Phelios (Europe)

Getting started with Phelios is straightforward. Press Start to begin. You control your flying warrior as he moves vertically up the screen, shooting at enemies that appear from all directions. The core loop is simple: dodge enemy fire and obstacles while blasting away at hordes of mythological foes. Collect power-up icons that float around - these improve your shot speed, spread, or power. Your ship can also transform into different forms depending on the items you grab, altering your attack pattern.

Watch out for the letters that spell out special weapons. Grabbing all the letters of a word unlocks a more powerful attack for a short time. Boss fights appear at the end of each stage, and they require precise movement and patience. The game is tough, like most arcade ports of its era, so expect to use continues. The emulator allows save states, but the original game had no save feature - you either beat it in one go or started over.

If you are new to vertical shooters, start by focusing on staying alive rather than collecting every item. Learn enemy patterns and use your special weapon wisely. The Greek mythology theme adds nice visual variety, with stages set against temples, the sky, and underworld backdrops.