Stargunner

Stargunner is a 1996 side-scrolling shooter that delivers fast, colorful space combat with plenty of enemies, explosions, weapons, and screen-filling chaos. The player pilots a heavily armed spacecraft through a series of increasingly difficult stages, destroying enemy ships while collecting power-ups and upgrading firepower. The action is firmly arcade-oriented, demanding quick reactions and good knowledge of enemy patterns. Stargunner is particularly satisfying when the weapons become powerful enough to turn the screen into a fireworks display, although the game is perfectly happy to remind you that the enemies can shoot back. The graphics and effects are impressive for a DOS shooter, giving the action a polished feel without losing its old-school simplicity. There is little time for complicated storytelling once the shooting starts. The galaxy is under attack, your ship has guns, and everything in front of you appears to be a reasonable target. Interstellar diplomacy can wait until after the next boss.