Out of This World Commodore 64 game

"Out of this World" offers a comprehensive experience for enthusiasts of horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up games. It includes peculiar extraterrestrial vistas, a bewildering array of weaponry, numerous levels of continuous weaving, bobbing, and firing, and a series of waves featuring alien life-forms. Despite its array of features, "Out of this World" draws inspiration from "Fantasy Zone," a classic shoot-'em-up found on the Sega Master System.

In the game, you assume control of a spacecraft capable of maneuvering left or right, as well as up and down over the scrolling backdrop, while various entities approach from all angles. Equipped with a Quark cannon boasting infinite ammunition, you dart back and forth, consistently firing while keeping one eye on the target and the other scanning for the impending wave of adversaries.

The environment features vivid landscapes adorned with grotesque technicolour toadstools, while the aliens comprise a surreal assortment. Seven icons, including multi-directional cannons of varying strengths, a laser, a 'wide beam,' acceleration, and an extra life, are available. Each requires differently colored pods for activation, and when the energy of any one reaches maximum, the corresponding icon becomes operational. This allows your modest Quark cannon to be substituted by the formidable seven-way shotgun, which showers bullets across the screen until its energy depletes or until you exchange it for another weapon.

Life within this alternate world is, naturally, distressingly fleeting. Your feeble cannon and meager six lives prove scarcely sufficient, compelling you to locate a relatively secure region on the screen to evade most of the aliens and eliminate stragglers.

Upon accumulating pods and accessing more potent firearms, the gameplay becomes somewhat more manageable—albeit not significantly so. Conquering the initial level, "The Forest," entails relentlessly battering the enemy until they submit. The moment they concede defeat, a large 'E' for 'Exit' materializes on the screen. A swift blast with whatever means at your disposal transports you to the subsequent level.

However, prior to reaching the next level, you must navigate through a multitude of swarming yellow pods in a somewhat misleadingly labeled "Bonus Level." Perishing during this phase results in your immediate return to the starting point. The second level, should you advance, retains a similar premise. The setting evolves, substituting toadstools for icicles and snowmen, with faster and more abundant aliens. Beyond an even more daunting Bonus Level lies the third level, a bubble-filled realm. Five additional worlds and bonus levels follow suit. Admittedly, my journey to the present point was paved by utilization of a cheat mode, entailing manipulation of various keys and an additional body part to sustain pressure on the fire button. This grants a variable quantity of lives contingent on the initial frequency of button presses. More significantly, it amplifies the energy levels of all icons, rendering them activatable with only a pod or two.

Every aspect of "Out of this World" exudes seamless sophistication, and the diverse landscapes and aliens mitigate potential monotony. Nonetheless, its intense difficulty may discourage less zealous players. The inclusion of bonus levels could have been omitted for an improved gaming experience. However, if your idea of amusement involves a blistered trigger finger, search no further.