Scoregasm

Shmups tend to start off easy then steadily build difficulty. Many times I have given up on a game because the difficulty ramps up so high. It is utterly frustrating to play 80% of the game and then quit because the game gets impossibly hard. Charlie fixes this problem in Scoregasm by offering a non-linear, grid-level advancement. If you score high, you will be offered a choice between Normal or Advanced, or if you really score high then you can go to the Insane levels. If you choose Insane and you score poorly, the game will drop you to Normal levels. Thus you are always facing the right difficulty level.

The level design is superb and tightly tuned. While the great tunes and neon graphics add to the pleasure of play. The play area is small and you run around frantically in tight corridors and tiny rooms dodging bullets. The difficulty of playing in a small area is offset by the Close Attack, a short range kill-all weapon. To maximize points, you must lure multiple enemies in your kill radius and blow them up. However you must shoot your enemies with your long range weapon to charge up your Close Attack, adding another layer of strategy and tension.