Intriguing little shooter
If you like your shooters old-school and unpretentious, with shades of Llamatron or Defender then this obscure little home-made Japanese game will be right up your alley. It's simple enough stuff, but endlessly enjoyable in the way of purist shoot 'em ups, with enough action to keep high score chasers satisfied for a fair while. The game takes a minimalist approach to its theme and is fairly abstract in a similar style to classics like Asteroids, a game with which it shares more than a few similarities. The player takes control of spaceship and must fly around grabbing bits of floating gold while avoiding or destroying the enemy ships which are out to get you. However, you don't actually have any weapons and must instead rely on your collection of gold, because as you get more, you build up a meter which, when filled, renders your ship invincible. It only lasts for a short while however, so make the most of it while it lasts. The same applies to a speed boost which can be collected, while there is also a strict time limit for each stage, in which you must collect a certain amount of gold before progressing to the next one. A7xpg is quite an unusual little game, with enough originality about it to make it stand out a bit from the crowd. It's not a full-on blaster so if you're looking for another Raiden then you might be disappointed. However, if you want something a little more thoughtful yet which still requires plenty of fast reflexes, then this makes for a perfect, if unexpected, treat. The visuals are simple enough but the gameplay really shines so if you fancy checking out something unusual, this is perfect.
