<s>
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
is	O
a	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Yumekobo	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
SNK	O
in	O
1998	O
for	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
arcade	I-Application
and	O
home	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
follow-up	O
to	O
Pulstar	B-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
features	O
side-scrolling	O
action	O
similar	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
and	O
different	O
ships	O
with	O
varying	O
characteristics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
commended	O
for	O
its	O
graphics	O
and	O
boss	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
keeping	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
shooter	O
scene	O
alive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
received	O
greater	O
recognition	O
in	O
retrospective	O
reviews	O
when	O
re-released	O
on	O
smartphones	B-Application
and	O
home	O
consoles	O
through	O
the	O
ACA	B-Application
Neo	I-Application
Geo	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
similar	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Pulstar	B-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
classic	O
shooter	O
R-Type	B-Application
(	O
1987	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
revolves	O
around	O
cyborgs	B-Application
that	O
,	O
remembering	O
their	O
humanity	O
,	O
team	O
up	O
to	O
destroy	O
artificial	O
intelligence	O
systems	O
developing	O
the	O
cybernetic	O
armies	O
they	O
were	O
once	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
from	O
playing	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
these	O
cyborgs	B-Application
,	O
each	O
piloting	O
a	O
ship	O
equipped	O
with	O
different	O
shot	O
types	O
,	O
power	O
,	O
and	O
speed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Yumekobo	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
formerly	O
known	O
as	O
Aicom	O
but	O
rebranded	O
to	O
mark	O
their	O
new	O
direction	O
of	O
working	O
closely	O
with	O
SNK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initial	O
discussions	O
began	O
with	O
the	O
concept	O
for	O
a	O
follow-up	O
to	O
their	O
shooter	O
Pulstar	B-Application
,	O
however	O
they	O
wanted	O
their	O
new	O
game	O
to	O
maintain	O
a	O
degree	O
of	O
independence	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
significant	O
changes	O
made	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
style	O
and	O
setting	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
treated	O
their	O
new	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
gaiden	O
and	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
use	O
Pulstar	B-Application
in	O
the	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yumekobo	O
's	O
president	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
opposed	O
this	O
,	O
wanting	O
Pulstar	B-Application
in	O
the	O
title	O
for	O
business	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
some	O
point	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
titled	O
Pulstar	B-Application
Blast	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publisher	O
SNK	O
entered	O
the	O
dispute	O
,	O
saying	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
Yumekobo	O
's	O
new	O
shooter	O
to	O
be	O
associated	O
to	O
Pulstar	B-Application
in	O
the	O
west	O
because	O
it	O
received	O
poor	O
reception	O
there	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
high	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
settled	O
on	O
the	O
title	O
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
for	O
its	O
western	O
release	O
,	O
chosen	O
among	O
others	O
including	O
Zero	O
Hour	O
and	O
The	O
Zenith	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Not	O
wanting	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
names	O
different	O
between	O
regions	O
,	O
Yumekobo	O
's	O
president	O
decided	O
to	O
make	O
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
the	O
title	O
in	O
all	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
director	O
of	O
Pulstar	B-Application
thought	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
was	O
too	O
difficult	O
and	O
wanted	O
the	O
new	O
shooter	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
charge	O
shot	O
for	O
an	O
easier	O
challenge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
artists	O
had	O
to	O
overcome	O
challenges	O
creating	O
the	O
textures	O
,	O
animation	O
,	O
and	O
reducing	O
the	O
sprites	O
to	O
16	O
colors	O
each	O
due	O
to	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
hardware	O
limitations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
Leefa	O
has	O
a	O
kogal	O
personality	O
and	O
was	O
modeled	O
after	O
Yuko	O
Asahina	O
from	O
Tokimeki	B-Application
Memorial	I-Application
at	O
the	O
request	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
designers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unique	O
endings	O
were	O
planned	O
for	O
each	O
character	O
but	O
were	O
later	O
cut	O
,	O
the	O
details	O
of	O
which	O
were	O
divulged	O
in	O
an	O
issue	O
of	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
Freak	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
arcade	I-Application
system	O
(	O
MVS	O
)	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
home	O
system	O
(	O
AES	O
)	O
on	O
February	O
26	O
,	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Neo	B-Device
Geo	I-Device
CD	I-Device
release	O
was	O
planned	O
but	O
abandoned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
in	O
July	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
via	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
August	O
21	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
smartphone	B-Application
versions	O
include	O
multiplayer	O
support	O
via	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
and	O
a	O
practice	O
mode	O
that	O
lets	O
the	O
player	O
start	O
from	O
any	O
stage	O
they	O
have	O
cleared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hamster	O
Corporation	O
rereleased	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
via	O
the	O
eShop	B-Application
on	O
May	O
2	O
,	O
2017	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
ACA	B-Application
Neo	I-Application
Geo	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
all	O
games	O
released	O
under	O
the	O
ACA	B-Application
Neo	I-Application
Geo	I-Application
brand	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
includes	O
Hamster	O
's	O
additional	O
scoring	O
modes	O
,	O
screen	O
filter	O
options	O
,	O
and	O
difficulty	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
later	O
came	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
digital	O
storefronts	O
on	O
February	O
8	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
is	O
also	O
included	O
in	O
SNK	O
's	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
Mini	O
dedicated	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
port	O
developed	O
by	O
DotEmu	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Application
X	I-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
asm.js	B-Language
was	O
released	O
by	O
SNK	O
Playmore	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Humble	O
NEOGEO	O
25th	O
Anniversary	O
Bundle	O
on	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
commended	O
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
as	O
a	O
testament	O
to	O
SNK	O
's	O
devotion	O
to	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
hardware	O
and	O
keeping	O
classic	O
genres	O
such	O
as	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
alive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Video	O
Games	O
agreed	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
were	O
nice	O
,	O
but	O
felt	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
backgrounds	O
were	O
pale	O
and	O
it	O
ultimately	O
did	O
not	O
offer	O
"	O
The	O
Ultimate	O
in	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
graphics	O
"	O
as	O
was	O
advertised	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
packaging	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Level	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
took	O
better	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
hardware	O
than	O
Pulstar	B-Application
with	O
its	O
improved	O
background	O
and	O
lighting	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Journalists	O
found	O
the	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
but	O
Video	O
Games	O
in	O
particular	O
thought	O
Pulstar	B-Application
was	O
the	O
better	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
gave	O
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
a	O
score	O
of	O
72%	O
and	O
felt	O
it	O
was	O
too	O
short	O
,	O
not	O
challenging	O
enough	O
,	O
and	O
lacking	O
in	O
sophisticated	O
level	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
did	O
however	O
like	O
the	O
bosses	O
,	O
as	O
did	O
Next	O
Level	O
and	O
Edge	O
who	O
both	O
appreciated	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
carrying	O
on	O
the	O
large	O
boss	O
trend	O
from	O
Pulstar	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
ultimately	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
frenetic	O
,	O
old-school	O
gameplay	O
...	O
will	O
keep	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
's	O
devotees	O
happy.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
HobbyConsolas	O
identified	O
it	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
twenty	O
best	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
AES	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
ports	O
of	O
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
were	O
well-received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
Arcade	B-Application
Archives	I-Application
release	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
called	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
perfect	O
port	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
it	O
even	O
retained	O
the	O
frame	O
rate	O
slowdown	O
when	O
the	O
screen	O
is	O
filled	O
with	O
sprites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
felt	O
Hamster	O
Corporation	O
's	O
Hi-Score	O
and	O
Caravan	O
modes	O
were	O
perfect	O
complements	O
to	O
Blazing	B-Application
Star	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
articles	O
,	O
including	O
one	O
by	O
linguist	O
Ben	O
Zimmer	O
,	O
have	O
cited	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
game	B-Application
over	I-Application
message	O
,	O
“	O
You	B-Application
fail	I-Application
it	I-Application
"	O
,	O
as	O
inspiring	O
the	O
popular	O
interjection	O
"	O
Fail	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
