Score Rush Extended

Sometimes you're in the mood for a game with a deep story, engaging characters, plot twists, and a narrative on par with the best big-screen dramas; sometimes, you just want to blow stuff up. Score Rush Extended is all about the latter. The game is reminiscent of the old-school arcade shooters of days past, right down to the "Insert Coin" prompt to add new players. As the title indicates, it's a mad dash, dodge, and shoot to ultimately earn a score higher than the competition, whether it be a few friends sitting around the TV, ace arcade players from around the world, or just yourself as you try to outdo your own last, best score.

"Move and shoot" sums up the entire experience. There are only two power-ups throughout the game: one that boosts your power and one that adds a floating orb (up to three) to trail your ship and add extra firepower. You've also got a stockpile of three nukes that wipe out everything on the screen at once. While the game does a pretty solid job as an arcade shooter, its biggest draw is also its biggest weakness. This is definitely a one-trick pony. No matter what mode you play in, there's very little difference in the actual gameplay. Even though things get frantic pretty quick, it doesn't change the repetitive nature of the game. Most of the time, your attention is focused on the small, black hit box on your ship, ducking and weaving to keep anything from hitting that target. It's bright, it's colorful, and, unfortunately, without anything to help mix things up, it starts to get old fairly quickly.