The Saturn is absolutely screaming on this one. Thunder Force V's Technology collection from Technosoft wrings every ounce of power out of that sound hardware, and you can feel it in every track. "Legendary Wings" opens Stage 1 with this driving, layered synth attack that just does not let up.
Read more
Then "Rising Blue Lightning" hits and it's somehow even more intense, all rapid-fire arpeggios stacked over crunching bass. The Reffi's Mix arrangement of that track goes in a completely different direction too. "Steel Of Destiny" carries this weight to it, like the game knows things are getting desperate.
That boss theme progression alone. If you ever wanted to know what the Saturn could really do with a shooter soundtrack, start here.