Mommy’s Best Games is an indie development studio consisting of a handful of gaming enthusiasts with plenty of industry experience, and Shoot  1UP is a product of their unique mix of talents from the Ratchet & Clank, and controversial Postal series. Don’t let the fact that you won’t be able to up your gamerscore with this game (as Xbox Live Indie games lack achievements), Shoot  1UP is undoubtedly worth your time, and it will only cost you $1.

Opening with a few short images depicting a generic struggle against some maleficent aliens, Shoot 1UP sets the stage for you to take the fight to them and win an intergalactic war. Then, you’re thrust into deciding just how you want to go about whooping ass: Single Player, 2-player Co-op, or Score Trek.

In this top-down shooter, you are given three ships to control simultaneously. Called your “phalanx”, you can expand or contract your ships with the triggers. If you choose to keep your ships expanded, their weapons will supercombine to create a powerful plasma auger that fires out from their center. Additionally, you will score extra points. However, contracting your phalanx is often the best strategy for dodging bullets in a screen filled with plasma fire.

As you explode your foes, they’ll occasionally drop a “1UP” powerup. Traditionally, this means you get an extra life, but in Shoot 1UP, the extra life takes the form of another ship added to your phalanx, increasing your firepower. An interesting thing of note regarding the scoring is that you are given a base amount of points for each ship you kill, but a downed enemy ship also drops a score bonus that steadily falls down the screen. If you want it, go and get it, but beware the risks of diving and jiving through the minefield of missiles your enemies are throwing at you. If your phalanx is crushed, it is back to square one. This creates a unique risk-reward structure in the game, and adds another layer of separation between players of varying skill levels.

If you choose to play in cooperative mode with a buddy, you have twice the firing power, and because each player can max their phalanx out at 30 ships, you can have a total of 60 ships unleashing sweet, sweet revenge on those genocidal aliens.

Make no mistake, despite the six or so levels in the game, Shoot 1UP can be very challenging. In all difficulties above “Chilled”, you’ll find yourself contracting your phalanx more often than not just so you can squeeze between a hailstorm of fireballs. If you choose to play the Score Trek mode, strap yourself in. In this mode you are given only 1 ship, and this ship alone is capable of creating the plasma auger. Instead of 1UPs, you collect POWs that increase the auger’s size, but if you die you have to restart the level you’re on. Shoot 1UP graciously gives you the option to play it at various speeds ranging from 25% – 200% so you can practice your matrix-style bullet dodging skills at the slow speeds to prepare you for the onslaught of the higher ones.

For an indie game made by as many people as you can count on one hand, the aesthetics of Shoot 1UP don’t disappoint either.  The soundtrack consists of an upbeat techno track on repeat that dutifully implies the pace of urgency in the game. You’ll come to love the Sonic the Hedgehog like sound of your plasma auger charging up as well as the splashing sound of the barrier around a score bonus breaking.

You may be too busy frenetically maneuvering your ships around screen just to survive another second to notice the graphics, but they are just as professionally polished as the rest of the package. The graphical presentation strikes that delicate balance between arcade nostalgia and the hi-res of the new generation. Each level brings unique enemies with unique attacks, and creative (sometimes comical) backdrops that speak of the ravages of war. Oh, and the bosses are also one-of-a-kind, and it’s worth playing through just to see Mecha-Lilith.

For just 80 MS points ($1), Shoot 1UP delivers an energetic, challenge filled experience that will keep you coming back for more. While there is a bit of a learning curve for newcomers to shoot ‘em ups, the difficulty is soon alleviated after you become practiced in properly using your shield and phalanx expansion. Regardless, this title should be on every gamer’s To-Do list, because you will hardly ever find more bang for your buck.

Final Score: 9 | Recommendation: Buy It

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About This Author: Andrew Giese

I spend more time reading and writing about gaming, but when I do get a chance to grab the sticks, you bet I'll be unavailable for the next few hours. I hope to complete my Masters in Computer Science in a few years and one day actually help make some of the games I love.

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