🚀 go-pugleaf

Well, I just finished the beta version (though I doubt I saw it all, 
will play again.) 

This EASILY beats any other scrolling 2-d shooter out there (i.e. any
apogee 2D game, Jazz, etc.).  Why?

1)  Not cute.  I hated these platform games before because they were
just too cute.
2)  Easiest interface (once you get used to it, about 1 minute or so)
I've seen since DOOM.
3)  The playability...  wow.  I was upset when I finished, I wanted more.
Most shareware games I don't feel that.
4)  The adaptability... you can make almost anything with this engine.  
5)  Weapon choices, and each one is noticably different.
6)  I kinda like having no music.  Maybe this is a new trend (as quake
is also not to have music.)

My only gripes:

1)  not enough enemies (types, not sheer numbers..)  Hopefully there
will be more in the registered version.
2)  A tad slow in hi-res but worth it since you see so much more.  Also
Univesa should be included in the package since most cards apparently
need this (or a variant of it) to get the higher resolutions.
3)  Occasionally (it happened twice), my shots would start firing
from a place ABOVE my character, kinda weird, but once I moved to a 
new section, this would stop happening.
4) I hope the final registered version will have a menu choice to choose
which mode you want to play in as a default.

Comparisons to other 2D scroller shoot-em-ups:
1)  All apogee games in this genre:  not even close.  Duke Nukem comes
closest, though.
2)  Blackthorne:  terrible interface destroys any sort of 
playability.
3)  Jazz Jackrabbit:  the best one until Abuse.  Main problem was lack
of any sort of strategy, at least in the shareware version.

Summary:

This is easily the best game in the action category since DOOM.
No game since DOOM has made me want more.


Steven