14 DAY TRIAL // 
Even with so much modern technology, graphics engines that push visuals to the border of reality and FPS games that can be played using only gestures, people still reminiscence about the golden age of gaming where platformers and shooters ruled the recreational world and where having a good time and not graphics made a developer feel proud about its creation.
That's just what Studio Evil wants to bring to the table through their latest scrolling, multi directional shoot 'em up: frantic shooter action with bullets, lasers and missiles just flying everywhere. How good a job they did and why we should throw money at a product when tons of bullet-hell shooters are free can be learned just below.
The story of the game focuses on an imminent attack from an unknown alien force. Take on the role of a fighter pilot, with a tad of insubordination coursing through its veins and tons of guts, who must face dozens of enemies at once.
With four difficulty levels and thousands of things you must shoot down, Syder Arcade's gameplay is one of its strong points. A nice addition is that you can flip your ships and turn the other way. This is a necessary thing, as enemies will come from both sides. Even more, some ships can be destroyed a lot quicker if you maneuver behind them.
No multiplayer was provided by the developers, though at least a co-op feature would have been more than welcomed. There are two game modes players can choose from: Survival and Campaign.
In the Campaign mode, you must make your way through six different missions and defend the galaxy from an unknown threat. Missions vary and you find yourself in interesting scenarios: defend a space ship while engineers try to repair it, bring down the leader of the robot space pirates or just blow everything up in your way.
Survival mode is much more complicated and you must fight against hordes of invading zombies. Just joking, as the official features list states, this is a zombie free game! Survival is a classic mode where you roam the galaxy, shoot enemy ships and try to stay alive, no more complicated than that.
To better prepare yourself for the challenges that lie ahead, three different space fighters have been put at your disposal: each having different looks, different specs and different weapons. Although speed and armor can make the difference between finishing a level or dying, weapons are the ones that really separate these ships (mainly the secondary, more powerful weapon). Try them all and see which one fits your bill.
The weapons could use slight improvements during battle, but no weapon/armor/speed system has been made available. Although not so common in retro shoot 'em ups, this would have been a very good addition to the gameplay compensating the fact that you can only choose from three different fighters. Adding to the small number of available campaigns some could say that the game suffers from lack of content.
Tons of badges, achievements and most importantly an online high score table can increase the playability of the game for some. After completing a mission, you'll be able to see your score and compare it to that of other pilots.
Controlling the ship can be done old-school, by using a keyboard and mouse, or by using a controller, which is also my recommendation. The controller's standard buttons need a bit of tweaking, but you should adjust to them in no time.
Visually, the game is a treat. Using high-definition graphics and a huge amount of detail, each mission is carefully designed to bring out the best of space. Gaseous clouds, debris from destroyed ships and asteroid fields color the world around you creating not a distracting, but a great environment to test your shooting capabilities.
Sounds of lasers, missiles and explosion are created in a way that complements the soundtrack. There are 16 different music tracks and they all feature a retro-inspired, electronic feel that just gets your blood boiling and increases the arcade feel.
While playing the game, those who happened to be in the same room heard some really foul words and this is why I think the game is good. This is what a good shooter should be all about: frustration and reward; of course, throwing in some great music and great ship controls doesn't hurt at all.
Those who don't already own a copy of the game, but want something in their gaming collection that reminds them of the good old days, can purchase it for 7.99$/8.99€. The soundtrack can be acquired separately or by getting the Deluxe Edition.
