Back in the NES and SNES days, we had a blast with side-scrolling shooters with crazy power ups; think Gradius and all its sequels. That’s why Starfighter Overkill ($3) from Rapid Turtle Games has us excited. It’s not a clone, but this Mac App Store title definitely takes cues from classic arcade shooters, filling the screen with bullets, lasers, and of course, plenty of bad guys.
There’s no crazy strategy or even a lot of thinking when it comes to Starfighter Overkill. The goal is to simply blow up all of the enemies on screen while avoiding their shots and grabbing the power ups they drop. You also get a limited supply of nukes, lasers, and fireballs for when you get stuck or want to quickly do away with bosses. For three bucks, this one should keep you occupied for a while, or at least be a welcome break from a stressful day.