Sharp presentation. Incredible soundtrack. Practically perfect gameplay. Waves my all time favorite Twin Stick Shooter.
Original Review Date: Jan 2, 2012 @ 10:20pm
Updated: Dec 18, 2013 @ 11:35am
Waves is a bright and hectic twin stick shooter with many similarities to Super Stardust HD and Everyday Shooter (except with smoother controls) It is crafted to the point of a perfect arcade style game, where a player's failure or success is purely based on his or her skill and not cheap deaths. Easy to play for casual gamers, challenging enough for hardcore gamers. Multiple game modes to whet your appetite, though I prefer Bombing Run (no gun, one shield and bomb per red pad collected in 10 second time) and Chase (get to the red pad before time is out). Rush and Survival are also extremely fun.
The soundtrack, composed by Smiletron (who has made alot of great electronic music) is an absolute wonder to hear, as it causes a near trance-like state when playing the game at high volumes with a good sound system - I was deeply immersed in this computer word when this chiptuney music was playing over the rave club-like techno bass. Having a subwoofer/surround system or really good headphones makes a huge difference.
Waves is my favorite multidirectional shmup of all time and I intend to keep it permanently installed to go back to on occasion. Get this game, so Squid in a Box can fund their next project.