Independent Games Spotlight #4

I spent about 20 minutes with this game before I finally figured out what the hell I was supposed to be doing. I knew the game got quite a bit of praise in various independent game forums including IGF. It wasn't until I figured out the unique mechanic that I began to understand the hype.

Clean Asia

At first this game looks like a standard Shoot-em-up with stylized vector graphics; but the twist is you bash into enemies with your "ship" and use the debris as ammo by flinging it back at other enemies. Being successful at this game is effectively maintaining a constant flow of ammo by using debris to kill ships and using that debris to kill even more. Maintaining this flow of ammo is important because if you run out of debris to shoot and none is floating around, you have to get it the hard way... by dangerously basting into enemies. You have the option to either throw all your debris at once for a powerful blast or shoot it in a steady stream. The controls can be confusing so be sure to check how to play it before you begin.

I must warn you all though. This game is very hard. I haven't been able to get past more than a few waves of enemies in each stage. But the premise is awesome and the music is pretty killer. Click here to download the game or check out some of his other projects. The developer, "Cactus", creates games daily, but this is considered one of his best. It was a finalist at IGF and won several SHMUP community awards. Might as well try out some of his other projects while on his site.

Have fun,

Brad