Operation Spacehog

I have no idea when I started playing Operation Spacehog.
I found online some place, when I was a but a wee lad.
Some time around 2002 I believe.
 
I loved it since first playthrough.
 
Up until then I had been looking for a game like R-Type, but had not found any for free on the internet. 
But then I come across this, and it blows me away. 
Why I love this game :
- The artwork is cartoonish and charmingly quirky. All the characters look like they marched right out of some weird nickelodeon space cartoon.
- You have a choice between three ships with different special weapons and speed. 
- There is a lot of different upgrades to get along the way, allowing you to customize your ship according to what you see fit. Do you go for speed, or perhaps your saving up for magma bullets?
- 2 player mode on the same screen and keyboard. So, your friend/sibling won't hate you for hogging the computer.
 
This game me so many hours of joy, and it was for free! Flying through the vast space missions alone was fun, but with a friend it was just plain awesome. Sure, better games have been made, with better visuals and more advanced upgrade systems, but it was charming little game, with a lot to offer. 
 
What keeps me from giving it a full 5/5 is that it could have been a little bit longer. 
But anyways. Considering what you get for free with this, it really is a cult classic!
I hope this short but sweet description, of a short but sweet game, will give you an incentive to check it out!