I Heart Shift

Overview

I Heart Shift is Keir Miron's first and only Xbox Live Indie Games title. It has been compared to Geometry Wars, Rez, and Zuma. The game is a combination puzzle/ dual-joystick shooter where the gameplay changes depending on the "mode" you are in; in addition, the game features a procedurally-generated soundtrack which increases in complexity with the length of your combo (this also increases your rate of fire).
 

Gameplay

 
There are a total of 15 levels, most based on simple patterns of colors. When you begin a level you start in "Puzzle Mode" until you shoot off the edge of the screen. At this point you enter "Action Mode" where any remaining sections of the level attack you and your goal is to destroy them. When you reach the end of the level (either by eliminating all the blocks of color in either puzzle or action mode, or by being killed) you explode.
 

Puzzle Mode

 
When you begin a level you start in "Puzzle Mode." In this mode your ship fires different colors, which either eliminate or re-color different sections of the level (this depends on whether the color you hit is the same as the color you fired). The colors also shift constantly, although patches of the same color will keep their relation. Your rate of fire is dependent on how many successful shots you've fired in a row (this also adds notes to th e music that's playing). This mode ends under two conditions: if you've shot and eliminated the entire level then you win, otherwise the game enters "action mode" when your projectile hits the side of the screen.
 

Action Mode

 
In action mode any remaining blocks of color begin to move around, killing you if they touch you. Your ship now fires a continuous stream of shots, which destroy any enemy they hit. Once you've killed every enemy (or been kiled by one) your ship self-destructs and the level is over.
 

High Scores

 

Each level keeps track of every score you've managed to achieve in your play-throughs, and tells you the difficulty of the score with averages for bronze, silver, and gold level scores.
 
 
 

Reviews

 
I Heart Shift has been reviewed by many websites, including "wastedseconds.com" and "gaygamer.net." There is no general consensus on the game; it's impossible to predict whether an outlet will give it a positive or negative score.