Astro Fury Review

Written by: Keith Durocher Published: October 12, 2006 Astro Fury from Alawar Entertainment is a return to the glory days of the coin-operated arcade console. A top-down shooter akin to Space Invaders and Galaga, you take control of an advanced intergalactic ship, guiding it against the seemingly unending forces of a nefarious alien civilization. Along the way, you'll gaze upon a different beautiful background for each of the 10 stages in the game. These are stunning panoramas of poppy-red gas clouds and neon-green asteroid fields, a far cry from the empty voids of yesteryear's shooters. Complimenting the visuals are 11 different power-ups. From simple missiles to spectacular sprays of plasma pellets, these bonuses are as fun to see as they are handy to have in a tight spot. There are a few drawbacks: your primary weapon suffers from repetitious audio, there's no tutorial for the powerups and Astro Fury ultimately upholds the adage that the journey is often more rewarding than the destination. However, it also one of those games that can easily drag you into a late-night frenzy of "just one more level." This is a solid starting point for a franchise. I hope to see an even more addictive sequel soon. Scoring (out of five dragon heads): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Difficulty: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Astro Fury.