Following up my first Indie Game Spotlight, I am continuing this feature and presenting one of my favorite Indie shmups:



Genetos
vertical shmup - freeware
created by Tetsuya Koyama
originally released 2007, ver 0.60 2008

Genetos is a vertical shoot-em up that pays homage to the genre. The player evolves through the generations, gaining more power-ups and facing more challenging bosses and enemies. The game boasts sharp, crisp visuals running at around 30 fps. The game can be played windowed or full-screen. As expected with shmups, the game can get cluttered but it does not hinder the frame rate. While the ship design and some enemies may seem uninspired, they get more detailed as the game progresses. The effects are clean and vibrant and the menu screen and ingame user interface are easy-to-use and clear.

Genetos' controls utilize the arrow keys and the 'z', 'x', and 'c' key but can be modified in the options menu to the user's preference. Genetos also supports controller support including the Microsoft Xbox 360 controller. The menu screen also allows player the option to tweak the difficulty, graphic filters, sound volume, and a host of other features. The game records the player's top score and even enables players to save replays.

In the sound department, Genetos sports an soundtrack heavy on the electric synthesizer. One notable feature is that the music changes after each generation shift and at the beginning of each level. The background music from any stage of the game can be played from the sound test menu.

Albeit short in length, Genetos was remarkably fun and with the option to change difficulty and alter the ship settings, there is definitely a fair bit of replay value. Without a doubt, Genetos is highly derivative of other games of the genre but does so in a way that remains true to its source material. Genetos does not reinvent the wheel but shows us that creativity and innovation can come in the form of well executed and thoughtful mimicry.

Direct download link