This is a unique side-scrolling shooter that lets you "steal" weapons from the enemy. You have an AI robot that you deploy to download enemy secrets and destroy the bad guy when its done. It's actually very strategic, since you want to make sure you steal the right weapons at the right time.
In terms of difficulty I would put this game in the middle of the shooters. This is by no means an easy game, and it takes some trial and error to figure out the best ways to get through particular areas. You actually have some path choices, which I think works well. On the other hand, the number of enemies, fire and obstacles at any given time are manageable if you stay focused, even if you don't have a decent power up at the time.
One complaint that I do have is that if you die and lose your power ups while you're facing a boss, you start back at the boss screen with no chance of recovering any power ups. This can make the more difficult bosses impossible.
I think the graphics and animation on this title are fantastic. I also like the control scheme, including the way your AI robot moves in relation to your ship. The sounds are decent, somewhat instructive and mostly unobtrusive.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.