and becomes considerably more capable as you collect speed and weapon upgrades. Standard shooting is straightforward, but the defining feature is a pair of helper pods known as Armers.
These pods can be switched between forward- and rear-facing positions at the press of a button. This is especially useful because enemies frequently approach from behind, forcing you to think about more than simply firing toward the top of the screen. Collecting an F power-up temporarily sends the Armers farther outward, greatly widening your area of attack.
It is a clever system and easily Armed F’s strongest gameplay idea. Weapon pickups modify the Armers with different firing patterns including missiles, beams and wider attacks, so changing formation at the correct moment can make difficult sections much more manageable.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game does not always support that mechanic particularly well. Your starting movement speed is extremely sluggish, making speed upgrades feel less like bonuses and more like necessities. Once powered up, the Vowger handles reasonably well, but dying removes your upgrades and can leave you badly equipped for the checkpoint you respawn at.
This creates the classic shoot ’em up death spiral: a section that was manageable with upgraded weapons becomes considerably harder after a single mistake. Later stages can therefore feel less like a test of recovery skill and more like punishment for not arriving fully equipped.
The difficulty is compounded by cramped stage layouts, fast enemies and occasional visibility problems. Armed F frequently uses terrain and background structures as additional hazards, and some enemy bullets can become difficult to distinguish when the screen is busy. Memorizing enemy placement becomes increasingly important as the game progresses.
There are technically no normal continues presented to the player, although a hidden trick allows you to continue by pressing Select ten times at the Game Over screen. Without knowing that secret, losing your remaining lives sends you back to the beginning, which makes the game appear even harsher than it already is.
Visually, Armed F retains some of the arcade game's strangest ideas. Biological environments, insects, bones, mechanical structures and grotesque organic imagery give several stages a distinctive atmosphere. Unfortunately, the PC Engine conversion loses much of the arcade version's visual detail, replacing elaborate scenery with simpler and more repetitive tiled backgrounds.
It still looks respectable for a 1990 HuCard, but it lacks the spectacle of the original. The soundtrack is similarly competent rather than exceptional, with energetic shooter music that does its job without competing with the PC Engine's best soundtracks.
Bosses are generally large and suitably strange, but they are not always the highlight you might expect. In several stages, surviving the regular enemies and environmental hazards proves more memorable—and often more difficult—than the boss waiting at the end.
Formation Armed F ultimately has one genuinely good idea surrounded by a fairly average shooter. The ability to reverse your Armers gives combat some tactical depth, and the bizarre bio-organic imagery provides personality, but sluggish movement, harsh power-downs and uneven difficulty prevent the game from reaching its potential.
Dedicated PC Engine shooter fans will probably find it worth experiencing, particularly those interested in obscure arcade conversions. For everyone else, however, the system offers far stronger alternatives such as Blazing Lazers, Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade. Armed F is not a disaster, but on hardware overflowing with excellent shoot ’em ups, being merely decent makes it difficult to recommend.
