Back in the early 1990s we didn't have YouTube or Discord or Twitch to help us make informed game purchases, we just had to read reviews in magazines or buy games based on kick ass cover art, which is exactly what I did with this. I never played the first 3 and I think there were more after this one. Sega's answer to Nintendos R-Type series. Again it was faster, crazier and turned everything up to 11 in the side scrolling shooter genre. I think there was also a 2 player option. The music was ace and the bosses were absolute bastards. I also spent a long time trying to draw the ship. I think this was called something else in the USA, Lightning Force maybe?
As a side note, I really miss the chunky but solid megadrive cases and booklets with lore and back stories. Yes, I understand the need for sustainability, its just something I remember fondly from back then.
It was one of the best. Just nitpicking but R-type wasn't a Nintendo series. R-type 3 was developed for SNES.