Q-YO Blaster

Q-YO Blaster

Pick from an assortment of strange characters and save the Earth from an alien insect invasion in this quirky side-scrolling shooter. While the game only features ten levels, it has multiple modes, difficulty settings, special weapons, and characters to choose from. The 2D visuals look good, especially with the CRT filter enabled and the game offers a decent challenge while remaining accessible to newcomers. It does have some annoyances though, and the quality of the English translation leaves a lot to be desired.

Gameplay: Even with only ten levels the game features plenty of characters to choose from and the different modes as well as difficulty settings shake things up a bit.

Graphics: The 2D visuals look good thanks to some impressively large sprites and the characters as well as bosses are unique.

Sound: The soundtrack features a nice assortment of tunes and the sound effects capture the spirit of the genre perfectly

Ten Questions With… Jeremy Lee (Strides Interactive Game Studio)

Ten Questions With… Jeremy Lee (Strides Interactive Game Studio)

After completing Starlight: Eye of the Storm, a very enjoyable and accessible bullet-hell shooter by Strides Interactive, we wanted to learn more about the game. Thankfully, the developer for Starlight, Jeremy Lee, was kind enough to answer our questions

Psyvariar Delta

Psyvariar Delta

Psyvariar Delta is not just a brand new version of the arcade classic, but also comes packed with high definition remakes of Psyvariar Medium Unit as well as Psyvariar Revision. In addition, it comes with a slew of addition content that makes these titles more fun to play than ever before. It’s not the best looking bullet hell shooter by far, but thanks to buzz system, that sees you trying to skirt as close as possible to the deadly bullets you are supposed to dodge, it is definitely one of the most exciting. This mechanic also provides the game with a lot more depth than what is initially apparent, so there is definitely value for money here despite the higher than usual price tag. If you are a fan of the genre or still have fond memories of the original games, then Psyvariar Delta is an essential purchase.

Gameplay: A bullet hell shooter where you still have to dodge bullets, but if you want to level up you must do it in the most reckless way possible.

Graphics: The visuals are a definite improvement over the original titles, but still looks a little plain compared to more modern offerings.

Sound: The soundtrack is excellent and the sound effects pretty good too

Jamestown

Jamestown

Jamestown is a great top down shooter with a really interesting setting and some gorgeous pixel art visuals. It is best enjoyed with three other friends crowded around the computer, but even solo players will enjoy the challenge. The fact that it only features five levels is disappointing, but they are all very good and there are plenty of other challenges and unlockables to keep you busy. Overall, this is a title that we can wholeheartedly recommend to fans of the genre, but it is worth mentioning that there appears to be no more support from the developers for this PC version of the game.

Gameplay: Challenging and addictive, especially when played with friends.

Graphics: The pixel art visuals look great and really captures the classic feel of the genre.

Sound: The soundtrack is incredible, although the sound effects could have been better

Caladrius Blaze

Caladrius Blaze

Take to the skies as one of eight different characters and blast your enemies to bits in this vertically scrolling shooter. It is heavy on fan service, and the visuals have not aged as well as we would have liked, but in terms of gameplay, Caladrius Blaze is still a very solid shooter. It has plenty of modes as well as an adjustable challenge that makes it accessible to players of all skill levels. The game does have a couple of issues, so make sure you know about these before purchasing.

Gameplay: The game can be as challenging as you want it to be and is quite addictive to boot.

Graphics: Nice character designs and plenty of fan service, but the 3D textures really show their age.

Sound: The audio features Japanese voiceovers and some nice background tunes