I fondly remember playing this simple-but-addictive game nearly every night after coming home from work. If I could describe the game in only a handful of words, I would say that it is an extremely improved version of the classic game Asteroids (it’s actually the sequel to a small obscure game simply called stardust which I haven’t played). I’m not the type of gamer who usually likes games where the main point in the end is to amass the highest score possible; this little action gem however kept me coming back for more (Point in matter: I actually didn’t like the original Asteroids).
The graphics, sound and interface were great for an overhead action game back when it was released in 1996, and even today it remains very playable.
Gameplay revolves around defeating all enemies in a given sector before moving on to the next sector, during which time you will also try to increase your high score. This game is BIG for such a straightforward space shooter: you will fight your way through about thirty levels (or sectors as the game calls them), and of course the difficulty level ramps up increasingly as you move forward. Fortunately you’ll have the opportunity as you finish levels to blast away asteroids (a small nod to the original game perhaps?) which give you the usual assortment of bonuses/power-ups and boosts to help
you continue. Your weapon selection will also constantly grow during the game, and it’s essential to master the use of higher-level weapons near the end of the game where the number of enemies is nearly overwhelming.
The plot, as for most games of this type, is paper-thin as is most background information about what you are fighting for: don’t be mistaken, there is a run-of-the-mill story about saving the galaxy from an insane madman and his hordes, but the real reason you’ll keep playing is because the gameplay is fun and very addictive. I myself kept playing into the early hours of morning, if only to reach the next sector or acquire a more powerful weapon, or even reach a personal high score (forget the concept of online score ladders; this is 1996 after all).
All in all, a great little blast from the past which will keep you coming back for more, and you can have it free now because of this awesome website. If after this review you still doubt whether you should try this game or not, keep in mind that it was deemed good enough to receive a special High-Definition work-over and is now available for download on the Playstation 3 network (but you have to pay for it there). Enough said: download and start blasting away!
