Steel Empire

Steel Empire is a side-scrolling shooter set in a steampunk world dominated by the Motorhead Empire. The player fights for the Republic of Silverhead, the last free nation, which employs a powerful lightning bomb in its struggle.

Gameplay involves selecting one of two distinct vehicles at each stage's start: a fast but fragile striker plane or a slower, more durable zeppelin. Both craft share a primary weapon that can fire in two directions and an automatic bomb release. A screen clearing lightning bomb is available in limited quantities.

Defeating enemies yields various power-ups. These include health restoration, extra lives, bonus points, and special drones called options that follow and copy the player's movements. Collecting experience points allows for weapon upgrades, with a progression system that extends to twenty levels of increasing firepower.