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A sweet and juice blend of old and new flavors

This game makes me appreciate Asteroids much, much more. The aesthetics capture the essence of what Asteroids looked like, but better. A black and white display in which the brightness is determined by the brightness of the trail (as it would take the old arcade screen time for that area to fade to black). This really, really takes me back, especially when the trails mix. You really nailed it there.

Even the game-play reminds me of why Asteroids was such a success: The game flows with the user's mood and aggressiveness. This is one of those games that can be played a thousand different techniques, but not a single one is "better".
---Let me explain. It starts off slow, each orb demonstrating potential for complexity, but not innately so. Messy players who are not precise encounter very random patterns while playing. Adopt a technique, however, and it becomes an entirely different game.

Sniper: This is based on the fact that any large orb can be instantly with a "charged" shot of 7 bullets. 1 large (1 shot to break)= 2 medium (+2 shots is 3)= 4 small(+4 is 7 shots total). This will leave you with your initial 7 shots plus 8 more (15 total from the 4 small ones), and they will all be in one spot, where they hit.

Because this smashes large orbs instantly into ammunition, there is no worrying about having to dodge fast-moving medium or small asteroids. Just pound the big guys one at a time and you won't have to deal any more enemies than you started with.

This has a few downsides. When you fire a charged shot, you also fire any non-essential bullets that may have attached to you. If one of these hits a sleeping giant, you've got to deal with his medium orbs (which wasn't part of the plan). This may take several more shots which in return introduce error, miscalculations, and worst of all, panic.

I call it "Sniper" because you fire a single bullet in a "1 shot, 1 kill" philosophy, but as you kill the rest of them, they are more easily spooked and will counter-attack if they notice you. It requires a lot of stealth and precise action, especially in getting all the shots in the same spot. It's also ineffective against enemies hunting you.

The beautiful thing about this game is that, like in any real-time conflict, you are free to change tactics at will. Too many medium orbs? Too many evil ships? Switch to a more short-range fast-paced style. Grab a ball, dodge, and shoot. Repeat. This "Warrior" technique requires reflexes, a keen eye, and a steady hand. So long as you can dodge enemy fire, the sheer amount of ammunition you're firing will obliterate the battlefield in mere seconds.

This tactic is best used mid-round, when there is an abundance of ammunition to acquire as well as oodles of orbs to obliterate (Don't you love parallelism and assonance? ;D ). You can't do much attacking if there are just a few orbs, as you will inevitably end up being faced with many enemies with no ammunition to back it up.

By the end of the round, Ammunition should be a-plenty and the enemies are like pigs to the slaughter. I like to imagine a large bloody "Finish Him!" as I collect every orb and fire it at once. It's really cool to watch.

Keep in mind that ammunition is acquired through small orb deaths. This is where items may come in handy. If you didn't have a chance to snipe a few biggies before the mayhem began, you can use a bomb to give you more ammo to fight with. Exactly WHEN to use it is something even I haven't mastered, so use your best judgment.

Shields are fun to use. Fire a few shots, grab them, and fire them again. Don't be afraid to fire them from INSIDE the larger orbs, as it gives you virtually guaranteed hits.

All in all, this game is a beautiful reconstruction of a graceful classic that excels in all regards. Balanced, Beautiful, and Fun. The level of customization is neat, but all ships end up at the same place, making the later levels (10+) a matter of skill, style, and items of choice. Concepts so simple, implemented so gracefully: It's no wonder you got the front page!

squidsquid responds:

Glad you enjoyed the game enough to write such a detailed review :) I certainly recognize your descriptions of the different gameplay styles, although I hadn't analyzed it in such depth. Cheers!

"The U.N. ought to abolish half-life," Joe said. "As interfering with the natural process of the cycle of birth and death." Mockingly, Al Hammond said, "If god approved of half-life, each of us would be born in a casket filled with dry ice."

Fred Dawes @pendelum5

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Arkansas

Joined on 7/20/02

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