A retro inspired tunnel shooter made with Unity, Super Star Shooter 16 is a surprisingly fun game, even in its current unfinished form.

Flying into the screen, shooting enemies and dodging obstacles while collecting power ups (some of which will allow you to do more than just dodge obstacles – get hold of missiles and you can say goodbye to those pesky barriers) is well done and only occasionally let down by its 3D perspective, which can make the placement of enemies and projectiles difficult to judge.

It’s filled with brilliantly trippy, psychedelic effects on each wall of the tunnel you fly through – giving it the feel of a retro-futuristic flight through the cyberspace we imagined in the 80s. It’s got a phenomenally good synth-based soundtrack too, which adds a great deal of appeal; not unlike the pumping electronica in games such as Tempest 2000, it’s worth playing to experience the soundtrack alone – though the straightforward shooting, thrusting and dodging action is compelling in its own right too.

Though still in Early Access – and, technically, unfinished – it does feel like reasonably complete experience as is. However, many more features are planned, such as boss battles, balancing and better quality effects.

I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen of the game so far – it’s fast, smooth and responsive – and I’m looking forward to see it develop even more as it nears full release.

You can purchase Super Star Shooter 16 on Steam here.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a code for the game for preview/review purposes.