Lasers and Boobs

Imagine if 1ups did a little more than merely give you another chance to not suck. Imagine if the extra ships you acquired could actually be used to increase your firepower by amassing into an armada.

Sounds like it might be a headache, but Shoot 1up handles the concept very well. The visuals are very nice, the controls are responsive, the fast techno music compliments, and some of the bosses are memorable. The main negative is that the pace of the game may be too fast. Some levels last as long as a WarioWare mini-game and consisted of waves of forgettable enemies. But perhaps the latter could be said of most SHMUPs.

In sumation, Shoot 1up is a fun and worthwhile indie game available on Xbox Live Arcade.

Panda Confetti

Ever played Super Mario Bros. 2 and enjoyed lobbing enemies into one another? Well, what if I told you that in Apple Jack II, your unsatisfied to beat up adorable pandas by violently launching them at one another is rewarded with eye-candy confetti?

F’n Around and Gettin’ High

Another Late Night Gaming Indie Feature, 2D Voxel Madness, is an amazingly fun and addictive creation/exploration game for all of you that caught the Mine Craft infection. In this retro-stylized fast-paced game the world is yours to explore, mine, and craft. But if you’re like me, you’ll spend a good chunk of your time building f’n around and gettin’ high.

Cthulhu Tentical Kitty Rape

Recently covered in Late Night Gaming is a little nonsense shoot ’em up called Aeternum. Instead of playing as a spaceship, the game takes a page from the SNES Parodius series and gives the player an obscure choice of Japanese cat-eared school girl to control.

Though Late Night Gaming is intended to open discussion about featured games, and not necessarily review, I would also like to add that this game is one that I would recommend. After playing the tutorial, I learned everything I needed to know to turn the game from a confusing experience to a pleasant and challenging experience.