PESTER (XBLIG)

Earlier on this year, or late last year I decided to buy an indie shmup from the XBLIG marketplace with the spare 80 msp that I had left over. The shmup I speak of was titled "Super Killer Hornet", and it was developed by Flump Studios. It featured unique classic shmup (shoot 'em up) gameplay with an interesting mathematical power-up system. It was this math based feature that really caught my attention, and held it for quite some time. The math system had definitely added an edge that you would not expect from an arcade style shmup, and it seemed to fit in perfectly. For some reason though I totally lost track of the developer's name over the months, and thought that "Super Killer Hornet" would likely be this developer's only XBLIG release.

Thankfully though Flump Studios has made a return with a new shmup title, and they seemingly intend on bringing more innovative shmups to the XBLIG marketplace in the months to come. Today though I'll be reviewing a recently released Flump Studios shmup titled "Pester". Unlike the previous shmup title it pays homage to the classic arcade experience of old with numerous features, and modes that the older generation of gamers will be able to relate to.

Pester is a shmup that seems to borrow from older video game ideas (Galaga, Space Invaders ...) while adding it's own modern day take on the classic shmup genres of old. Arcade gamers of the 80's will likely be familiar with what I speak of. It's this 80's shmup genre based inspiration that really adds to Pester's overall appeal. You have to understand that back in the day shmups were all the rage, and to be truly great at this genre one would have to spend massive amounts of time and quarters mastering each arcade cabinet based game. To say these games were challenging would be an understatement, and in most cases arcade shmups from the 80's were the most hardcore experiences of the time. Gaining that highest score on the leaderboards definitely took some skill, and lots of practice. In retrospect it is this era in gaming history that "Pester" seems to take it's influences from.

Game modes come in a interesting variety in "Pester". You'll find the "Classic" mode initially unlocked in both the "Arcade", and "Tempus" core game modes. Of course there are other listed modes (Survival, Asteroid Belt, Boss Mode, Boss Survival) as well, but they will require high scores in order to be unlocked. Both Arcade, and Tempus have their own unique styles of gameplay, and stand alone in their own seperate menu systems. Arcade as you can likely imagine is the more classic shmup mode in which you must defeat wave after wave of spaceships, aliens, and meteors as they head in your ships direction. To combat the intergalactic threat you have a ship that is not unlike those of classic shmup games. Flump Studios saw it fit to give you (the gamer) the choice of 3 different styles of ships. One ship looks retro (Galaga/Space Invaders) while the remaining two (Grace, and Hornet) have their own modern day inspirations. The "Grace" ship in particular is based on a ship from another XBLIG shmup called "Chrono Blast" while the "Hornet" is Flump Studio's own creation. It's options like these that really add to Pester's appeal, as I mentioned earlier.

In the "Arcade" core mode your objective is to basically defeat wave after wave of incoming baddies, and bosses with whatever ship you choose to go with. Upon defeating each smaller foe in the game you will notice that silver coins will drop in their place as they are destroyed. Collecting these coins will in turn fill up a hyper meter located at the top of the screen, and can eventually be used to trigger a hyper mode once the meter is filled.  In some situations going "Hyper" will not only get you out of a crowded situation with the enhanced bullet fire, but will also increase your score by a lot as you destroy any ships during the time that hyper mode is active. As you pass each wave of enemies you'll find that things become increasingly more difficult, and that bullet hell types of ships will make an appearance. To counteract these ever growing threats you will need to collect the randomly appearing power-ups that show up onscreen. By collecting these letter based bubble power-ups you will be able to increase your ship's speed as well as the power of your shots. To get you out of the occasional crowd of enemy ships Flump Studios has also included the classic screen clearing bomb that can also be collected via power-ups.

The "Tempus" core mode on the other hand is it's own unique style of mode. Instead of collecting silver coins to fill up a hyper meter you will need to constantly pick up the clocks left behind from fallen enemy spacecraft in order to add to a timer that is counting down. The collected clocks basically counterbalance the decreasing timer that is located underneath your onscreen ship. In simple terms you'll find that running out of time in this mode will end your progress with a sudden "Game Over".

Aside from the two core modes (Arcade & Tempus) you'll find a nice variety of sub-modes for the both of them that can be selected when setting your game's three stage setup (Game Mode, Modifiers & Settings) options. Initially the "Classic"sub-mode is only one unlocked upon downloading the full game. Classic is the straightforward version of each core game mode, and includes no additional special rules, or tweaked features. The remaining sub-modes (Survival, Asteroid Belt, Boss Mode & Boss Survival) that must be unlocked by meeting certain high score requirements do however contain their own unique styles of play. The "Survival" sub-mode, for example is a spin-off on the "Classic" mode. It has some very significant differences. You'll find that getting hit by enemy fire once, or running into an enemy ship once will end your progress with an immediate "Game Over". On the plus side your ship's shot will be fully upgraded, and you will be blessed with one speed power-up as well. As far as "Asteroid Belt" goes I was unable to unlock it before typing up this review. I'm sure you will figure it out if you give the game a chance though.

The remaining two boss based modes (Boss Mode & Boss Survival) are basically the same as the "Classic" mode of Arcade, and Tempus with the only difference being the fact that you only battle bosses. Boss Mode follows the same rules as the "Classic" sub-mode, and the "Boss Survival" sub-mode follows the same rules as the previously mentioned "Survival" mode. In all there are five sub-modes, and two core modes to choose from. Fortunately these are not the only additions to this highly impressive shooter though. You'll find that the remaining two game setup menus (Modifiers & Settings) also have their own unique offerings for the player.

The "Modifiers" sub-menu in the initial game setup includes some options that greatly enhance the core gameplay. You'll find an "Expert" modifier which will increase the amount of bullet hell on the screen as well as the amount of enemies on the screen. You'll also find a "Duo" modifier which gives the player the challenging ability to control two separate ships at the same time using both thumbsticks on your controller. There's even a "Reverse" modifier that reverses the player's controls in case you weren't challenged enough already.

Last, but certainly not least is the game setup's additional "Settings" sub-menu. This third options menu will allow you to tweak several different in-game features that pertain to the graphics, and music found within Pester. The first option you will find is "Background". When selecting your preferred background you will find a total of 7 different background choices. Initially most of them are unlocked, but you'll find that one or two must be unlocked through gameplay. The backgrounds include, but are not limited to Deep Space, Moon, and Sky. Next up is "Music". There are 8 tracks available to choose from in this feature, and each has their own unique sound. The track called "Drifted", for example has a hardcore style techno sound to it while another such track titled "Wicked" has a screeching heavy metal style of sound. There's definitely a nice array of music tracks to select from, and listen to as you are playing through each of Pester's modes. Last, but definitely not least is the "Overlay". Like any true acrade style tribute game Flump Studios has included a nice selection of screen overlays that pay homage to both the classic arcade era of the 80's, and the modern day offerings of today. Among these choices you'll find an arcade visual style with, or without screenlines as well as the option to choose no overlay at all. You can even turn on, and off the side bars if you so desire.

You'll be glad to know that Pester also offers something for all those achievement hounds out there. While the unlockable in-game awards are nothing like that of the Xbox 360 counterparts they still give the gamer a goal to reach for. This in turn adds a slightly higher replay value to the already high replay value that the game has to offer. I should also mention that Pester is a vertical shooter with a top down style of visuals. I don't know why I forgot to mention that earlier on?  

When it's all said, and done Pester is a full package deal. The developer does not skimp out on offerings, and definitely captures the true essence of the classic shmup era with all that they include. There's plenty of game modes to explore, and plenty of available options to tweak and unlock. I absolutely loved the game's soundtrack, and the gameplay it complimented was also very noteworthy. Things like the overlay offerings definitely caught my attention. In the end though I think what inspired me to like this game the most was the fact that it's challenging nature is a lot like the high score games of old. You'll definitely have to spend time with this game to get a respectable high score, and I truly appreciate that. For 80 msp, or whatever the heck this game costs it is worth it! I'd highly suggest adding Pester to your XBLIG library if you haven't already. It's a must for any shmup enthusiast out there!