Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo Review

Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo

Release: January 1, 1970
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Developer:
Genre: Action, Shooter, Switch Reviews
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It’s 2051. Earth is all but dead, an almost uninhabitable polluted mess of smog and tar. Remotely control space blasters from a dying Earth. Fight in epic space battles against all kinds of weird alien spacecraft. Rescue cute ‘blastronauts’ from alien capture. Wipe-out the alien forces and take-over their planet to give humanity a new home. Time is running out. Do you have what it takes to become the ultimate space blaster pilot and the saviour of the human race? That’s the story behind Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo (SMSBST).

It’s 1979. Atari released a game where a lone ship shaped like a triangle floated across the screen, could aim in any direction and had to shoot down asteroids and alien spaceships. It’s a fair assumption that this game, Asteroid, the OG SHMUP, serves as inspiration for this game.

It’s 2020. I am a 38 year old man who has lived his entire life playing video games, including Asteroid, and I remember it well. While it may have served as a jumping off point for the folks over at Bare Knuckle Development, that’s where the comparisons end. While this game may be a love letter to the past it is deeply rooted with modern functionality, game play, and action. Proving that once again for fans of games, a title doesn’t have to be from a big AAA developer with a massive budget to make a great game.

But let’s get down to the info you should know:

• 5 (that’s right 5) different game play modes with unique goals, challenges and game play mechanics.
• 15 different ships to unlock, choose, and abuse all with different attributes (faster, more durable, turrets which makes it a twin stick shooter, etc etc)
• Various collectibles and unlockables and upgrades, allowing you to even further customize your experience (AND DESTRUCTION)
• Over 40 in game challenges to give you different goals, that reward you with coins which help you purchase new ships and upgrades in the shop.
• Online leader boards (even on switch) to show you where you rank amongst the other pilots out there.
• A sweet soundtrack full of 80s synth tunes to add to the atmosphere and stylistic choices in the game.

Oh, did I mention? It’s also a bullet hell style game. That’s right, on top of all of the above there are rocks, bullets, missiles, and bombs all over the screen. In another unique twist on this mechanic and style, instead of endless shots, you do have ammo. You will need to pick up more bullets as you rocket across the screen. So you can’t just blindly fire away, as there has to be some thought and intent in your decision and aiming. My personal favorite mode offered is called Survival: In this mode, your space blaster is on the fritz and constantly shoots. So you have to continually try to get more ammo as you move around, as quick as possible, so that you aren’t left defenseless floating around the screen.

There are other modes that feature other styles that you (and another player) can either work together or go face to face, like in modes such as “one shot” and “to the death” where only one can be crowned king. If you aren’t a fan of these types of games I’m not sure if there is anything here to sway someone into being a fan of this genre. However, if you are even a casual fan, this is a REALLY fun little game to pick up in bite sizes, when you have a few minutes to spare. But if you aren’t careful, you can find yourself thinking, “I got time for one more!.” Lather, rinse, repeat and next thing you know, 40 minutes has gone by and your wife and kids are left wondering why you were in the bathroom for so long. If you are a fan of space shooters you can’t go wrong here, especially for only $4.99.  Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo launches on January 14th.

About the Author: Kevin Austin

Husband, Father of three girls, and lifelong gamer. Embedded in the Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft Ecosphere. Known for an appreciation of the odd and the occasional “Hot Take”. He is also Co-founder of the Play Some Video Games (PSVG) podcast network as well as Host of the PSVG Prime show. To find out more visit psvg.blog!

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