SHOCK TROOPERS
SHOCK TROOPERS
Game
Game2016
TWINKLE STAR SPRITES
Developer SNK CORPORATION, Dotemu
Twinkle Star Sprites is a 1996 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed by ADK and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It was ADK's last production for the Neo Geo. Two players are each in separate, side-by-side, vertically scrolling levels. Combinations of shots and timed power-ups damage the other player. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
213 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Oct 21, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
68
Fresh
87 positive · 41 negative
95% range 59–75%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 87 | 41 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 28 | 2 | 47 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 7 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
98 of 142 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
69% recommend · 87 yes, 40 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 127 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (204 of 279 positive).
Many reviewers complain the Steam port has poor emulation with lag and slowdown. [1][2][3]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
Like all Neo-Geo rereleases by DotEmu, this is NOT a port (what's in a name, right?). This is a decompressed and slightly reformatted game ROM in a subpar emulator dressed up in a fancy menu. Although the drop in user experience between the tacked-on menus and the actual emulated game are stark, this would all have been excusable if the actual emulation had been competent. However, it runs like trash on any visual …
- [3]
I LOVE Twinkle Star Sprites. IMO, it's the best versus arcade puzzle-shooter. The reason why I don't recommend THIS version is because it's a horrible port by DotEmu. If you play this, even on a high end PC, you'll experience ridiculous lag. Half of the time you loose is because the game froze for a second making you appear somewhere else when it unfreezes, usually in the way of projectiles. Even if you try to avoid …
- [7]
Fantastic Game. Versus shmup action that is messy, hilarious, fast paced and most importantly fun. It's a game were you shoot patterns of enemies which create fireballs that your opponent must either dodge or return. under correct circumstances the game quickly changes from a gallery shoot to a bullet hell in a heartbeat. I do have to admit that this is not the best version of the game. The dreamcast version had a …
- [5]
This is one of SNK’s most creative and addictive mashups - a shooter that plays like a fighting game. At its core, it’s a classic vertical scrolling shooter with that tight 8/16-bit-era feel, but the twist is brilliant: you’re battling side-by-side against another player, sending attacks back and forth like a versus fighter. It shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it absolutely does. The mechanics are easy to pick …
- [10]
game aged so well! music, character design, even solo gameplay is awesome! super cute too! underrated, hidden gem. and game is almost 20 years old, you know...! EDIT: i don't get all the port complaints, to be honest - having a blast with this game!
Summarised from 34 of the 206 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
TWINKLE STAR SPRITES sits at 68% positive across 128 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
In Japan, Game Machine listed Twinkle Star Sprites on their January 1, 1997 issue as being the fourteenth most-popular arcade game at the time. The game received generally mixed reception from critics since its release in arcades and other platforms. However, fan reception was positive; Readers of the Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine voted to give the Saturn port a 8.85 out of 10 score, ranking at the number 118 spot, indicating a large popular following. Readers of the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine also voted to give the Dreamcast port a 7.58 out of 10 score, ranking at the number 307 spot, indicating a popular following as well. Both AllGame's Kyle Knight praised the audiovisual presentation…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 213 · most liked firstLike all Neo-Geo rereleases by DotEmu, this is NOT a port (what's in a name, right?). This is a decompressed and slightly reformatted game ROM in a subpar emulator dressed up in a fancy menu. Although the drop in user experience between the tacked-on menus and the actual emulated game are stark, this would all have been excusable if the actual emulation had been competent. However, it runs like trash on any visual setting, consistently hovering around 56-57 fps no matter what, causing the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of the best versus shoot'em ups ever made. However, what you get with this re-release is an easy to use ROM+emulator bundle with some additional features. The game ROM is not even openly accessible so you cannot use it with the emulator of your choice and are stuck with the given configuration options and the given launcher. Besides, the Neo-geo original version is not the absolute best version of the game (the Saturn version had more content). The additionnal features are a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →we’re here to brighten up this #ScanlineSunday with Twinkle Star Sprites for the Neo Geo ✨ This vertical scrolling shooter pits two players head to head in fast paced and colorful competition!! The art style is really charming, and I quickly found myself hooked on gameplay against the computer
positive · AI labelView post →Fantastic Game. Versus shmup action that is messy, hilarious, fast paced and most importantly fun. It's a game were you shoot patterns of enemies which create fireballs that your opponent must either dodge or return. under correct circumstances the game quickly changes from a gallery shoot to a bullet hell in a heartbeat. I do have to admit that this is not the best version of the game. The dreamcast version had a series of options that fixed a few known issues, such as the score bug…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What is your favorite Neo Geo game? Mine is Twinkle Star Sprites
positive · AI labelView post →This is, by far, one of the best (if only) topdown versus shooters I've ever played. I spent so much money at the local arcade going head to head with everyone there. Yet, I cant recommend this. How in the hell does this game's emulation run so poorly that I'm getting non stop glitchy and stuttering audio? MAME emulation from like 2003 had this game running better on my old AMD Athlon desktop. Just go get the MAME version and enjoy this how it was meant to be enjoyed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let it be remembered that some of the last ever footage uploaded by the TRF Nakano Broadway Game Centre was like 12 hours of Twinkle Star Sprites.
neutral · AI labelView post →I LOVE Twinkle Star Sprites. IMO, it's the best versus arcade puzzle-shooter. The reason why I don't recommend THIS version is because it's a horrible port by DotEmu. If you play this, even on a high end PC, you'll experience ridiculous lag. Half of the time you loose is because the game froze for a second making you appear somewhere else when it unfreezes, usually in the way of projectiles. Even if you try to avoid landing somewhere dangerous by "moving" while the screen is frozen, the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →@aureliacassiopeia.bsky.social showed me a modern game on her channel, so now it's my turn to show her some old-school pixelated goodness. We'll be LIVE with Twinkle Star Sprites tonight at 7PM CDT! 💫 🌺 Waiting room: www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_nz... #StreamNatsu #Vtubers #Arcade #RetroGaming
neutral · AI labelView post →The legendary Versus Shooting-Game Twinkle Star Sprites was ported to Sega Dreamcast exactlly 25 years ago! (3/23/00) The apex of competitive SHMUPping, this game takes many cues from 2P Puzzle-Games, allowing you to unleash wave after wave of Garbage Popcorn Enemies on your opponent!
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the kind of batshit crazy that I love. This makes absolutely no sense in the most beautiful way. And these new $90 game re-releases will work on my OG NeoGeo AES? C'MON MAN. Shock Troopers? Twinkle Star Sprites? MOTW? You're killing me here!
positive · AI labelView post →NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO I always seen Twinkle Star Sprites but its the first time actually playing it and man this game kinda cool. Feels like a fighting game ish. Check it out: youtu.be/VygjSsWlxVM LIKE | SHARE | SUBSCRIBE | RETRO
positive · AI labelView post →Something I like about 90s puzzle games is that if the puzzle game has some form of copyright problem or legal shenannery, it's a really good puzzle game. See: Panel De Pon, Yoshi's Cookie, Money Puzzle Exchanger + Magical Drop, Puyo Puyo's localizations and Twinkle Star Sprites character ripoffs.
neutral · AI labelView post →I adore Twinkle Star Sprites - easily one of my favorite Neo Geo games. Also on the episode, is a discussion about a survival horror game for the Saturn, called Deep Fear! Check it out hardcoregaming101.libsyn.com/twinkle-star...
positive · AI labelView post →TNM #40 is in the books, had some fighting games, some puzzle games, little Twinkle Star Sprites action, and a Megadrive air hockey game? Alex is your champ! Next one will be on the 27th, right before Frostys, signups are open right now. challonge.com/TNM41 #fgc 💪🕹️
neutral · AI labelView post →As a fan of Twinkle Star Sprites, I can't give this game a positive review. Whoever ported this game to steam clearly didn't test it because it has horrendous performance issues. No game this old should have stuttering. Unreal. Don't buy!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Touhouless Phantasmagoria of Dimensional Dream. The game itself is really good but this port in particular isn't, Fightcade (and y'know any other emulator) does this game way more justice. Edit: I recently discovered that not only is there an Arcade Archives port of this game, but it is also on the Microsoft Store (yes I know). That port is now my preferred version of the game and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy Twinkle Star Sprites. (Still better off using Fightcade for multiplayer…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I gotta stop buying games without looking at the reviews first. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The same goes for Steam games: if 7 out of 10 people say that a specific game on Steam is a horrible port despite the game itself actually being good, chances are the Steam port isn't going to run very well. And I'm not even talking about the negative reviews, even the positive ones mention the fact that this game will randomly…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have to say, there is a reason people prefer MAME on a lot of these classic titles. DotEMU's emulation for TSS is, using a single word, terrible. It is astounding to me that I can run MAME TSS, get perfect frame rate without slowdown being introduced, whereas with the DotEMU TSS, slow down abounds. The only way this is playable? Simple. Don't even try to use full screen mode in ANY resolution. Before anyone says "yeah, but the original had slow down," trust me, I know. My Neo Geo arcade cab…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TWINKLE STAR SPRITES. (NEOGEO Arcade 3) Blending elements of shoot 'em up and puzzle games, there's nothing quite like Twinkle Star Sprites out there. Blast the incoming enemies to attack your opponent, with chain reactions causing powerful effects! evercade.co.uk/cartridges/n... 184/365 #365games
neutral · AI labelView post →This is actually one of the best games of all time - no, seriously! It's an incredibly creative and fun mash-up that combines SHUMPs, puzzle games, and fighting games. Twinkle Star Sprites is one of the highlights of the Neo Geo library, and it's an absolute shame that we never got a whole bunch of sequels that expanded on this unique idea. So, it's awesome that this game is on Steam, and I'm happy that it'll get exposed to a wider audience. However, I'm very sad to say that this is a bad port.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →* **The King of Fighters 2002** - Fans will argue over whether 98 or 2002 is best. 98 does not have Kula in it, so 2002 is better. * **Puzzle Bobble** - If you have a friend to play with, the original is still the best. However, there's no versus CPU, so substitute Bobble 3 if you're playing by yourself. * **Waku Waku 7** - Incredibly goofy and colorful fighting game, every single character is a parody of 90s anime/game tropes. * **Twinkle Star Sprites** - A versus shmup with a super unique…
neutral · AI labelView post →🍝WE ARE LIVE!!! ~ twitch.tv/DoctorButler 🌀 🍝Join us on SUNDAY SAUCE as we slam the intergalactic mat in 2DFM fan-game, KINNIKUMAN: MUSCLE FIGHTING!🍝 🌀Then stick around for the apex of competitive shooting, TWINKLE STAR SPRITES, only on STILL THINKING!🌀
neutral · AI labelView post →The legendary Versus Shooting-Game Twinkle Star Sprites was ported to Sega Dreamcast exactlly 26 years ago! (3/23/00) The apex of competitive SHMUPping, this game takes many cues from 2P Puzzle-Games, allowing you to unleash wave after wave of Garbage Popcorn Enemies on your opponent!
neutral · AI labelView post →hardcoregaming101.libsyn.com/twinkle-star... It's 47K Games Show! DISCOVER Twinkle Star Sprites! The 1V1 Cute'm'up! @kaly.bsky.social @x-pert74.bsky.social @bonuslizard.bsky.social and ME! Frankie! And then! SURVIVE Deep Fear! Kal! Evan! @shadowhog.bsky.social @r0bb0.bsky.social 2 free hours!
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a bad port of a really good game and I only own it because it was on sale and I wanted to see how active the online portion of it was. DotEmu is known for botching ports of Neo-Geo games and this one is no different. While the original had slow downs this emulated version is all over the place. You'll face slow downs that weren't in the original, odd speed ups, the music is off in many places as a result and even the intrro has glitches in it. Online play is dead unless you arange…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unplayable. suffers from FPS drops almost to a point of complete freezes when alot of action is taking place.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have been playing tons of Twinkle Star Sprites on my MV1C board! I wouldn’t say I’m great at the game but it is a lot of fun to try to improve.
positive · AI labelView post →Awful port of a great game. Please find any other way to play it. Do not support DotEmu.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Preface: I love this game, its awesome and amazing. But this steam port wasn't as good as I was hoping. It has netplay, which is sick, but the functionality is very limited. The only leaderboards are for 1P score. The only way to find an opponent is to invite a friend, or hope you find a lobby: No matchmaking of any sort. I could not find any way to interact with my opponent, couldn't tell them "gg" after a set, or even warn them that I would quit. I couldn't find a way to friend someone for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Twinkle Star Sprites is a unique take on the shoot'em up genre. Players compete via split-screen to defeat enemies and outlast their opponent. While unable to attack each other directly, you can summon fireballs, minions or boss-monsters to overwhelm your opponent. You send more for performing combos, where defeating an enemy causes them to explode and defeat nearby enemies. Because of this mechanic proving more effective than shooting every enemy down individually or via bombs, there is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🍝TONITE🌀 🍝Join us on SUNDAY SAUCE as we slam the intergalactic mat in 2DFM fan-game, KINNIKUMAN: MUSCLE FIGHTING!🍝 🌀Then stick around for the apex of competitive shooting, TWINKLE STAR SPRITES, only on STILL THINKING!🌀 🍝Tonite! @ 6PM est ~ twitch.tv/DoctorButler 🌀
neutral · AI labelView post →🍝YOU DECIDED!🌀 🍝Join us on SUNDAY SAUCE as we slam the intergalactic mat in 2DFM fan-game, KINNIKUMAN: MUSCLE FIGHTING!🍝 🌀Then stick around for the apex of competitive shooting, TWINKLE STAR SPRITES, only on STILL THINKING!🌀 🍝Sunday @ 6PM est ~ twitch.tv/DoctorButler 🌀
neutral · AI labelView post →Strangely TSS never get's called 'Competitive / Taisen-gata Shooting Game Twinkle Star Sprites' in English despite these words describing the game style next to it's title Probably because it's not part of the game name Also Westerners couldn't read it & so haven't been wrong for 25+yrs🤦♂️
neutral · AI labelView post →game aged so well! music, character design, even solo gameplay is awesome! super cute too! underrated, hidden gem. and game is almost 20 years old, you know...! EDIT: i don't get all the port complaints, to be honest - having a blast with this game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why even in my 2016 PC it's still laggy? Even unofficial emulation is doing better job than this game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love it! My only previous experience is with the Dreamcast version and this is a huge boost in my opinion. The option for high resolutions, scan lines, and custom controls without messing around with external emulation is fantastic. I have experienced the issue, some have reported, that the selected resolution does not stay after restarting the game but all other settings have stuck (incuding custom controls). I don't think the resolution issue is a huge deal since we're dealing with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vote winners for Calice Cup 12! I won't enter Twinkle Star Sprites, Guwange, and Radirgy but everything else is fair game. I'm gonna buy Spinal Breakers and Riot on ACA later. Most hype to learn Soukyugurentai and Hyper Duel :D Games list in alt text~
neutral · AI labelView post →◎ - Achievements - Leaderboards × - No gamepad support - A lot of lag - It crashes frequently - You can change language but there's no Japanese support Overall: It's a shame to take a masterpiece and release it in this state and after 10 years of being on Steam, it's still not fixed. I appreciate the leaderboards and achievements, but this port still suffers from serious flaws. Buy this game on GOG, which is exactly the same but it at least has controller support.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Originally released for the Neo-Geo MVS in 1996, the legendary Versus Shooting-Game Twinkle Star Sprites is the apex of competitive SHMUPing! TSS takes many cues from 2P Puzzle-Games, allowing you to unleash wave after wave of Garbage Popcorn Enemies on your opponent!
neutral · AI labelView post →It's not like I'm saying I hate classic fighters, or that there aren't any I still enjoy today. I've got plenty of hours on FightCade just dicking around in various random kusoge. I'm traveling to Combo Breaker in two weeks, and I signed up for six different brackets, two of which are retro titles (Waku Waku 7 and Twinkle Star Sprites) (you could also count Mystery Bracket, but the point of Mystery is to play trash that *doesn't* hold up). But the games that have stood the test of time are…
neutral · AI labelView post →Pics of game captures via RGB Scart into RetroTink 4K and Avermedia LGP2! - Spinmaster - Twinkle Star Sprites - Soccer Brawl - Sengoku 3 🧵 4/4
neutral · AI labelView post →24. Twinkle Star Sprites I do enjoy games that meld together multiple genres effectively, and Twinkle Star Sprites' fusion of vertical shmup and competitive block puzzler is a true joy to play. I adore this game - it makes me happy 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
positive · AI labelView post →Really good arcade game that really needs a modern reinterpretation. Pretty much a mix of a competitive puzzle game (think puyo puyo or puzzle fighter) and a shmup. It is better than it sounds. It is a TON OF FUN. But this is a dotemu relatively shoddy port. Or at least I do not remember it having such a terrible amount of slowdown. Basically, I am glad this exists, but like the DotEmu metal slug ports, I wish they were better emulated.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Paying for crap emulation is lame.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Twinkle Star Sprites is a very easy to learn hard to master kind of vs. shooting game where the mechanics are simple enough to grasp but MAN, even running a first to 10 set will be a gauntlet if you're learning from someone who's extra good at it. Some characters are DEVIOUS matchups vs. others.
positive · AI labelView post →I assure you, I am a productive member of society.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seki-san is a game developer (Omega 6, Retro Mystery Club, Twinkle Star Sprites, Ketsui, Steep Slope Sliders etc). In his spare time he gathers cartridges with names on them and tries to unite them with their former owners, and has been doing exhibitions. Brought him three carts from Sweden.
neutral · AI labelView post →bad port, but im gonna buy it again when its 1 dollar for steam slae
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Never played this game before, but it looked interesting so I picked it up. Its a really fun game, HOWEVER, this version is terrible. The music seems to be out of time and struggles to keep up with itself and the game seems to slow down way harder in this version than in the original from longplays I can find online. Gonna refund this and give it a fair chance on an emulator
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →21. Twinkle Star Sprites (NEO GEO) It's 2-P SHMUP that plays like PuyoPuyo somehow, a combination of a fixed shooter and a versus puzzle game. It's really cool and the characters are all very cute! Watch out if you have epilepsy, there's an awful flashing attack on Stage 6.
positive · AI labelView post →I love this game, played it years ago and it was highly addictive, but this is probably the worst port I've ever played. It doesn't matter how beastly your computer is, this turd is going to lag so bad in the middle of an intense fight (major fps drop, not recognized button presses). I love this game on NeoGeo but this is just a bad bad port. Don't bother buying this unless it is on a DEEP discount, and even then you would get more enjoyment out of a double cheeseburger from McDonalds (even…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a Fighting game by genre but... - Twinkle Star Sprites Lord, I love me some TSS. A two player versus shoot-em-up with a cute art style and well-sized roster of characters who each have their own stats and moves. It's such a good concept for a game, and I will throw down in it at any time.
positive · AI labelView post →ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 5 and 6 announced for Switch, Includes Four Shmups. Vol. 5 will have: - Aero Fighters 2 - Twinkle Star Sprites Vol. 6 will have: - Aero Fighters 3 - Zed Blade
neutral · AI labelView post →For lovely childhood, my friends. Hidden characters : Sprites (The Princess of Light) : at Load Ran, ↑×4 + select Memory (The Magical Queen) : at Load Ran, ↓×4 + select Mevious (The Emperor of Evil) : at Griffon, ↑×4 + select Dark Ran : at Griffon, ↓×4 + select by the way, someone trick me with Griffon duel, that is too sausage party.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here's something that I'm honored to have in my collection: a copy of Cake Fighter for the Neo-Geo. You may recall we found an unused fighting game within the data for Twinkle Star Sprites a few years back, featuring birthday cakes duking it out. @ekorz.bsky.social took that and ran with it!
neutral · AI labelView post →Twinkle Star Sprites, no idea if you’ve played it but it looks like the kinda bonkers thing you’d enjoy/tolerate.
neutral · AI labelView post →Managed a 1CC in Touhou 3 today in hard mode. Think I'm done with this game, but it was fun for a bit to work on a 1CC for this. Usually I just play shmups for fun, but the Twinkle Star Sprites-style gameplay made it a lot more rewarding for me. www.twitch.tv/videos/23176...
neutral · AI labelView post →Runs insanely poorly. Buy on sale or not at all.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was my first vs shoot em up and it's still a favorite. so many hours of replay value. Fun, cute, difficult.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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