Get busy blasting
It's testament to the influence of the classic shooter Space Invaders that people are still churning out clones to this day, and that's not even talking about things like the Raiden series. Astro Fury is one such copy which takes the essential template of Space Invaders and adds, well, not that much really, other than a few whizzy effects and some weapons. It remains a decent enough example of this kind of game though and if you want to live the old days but with a modern twist, it's worth a look. Like its inspiration, the goal here is simply to wade through wave after wave of vicious aliens, blasting them before they blast you. There are 100 hundred single screen levels to play through, each of which only allows you horizontal movement while the aliens swarm down the screen towards you. One area where this scores over the original is the wealth of weapons at your disposal, with 18 types of plasma gun for your main armament and 11 variations on missiles, rockets and lasers as your backup. There are also forty types of enemy and some pretty serious boss battles as well as the usual bonuses and pickups. Although Astro Fury is far from complex, it's just about perfect for when you're in the mood to kick some alien slime. The controls are about as easy as they come to pick up and the gameplay remains pretty addictive stuff, requiring fast reflexes and concentration. The visuals have been updated nicely, with some slick effects to add some eye candy, and although there's some repetitive audio and a few problems with not being able to see some bullets, this is a pretty fun little game.
