Super Astrovade

I'm not usually a bullet hell kind of person but I'm having fun with this game. The game play is addictive, the retro graphics are cool. It's really hard but that's part of its appeal. Setting off the supernova is very satisfying and comes with a sigh of relief for a short time. I really like the idea of needing to get up close and personal to attack the enemies. I'm not sure I've seen attacking with a ship's thruster in this kind of game before. It's a neat, original idea. I look forward to playing more.

I'm having a hard time but having a ball!! New to this guys games but pretty cool stuff and like I said, not easy!

[b]What’s The Gameplay [/b] The gameplay is simple... you gotta fly around and dodge while collecting stardust. If you collect enough stardust, you can drop a big bomb. You can also attack with your thruster. And boost to get out of the way. [b]Funnest Part Of This Game[/b] Here’s the funnest part... You’re about to beat your hi-score. And you need just one more stardust so that you can release your bomb -- and get massive points. Do you play aggressive and risk going after it? Or do you play cautious and dodge and wait for the best time grab that last stardust? It’s these little moments where you have to decide in a split second to play aggressive or hold back -- that make the game fun. [b]Good Parts Of This Game[/b] The controls are tight and snappy. It’s fun to thrust attack. And it’s also fun to hold down the button and dodge for as long as you can. Dodging is the best part because when you get good at it, it feels like you're in a trance. And you get points for doing so. The game is hard, but fair. And the better you get, the longer you survive. But the longer you survive, the crazier the game gets. [b]What Could Make The Game Better[/b] Thrust attack. This is mostly my issue, but I have trouble with this mechanic. I find that I’m mostly spamming the thrust attack, and it’s luck that I killed an enemy. Again, this is mostly due to me -- and I need more practice. But still, it's hard to get use to. Music. It was great for the first 2 hours. But then I turned it off, and put on my own music. Levels. Although trying to get a hi-score is really fun... and the arena gets harder as you play... it is just one arena. But I understand this was made by a solo dev, so it is fun for what it is. Is This Game For You If you’re a fan of bullet hells... dodging mechanics... melee attacks... then this game is for you. If you like chasing a hi-score, this game is for you. If you like games that don’t give you upgrades so that you have to rely on your own mechanical skill, this game is for you. Plus it’s only $3 bucks. It’s a fun quick game you can easily jump into and out and try to beat your hi-score. And it’s great to play on your Steam Deck too.

Took me a few runs to realize that the flame from my thrusters was what I was supposed to use to kill enemies, but once that clicked I was in love. Incredibly snappy controls and tight, fast-paced addictive game loop. Great price for a fun, super replayable little arcade experience :) Looking forward to digging into this game more. And it plays fantastically on my steam deck!

As far as I'm aware, you need to collect 10 stardust to bomb away some enemies' shields so you can even damage them at all. Toward the ends of earlier waves there'll often be a few shielded enemies remaining, so you have to wait for enough stardust to gradually appear a few pieces at a time before you can finally finish them off. Just like hitting the last few bricks in a brick breaker, this felt tedious. In later waves there can be so many shielded enemies at once that it feels like you're endlessly dodging trying to scrounge up enough stardust to make any progress at all. If you get hit you drop all your stardust like Sonic drops rings, so the game feels downright Sisyphean at times. If there were no shielded enemies or if you could break their shields with a few thruster hits I figure I would probably enjoy myself more, but as it is, the pacing just feels off to me.