Game of the Day - Steel Force

Steel Force is a great overhead maze shooter with an alien/sci-fi theme (shocker!).  You start of with limited amount of ammo and grenades and you have to get thru the maze (alive) in a predetermined amount of time.  Exits from each room are clearly indicated, but sometimes you want to go in other directions to garner goodies.  Goodies can be additional ammo, grenades, power-ups and other kinds of stuff to make your time as a galactic warrior a little easier.

The graphics are sharp, fun and colorful.  The screen is big (relatively speaking) - by that I mean that it is very zoomed in so that you only see a few rooms and a little bit of the maze at any one time.  There's no map, but again, there are plenty of exit signs pointing your way.  The action is constant - and that's what makes the game fun.  You have to blow up many doors (should I shoot it many times with my gun or use one of my precious grenades?) and while you are blasting the door, something is probably attacking you from the other side or off-screen.  At the end of each level, there is a mini-boss, which can be difficult to defeat in some cases, and pretty easy to defeat in others.  Gameplay is balanced and fun - you will feel like it is challenging enough, but you will also be able to play for a while without getting bored.

New Poll - What game are you best at?

If you had to play for your life - against an unknown opponent - which game would you choose (of the more famous, classic arcade games)?

On the right, I have listed 16 of the most popular games.

Just wondering what everyone thinks they are good at.  I was at college when Pac-Man ruled and yet I could never make my quarter last for too long.  I was okay at Track & Field, but some folks ran right by me.  If I had to choose, I'd choose Galaga.  Win or die.

Game of the Day - Zing Zing Zip

Zing Zing Zip has some elements as goofy as its name.  It's a quasi-typical vert shooter from the early 90s.  I like shooters from this era because the graphics are nice and power-ups are plentiful, but it pre-dates the games that are so flooded with stuff that it's hard to tell what's going on.

And yes, the graphics are nice.  Big stuff, detailed stuff, little stuff, nice explosions.  Also, the action happens in many ways...  some stuff approaches from the top, some from the bottom, some fast and some slow.   Also, you occasionally get large groups that form formations and kind of wait for you and you have to blast the whole group before more chaos ensues.

The controls are typical, fire & bomb - both can be powered-up in a variety of ways.  There is one new-ish game element... If you perform a quick roll - by moving either left or right and then quickly moving the opposite direction, you will not only be avoiding enemy fire, but will be awarded a power-up.  When you move left or right the plane kind of rolls anyway (which I like), so the way you know you did the special maneuver is that the plane will roll all the way over (upside-down) and flash (invulnerability for a moment?).

Now the bad.  The title screen, theme and sounds are XXX goofy.  Of all the speech that occurs in the game, (power-ups, bombs, etc) I don't know what is being said 80% of the time because it's in a ridiculously goofy voice.  Sounds like something from an outtake of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show.

That stuff aside, Zing Zing Zip is a cut above other games of its era, give it a whirl (maybe with the sound turned down).

QuarterZone Shots - Joust

Game of the Day - World Class Bowling

It's bowling.

But it's really, really good.

World Class Bowling (there are several versions) is the best party game on MAME (from my experience).  Any one can immediately play and enjoy it - even those who don't play video games.  YOU NEED A TRACKBALL.  The controls are simple, you use the buttons to set the hook and then use the trackball - first to line up your shot - and then to roll it.  You can send it at any angle and any speed, and the physics work extremely well for this kind of game.

What's amazing is watching how different people roll the ball using the trackball.  Some line up their hand parallel with the lane and use their palm rolling it forward.  Some (like me) put their hand perpendicular (across) the trackball and use their fingers sideways to roll the trackball.  Some use one thumb and flick it forward - others use two thumbs to try to add force and keep the ball straight.  I've seen folks who don't play games do great, and great gamers be confounded.  All the differences add to the fun as four players can compete.  The game's perspective looks right and the roll of the ball and pin physics feel pretty damn good.  So, if your party is a bore, crank up some WCB and see who does well and who needs gutter guards.

Game of the Day - Phozon (Nerd Alert)

Phozon is a nerd's dream.  Take it from me, I'm a nerd.  My all-time fav game is Quantum.  I played Quantum in 1981 at U of Illinois and loved it.  25 years later I found a dedicated Quantum in beautiful shape and scored it.  Of all my games (more than 30), the Quantum is the one I'll give up last.

 So, Phozon joins Quantum and Qix in my nerd arcade trinity.  In phozon you control a molecule (called Chemic) with a joystick.  Your goal is to build a larger molecule that matches the structure of the molecule pictured in the middle of the screen by adding atoms/pieces (Moleks) that are floating around the screen.  You simply touch them and they are added to your molecule RIGHT where you touch them.  Thus, the problem.  They are moving around all the time and it is surprisingly hard to get them to attach where you want (after the easy first level).  IF, an atom attaches where you don't want it to, you can use the button to eject it and it will go flying away.  The other issue is that there is a big floating/rotating thingy (Atomic) that chases you around the screen,  If it makes contact with the center-most part of your molecule, you die.  As it chases you, it also, on occasion, explodes and you have to avoid being touched by the individual parts.  This chase keeps you constantly on the move.  Unlike Qix, where you can hang out on the border for a while waiting for the Qix to go away (eventually sparx will get ya), there is no room to hide in Phozon.

Clear a few levels and you get a challenging stage where you actually go around shooting the enemy.  There are other happenings with other Moleks in higher levels that you can also discover.  Check out the flyer below (click to make it larger).

Game of the Day - Moon Shuttle

Moon Shuttle is a rare breed indeed - the old school horz shooter.  It's nothing much like Defender and maybe a skosh like Scramble.

In the asteroid rounds, you are slowly moving thru the asteroid field and you have to blast a path through it.  You can blast a slim path, but the more asteroids you blast, the more you score, so risk going for broke.

Then, there are waves of different enemy ships that attack.  They are jittery and variable and can be hard to hit.  In fact, the collision detection in the game seems a little off.  For an old game, the shot/explosion sounds are pretty good.  The graphics are very 1981, so there isn't a lot to see.  Mostly, the game is fun for the battle to carve out space among the asteroids and trying to blast the frustrating enemy ships.  There aren't too many old school space games that fire in this direction.

Brain Teaser - What game is this?

It's been cropped, blurred and blocked.  Be the first to comment if you know what it is....

UPDATE - We have a winner! - but I'm not gonna post his/her comment yet...  I'll let some more of you take a crack at it first.  Then, sometime tomorrow, I'll publish all the comments.

Update 2:  The winner (as seen by the comment below) is nephasth.  He correctly identified the game as Galaga '88 - nice job.

Game of the Day - Blazeon (Blaze On?)

Different references on the web refer to this game with and without the space between Blaze & On.  Who knows?  I do know that it is a good time.  Blazeon is a standard fare horz shooter with just a slight (but nice) addition.  You have two buttons, shot & missile.  If you hit certain (bigger) enemies with the missile, they die and become an outline of their shape.  Then, if you fly into that outline, you become the shape and power of that enemy.

Other than that trick, the game is very simple.  No charge shot, but there are nice power-ups.  Mostly the game is fun (like many of this genre) because the enemies, graphics and action are well programmed and well balanced.  Bosses are fun, too.

Not a lot new in this game, but if you like this genre and are sick of the more popular games, you'll have fun playing Blazeon.

Great Site for Vector Games

Here's a link to a nice site with very complete info on all vector games...


http://andysarcade.de/vec_all.html

Game of the Day - Burning Force

Burning Force is essentially Space Harrier with 'roided up graphics.  However, in the first level, you are at sea level and you don't go up & down.  So while the perspective is Harrierish, the controls are simpler.  Level 2 puts you in another type of vehicle and you are flying - thus adding the element of 3D flying to your shooting (and as such, up & down to the controls).  There are power-ups to collect by driving, jumping or flying thru them and you start with a finite number of missiles that you need to conserve.

Mostly, the game is fun because of the execution of the graphics and collision detection.  The sea/ground-level flows well, and the enemies and landscape elements are very colorful and fun to watch.  The explosions and other active graphics are equally good.  Nice representation of the bullets and missiles, also.

The best part of the graphics, however, are the enemy ships that are well crafted, colorful, fly all over, and come in a wide variety.


It also doesn't make me feel wonky for some reason the way some chase-view shooters can.  So, woo-hoo!

Game of the Day - Ganryu

Ganryu is a nicely done, typical side-scrolling platformer, much in the style of Strider and all the other ninja games.  Done in 1999, its polish and graphics are a step above most of the competition.

You choose from a couple of characters (I always choose the chick in these games) and off you go.  The attack graphics are sweet and there are some little things they did that make the game XX fun.  First, the jumping is good, quick and there is always something new to jump on.  Wherever you land (at whatever height) there are ninjas to battle and you can constantly jump into and out of fights all over the place.  Next, in addition to the typical attack and jump button, there is a third option... but it's not a bomb/super attack.  It is a grappling claw.  So sure, you can use it to attack and maul folks, but you can also use it Bionic Commando style to grab and swing around.


Of course, there are other power-ups and weapons and bosses, just as you'd expect.  If you like platform/beat-'em-ups, it's hard to not enjoy Ganryu.

Game of the Day - Wonder Planet

Wonder Planet is a Cute-em-up vert shooter with lots going on.  Cartoonish graphics that look like Nintendo exploded over Bedrock are very enjoyable although sometimes make it a little hard to discern enemy fire.

You have two buttons, fire & bomb (Shocker!).  The bomb has a fixed cross-hair so you know where it's landing - and this is very important.  Wonder Planet has lots of stuff to collect and you do it by blowing ground targets up with bombs and collecting what it is they become upon being destroyed.  Mostly they turn into money.  Some targets say "Engine" or "Bomb" and other stuff...  If you bomb these, they become entrances to shops that you fly into to upgrade your weapons.  It's nicely done and there are a lot of power-ups to choose from that cost varying amounts.

And it's a good thing there are lots of power-ups, 'cause the game on the default settings is impossibly difficult.  I can't get anywhere and therefore can't tell you much about bosses and later stages.  The enemy fire is small and insidious.  But the bigger issue is that I spend so much time watching and steering towards objects to bomb, that I don't keep enough track of incoming ships and fire.  There are words on the upper right that light up as you achieve stuff, but I have yet to get any of it completed.

If you can do well at Wonder Planet, let me know what happens!

Tuesday is New Comic Day

New Arcade Wars

Choose among the four games in the poll on the right... (if you dare)

Game of the Day - Squash

Squash, for those who were born after 1970, is a court game just like Racquetball.  Not sure when the last time I heard someone refer to playing Squash that wasn't in a Comedy Central movie.  Anyway, I'm always looking for good sports arcade games - and there aren't a great number of unknown ones.  Squash is exceedingly simple.  You play against an opponent (human or inhuman), serve, volley and run around the court to return the ball.  You have to hit it off the back wall but it can hit the other walls before or after as long as your return doesn't hit the floor before it hits the back wall (think tennis in 2.5 dimensions).  There are only two buttons, hard hit and soft hit.  What makes the game fun isn't the depth or strategy, but the well programmed satisfaction of chasing the ball around and slamming it off the back wall.  Nice physics and volleys.  You don't have to let the ball hit the ground before you return it, so some volleys really crank.

As far as quarter munching goes, the game has an interesting default setting.  Though the game is to 9, for each credit you only get to lose 5 points - and then you need to add credits to keep playing.  So, you can play indefinitely, and rise up the ranks on one credit if you never lose 5 points (cumulatively in all your games) - OR - you may lose the first five points and not even finish the first match without continuing.  This is in contrast to most games that give you a whole game to win or lose to determine if you continue and adds to the intrigue.

Simple and effective.

Poll Bogusity

Bogus, somehow my latest poll about your longest game time had its data corrupted.  I'll have to run it again sometime in the future.

Game of the Day - The End

 The End.  Not the Burt Reynolds movie, but an old school vert shooter from Konami (and Stern - but not exactly - I'll get to that).  The End has typical old school play in some ways, Galaxian/Phoenician type enemies come your way and try to blast you.  You have three shields made of blocks to hide behind.  BUT, the enemies don't fly off the bottom of the screen, instead they steal the blocks from your shields, bring them to the top of the screen and start reassembling them.

The most interesting thing about The End is there are two distinct and different ways to lose.  The normal way is to lose three ships to enemy fire.  The other more interesting way is that as the enemies steal your blocks, they reassemble them on their end and if they spell the word "END" - the game is over.  Bizarre, but cool.

So you could play for a while, battle the dudes, not lose any of your ships to enemy fire, but eventually the game will end when enough of your blocks are stolen and the bastards spell out "END" (not "The End").  Also, the little nasties are really hard to hit - they twitch continuously back and forth and hide behind your shields on the way down to dismantle them.  Very Very Very Challenging (no commas!).

Now, for the bonus Stern version of the game.  For some weird reason, the Stern version has slightly diff graphics and flight patterns, but most importantly has the blocks BELOW you, not ABOVE you - thus, they aren't shields at all and you can't hide behind them.  It makes it a completely diff game.  In the Konami game, you hide behind the shields darting out here and there to try to take out the enemy, but they are hard to hit because of those same shields blocking your shot.  In the Stern version, the blocks are below you so the shooting is a free for all with no shields.  The enemies are easier to hit, but so are you.  I like the Konami version better, more tactical.

New Link - Great site for fighters - The Fighters Generation

Was clicking 'round the interweb and found a cool site all about fighting games.  Old, new, reviews, tips, etc.  Already had a link for shmups, now I'm able to add a great one about fighters. Visit it here...

The Fighters Generation

Game of the Day - Halley's Comet '87

 

Halley's Comet '87 (which is a clone of Halley's Comet - don't know how I wound up playing the clone) is a quasi-old-school shooter with a lot of extras.  It was made to coincide with the comet appearing in 1986... The graphics are on par for that era, but I really like the gameplay and (especially) the power-ups.  It is a vertical shooter where you are heading toward and protecting the Earth from Halley's comet.

Some of the things I like about it: The speed and action of the game is superior, the controls feel right, the enemies have a WIDE variety (you aren't stuck shooting the same kinds of things), the approach of the enemies varies (some swirl around, some dive bomb) and mostly, the power-ups are important, varied and plentiful.  Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia about the power-ups...
 

To assist you in your fight, many power ups are available. These are obtained by shooting smaller rocks which float past you. Power ups are triple front cannon, mini ships, wide spread cannon, increased speed, increased maneuverability, forward shield, and at the end of each sequence of power ups a wild card special in the form of a smart bomb, a complete power up of cannons or a full complement of mini ships.

The power ups are also multi-staged in that the first triple front cannon you pick up will give you standard size triple shots. Picking up additional triple cannons will increase the shot size.

Picking up mini-ships increases the player's fire power such that when they are picked up they fall in on the player's left and right wings and fire single shots as the player fires. By pressing the Hyperspace button, a mini-ship can be used as a screen clearing smartbomb.

Finally, there is a radar/map up the left side that shows where you are and gives you a number indicating what percent you have finished.  I'm a sucker for gratuitous data.

Game of the Day - Fighting Layer

Fighting Layer is a somewhat obscure chunky 3D fighting game.  It looks a lot like early versions of other 3D fighting games you are familiar with...  I chose it for the GOTD because I am always looking for new fighters.  It would be idiotic to put SF II or MK or something like that as the GOTD since everyone is familiar with them.  However this game seems a little more rare and yet is VERY enjoyable.  Despite the characters being a bit polygony, the graphics are enjoyable, but moreover, the animations of the attacks are actually VERY fun.  There is some unique stuff here in the character design and the look of some of the attacks/spcl moves.  Most importantly, the contact/fight engine is good and it feels like you are beating the crap out of each other.  If you are tired of the famous stuff, give it a try.  Below is a video someone else has posted on Youtube...

Game of the Day - The Outfoxies

Nice name.  The Outfoxies plays almost as uniquely as it is named.  You choose one of many characters to play and then your job is to kill everyone else in the scene "by any means possible".  It's sort of a platformer/beat 'em up, but not exactly.  There are guns, rocket launchers, fists, swords, and on and on.  The level layout is extremely complex and loaded with stuff to interact with.  You can pick up or blow up most anything and big chunks of the background can be smithereened.

The gameplay is cool because of all the different stuff you can do and because of all the ways to go in and out and up and down on each level...Oh, and each level is DRASTICALLY different from the previous.  Factories, moving trains, airplane interiors, all kinds of stuff.

The most unique thing about playing is the camera zooms in and out based on your proximity to the enemy.  If you aren't near them, it is zoomed out and you see the whole level, when you get closer to the enemy, the camera zooms in tighter so the characters are bigger and the fist/firefights are better.  It's a nice use of visuals.  The Outfoxies may not wind up as your favorite game, but if you play it, you are bound to say "sweeeet" at least a couple of times.

Game of the Day - Darius II

Darius II wasn't made for home gaming (unless you own the original ded cab).  But in some ways, that's what makes it fun on MAME.  The game was originally intended to be played on three (that's right,3) screens laid out horizontally.  Of course, it's a horz scrolling shooter with the usual spaceships, aliens, power-ups and satellite weapons.

So, when you play it in its natural state in MAME, the game is extremely letter-boxed on top and bottom in order to fit the proper aspect ratio because the game area is so damned wide.

BUT, in a few of ways, this makes it fun.  First off, there is LOTS of room left and right.  Obviously, since it was made to be played across 3 monitors, there's some space out there.  Second, because the graphics are relatively small, they are very sharp and very interesting.  The game did a good job with graphics anyway, and the "cave effect" of the aspect ratio makes them seem even better.  Third, and exclusive to MAMEing, you can change what you see on your screen.  In the MAME video setup, you can change the view from all three screens side-by-side as intended to any of: Just the 1st, 2nd or 3rd screen, or just the left or right half of the game area.  These alternate views really make the game interesting once you've scoped out the original view some.  Gotta thank the MAME programmers for giving us that opportunity.

Game of the Day - Dcon

Dcon or D-Con (meaning Defense Condition) is a somewhat rare inside-out take on Missile Command - just as a previous GOTD, Liberator, was.  But, it's different enough than those two to rate its own place among the GOTDs, mainly because of the frenetic action and fun graphics.





Like MC, you protect cities from incoming enemy fire.  You have a cross-hair and two buttons, fire and super bomb.  The amount of super bombs can be increased by destroying certain enemies.  Unlike MC, you use a joystick, not a trackball to control the cross-hair.

The graphics are nice, but in the first wave, the cities are a little unclear because of the background and it's a hard to tell how much has been destroyed.   Luckily, there are a couple of aids in determining your status.  First, a radar at the bottom of the screen showing you where the enemy ships are and how much of your cities you have left.   Second, there is a damage % at the top of the screen telling you how much of your stuff has been destroyed.  If it reaches 100% before the end of the wave, you are over.  Unlike MC, after you plow through a wave, there is actually a boss-like ship that takes a lot of work before each wave is over.  It's all well done and shouldn't be missed.

One of the nice touches is what you are protecting changes by wave.  At first it cities, then your war ships on the sea, then your tanks, etc.  It's very cool. But, the real draw here is the action.  I've only played it a few times and you are CONSTANTLY moving the js around and the waves are very long.  It can be exciting, too, as the first time I finished the first wave I was at 97% damage for the last 30 seconds and yet managed to finish the wave.  Go play it, good stuff.

New Poll - Longest Arcade Game

The Twin Galaxies stuff gets me thinking... what's the longest time you've played an arcade game on a single credit (not console) (no continues)?  You may not remember exactly, but take your best guess in the poll on the right.

QuarterZone Shots - Separted at Birth

Game of the Day - Gang Busters

 Gang Busters is a vertically scrolling cop cute-em-up.  The feel is sort of keystone cops meets Sat morning cartoon.  You shoot in all directions at the bad guys that are committing crimes all around you.  There are a few good extras here...


First off, the way you power up - You catch the bad guys dressed in red by shooting them and they surrender.  Then, you go and pick them up and they follow you.  The more bad guys you have following you, the more you power up.



Second, upon reaching the police van, you deposit your prisoners and receive bombs in exchange for them to use against future bad guys.

The graphics are sharp and cute, but the controls can be a little fuzzy.  Sometimes it can be a little hard to find the spot to go in and out of buildings or up and down stairs.  Also, with all the buildings around, the playfield can seem a little crammed sometimes.

So , yes it could have been a little better, but I wouldn't have made it today's GOTD if it weren't lots of fun.

It's also known as Crazy Cop.

Game of the Day - Valtric

 Valtric is a gem that nobody should miss.  It's a quasi-old school game with a look a little like a cross between Xevious and Viewpoint.  It's a vertical scrolling shooter however you can travel and shoot in any direction.  Power-ups are very important in this game.  When you start, pressing the fire button shoots a bullet in the direction you are facing but also simultaneously fires a bomb/missile straight up the screen (vertically) from where you are (a cross-hair shows where it is aiming at all times).  When these bombs hit gun turrets or question marks or other stuff, they turn into power-ups.  Some are colors that power-up you or your shots.  Some are satellites that attach to your vehicle and add to your firepower.  What's cool is that the satellites attach right where you touch them with your vehicle.  So you can have all kinds of weird fire configurations.

The enemies are relentless.  They have lots of different looks and fire bullets and missiles at you.  Some of the missiles are guided and chase you all around.  There's is not a moment to breathe.

I like the graphics a lot.  While they are simple, they are very crisp and effective.  Valtric is among my Top 5 of the 50 or so GOTDs I've profiled so far.

Awesome Video - Spaceport (arcade) employee training

I used to LIVE at Spaceport instead of attending classes at college in 1981.  Go Illini.

Game of the Day - Us vs. Them

Us vs. Them is the most inadvertently funny game I've played that I actually enjoyed.  The game is a space type shooter with sort of a Space Harrier perspective but with quasi-photographic backgrounds.  You shoot everything in sight by moving flying all over, rolling left and right and blasting away.  The real humor here and I mean HYSTERICAL is the FMV cut scenes.  This was a laser disc game originally, and the cut scenes are absolutely classic.

As cheesy as they are, the action of the game (flying and shooting) is actually quite good and the game will keep your attention for a while.  Also, the unique look of the photo backgrounds make the game interesting and different to play.  If you play and it doesn't make you laugh, I'm sorry - you are clearly dead inside.

Game of the Day - Osman

Osman is pretty much Strider 4G (or maybe I should say Strider 3.0).  It's an updated version of the classic side-scrolling beat-em-up (platformer) and as you might have guessed because it's the GOTD, it's a great rendition of the genre.

The colors and graphics are VERY vivid.  The levels are very complex and well laid out.  The controls and attacks look great.

You have 3 buttons... Attack, jump & super double-dog secret ninja assassin attack.

Of course using the buttons and js together you can do other things like special jumps, crouching, sliding and special attacks.

Lots of the fun is in the climbing around and one-handed fighting while you hang from the metalwork that surrounds the area.  And lastly, the bosses and mini-bosses are BIG and lots of fun to fuck-up.

Game of the Day - Mille Miglia 2

Please, how cool are these graphics?  Mille Miglia 2 (aka Great 1000 Miles Rally 2) is a racing game with a unique flavor.  There are many racing games with 1st or 3rd person "over the shoulder" perspective and a lot of older racing games with a top-down from-the-sky perspective.  Mille Miglia 2 takes a close, low angle that makes the racing tight and fun.  A little bit of map and some arrows on the track give you fair warning of when to turn and the action is smooth and fun (arcade-like, NOT quasi realism).

I don't like a lot of racing games, I find lots of them boring, but the sumptuous graphics and unique perspective make this game particularly fun.  The old-timey looking race cars are really cool.

The MAME controls are nice, too - you can choose in the dip switches between 8-way JS and 270 or 360 degree wheels (steering wheel or what I use, a spinner/dial).  Both the JS and spinner control the game well.  The time limits of the segments are good, too, as you are always close to not making it.

New Poll - Feeling wonky because of a game

Check out (and take) the poll on the right... If you saw my previous post about Ecco the Dolphin, you know it happens to me.  Recently, playing Driven on a big screen gave me a headache that lasted all night.  I'm a wuss.

Top Game Ownership Poll Results

The poll asked which of the 13 top games listed on Klov and VAPS you owned...   DK finished first with just one vote short (out of 166) of getting exactly 50% ownership.  Tied for 2nd were Ms. Pac-Man and Centipede with 43% currently owning one. Dig Dug brought up the rear with 17%.  You can see the whole chart by clicking the "Previous Poll Results" tab above.

Game of the Day - Cybattler

Cybattler is a Vertomni Shooter.  It looks like a vert shooter and the screen scrolls like a vert shooter, but you can shoot in any (8) direction and you move like it's an omni shooter.  That combination makes the game somewhat unique.  The graphics are good (a little busy) and the controls are sharp.

Like other omni shooters, you can shoot in any direction - dictated by the direction you are facing.  However, if you hold down the fire button, it locks the fire in the current direction and you can move anywhere on the screen and still shoot that direction (very important at certain times).

Like many modern vert shooters, the two buttons are fire and sword (for close attacks).

Mostly, it's fun because the action is constant and the graphics keep it interesting.

Long live the Vertomni shooting genre.