Massive power-ups in this retro shoot ’em up

Absolute Blue is a free shoot ’em up, in the style of classics like R-Type and Gradius.

This is quite a big game, considering it’s freeware, with 12 levels set over four worlds. Absolute Blue features a tutorial, one of very few for this genre! You control a ship, and as you fly through space, scrolling right avoiding scenery and shooting down waves of enemies and the occasional boss.

The sound effects in Absolute Blue are very 16-bit era, which is fine. Graphically it is also reminiscent of that time, but a little more polished and with some great explosion effects. There are three difficulty levels, to suit most players.

What sets Absolute Blue apart is its over the top power-up system. When you start off, your ship is useless, but pick up a few power-ups and the tables are soon turned on the army of alien invaders. While you lose everything if you lose a life, once your power ups reach a certain level you will be firing so much around the screen enemies will barely have a moment to fight back! Of course, some may find this makes the game too easy, though it’s a lot of fun.

Absolute Blue is a great free shoot ’em up that looks and sounds good, and plays even better.