UN Squadron (SNES / Super Famicom)

I remember first seeing a review for this game in that infamous buyers guide from Gamepro where they wouldn't make a definitive decision as to whether the Genesis or SNES was the better buy for 16-bit systems that year.  Anyway, UN Squadron was a pretty neat shmup with its somewhat non-linear nature, being able to buy new planes, and weapons, and the anime motif was just icing on the cake.  The game did suffer from slow down, though, and enemy planes maneuvered in ways no plane has any business maneuvering.