Some 500 years in the future, mankind has ventured into space, colonizing planets and mastering space travel. Peace reigns throughout the space colonies as humans continue exploration and investigation into the uncharted regions of the universe. The planet Solont lies at the center of the galaxy, and is the eleventh planet to be colonized by man.
A new alien threat has started to advance towards Solont. With hard outer shells and organic tentacles that infest whatever it touches, the enemy continues to wreak destruction in its path. As a part of the elite Silpheed squadron, it is your mission to defend humankind against this deadly force.
Players will shoot through swarms of oncoming enemies using the Silpheed Type J space fighter jet. The game is played from a top-down perspective similar to such arcade classics as 1942 and 1943. Enemies attack from the top of the screen, below and from the sides. As players progress through the levels, six different weapons become available and can be armed onto both sides of the Silpheed spaceship.
Weapons include standard weapon shots, wide-range weapons, lasers, and bombs. Each Silpheed spaceship also has a personal shield tank that contains five shield units. Once the shield tank is depleted, your ship explodes, and you will have the option of continuing from the beginning of the level.