Go on, admit it. Whenever you see a modern shooter, or “shmup” you nod and pretend to know what’s going on, fearful that you`ll be mocked for not understanding the complex mechanics of this most `niche` of gaming genres. Thankfully for those who don`t want to spend all their spare time learning intricate scoring mechanics, or even if you’re just feeling like a lesser mortal for credit feeding, you can enjoy a shmup in relative peace with the forthcoming Indie Game release from Mommy`s Best Games, Shoot 1Up.
After the rather splendid Weapon of Choice, we at Console Arcade knew there was more great stuff to come from Mommy`s Best Games, and sure enough this is the fruits of their recent labours. Right from the off, the visual clarity is certainly striking and you’ll find yourself checking to make sure that this is actually coming out under the Indie Games banner instead of a full Xbox Live Arcade release. There’s care and attention in every aspect of Shoot 1Up, and it shows. The static opening slides do a lovely job of establishing the story, invoking a strong memory of the 16-bit era classics. In-game the ships pulse with detail, as do the fantastic backgrounds on some levels, and the… *ahem*… “details” on one particular boss certainly stick in the mind.
The premise is the opposite of the usual shmup affair; instead of preserving lives, dispatched enemies will drop extra ones which you scoop up and use at the time, rather than keeping them in reserve. Pressing on the left and right triggers will expand and contract the fleet, as well as instigating a powerful combined beam which will decimate all onscreen enemies. If any of your ships are destroyed, their blast will act as a temporary shield, but crucially the beam will be interrupted as you reconfigure the formation of your ships. The ghost pickup creates a mirror image of your current configuration, altering your perception as you lose track of which actual set of ships you control at any one time, but priceless on any of the Boss stages. Rightly so, these battles are tense affairs, but the player will soon have the measure of them.
There are also branching paths which help ease the player in, allowing them to follow a gentler route or an infinitely more challenging time can be had merely by deciding between shifting to the left or right hand of the screen at the appropriate time. There’s also the ability to share all this goodness with a friend locally in two player mode, which will no doubt end up in frantic squabbles, gathering up ships as they appear from the broken shells of defeated enemies.
Don`t go thinking that this is all the sole preserve of the hardened bullet hell veteran. As alluded to at the start, Shoot 1Up caters for all types of players. This is undeniably its core strength, with various difficulties in the form of Chilled, Normal, Serious or Score Trek. There’s even the option to run at 200% the normal speed, which certainly makes for some interesting gaming. And those who are continually dismayed at the lack of Achievements in Indie titles will welcome the inclusion of awards, little in-game medals that can be collected for satisfying certain criteria. Think you can complete a level without losing a ship? Or collect 30 ships (or even better 60 ships in two player mode)? Shoot 1Up will keep you on your toes, as well as adding bragging rights into the mix.
The real kicker though, and what puts the icing on the cake, is the price the game will be released at; 80 Microsoft Points. That`s roughly 70p, just under a Euro, or a dollar if you`re American. A remarkable price for the quality of the game on offer.
It`s easy to take a swipe at the quality of titles on offer on the Indie Games channel, and in some cases, it`s valid as there’s a swathe of tripe clogging up the service. If Shoot 1Up does anything, it`ll be to demonstrate just how far you can go when artistic talent and creativity are harnessed in the right way.
Expect the game to arrive on Xbox Indie Games for download soon.
