Windows XP
Divogames
If you're feeling nostalgic for old top-down shooter games like Xevious, Galaga, Zaxxon, or 1942, AstroAvenger will scratch that itch.
The game puts you at the controls of a spaceship that flies endlessly forward through fields of enemies, which you must shoot before they shoot you. Besides your ship's cannons, you also have a limited supply of missiles that can wipe out huge swathes of enemies. What else do you need? Don't blaze away too wildly, though, or you'll deplete your battery and find yourself waiting to recharge while enemies rain destruction on you.
Blowing away enemies earns you money, which you can spend between levels to refill your stock of missiles, repair your armor, and upgrade your weapons, armor, and battery. Deciding how to upgrade your ship and what missiles to load adds a strategic element to the game, so plan ahead! The flexibility of designing your ship, coupled with three difficulty modes and 50 levels, means that AstroAvenger has excellent replay value.
While AstroAvenger's gameplay follows what might politely be called a tried-and-true model, it's smoothly executed and provides lots of high-speed blasting fun. Coupled with great graphics and challenging gameplay, that means you won't get bored with AstroAvenger easily.