Slick sci-fi shooter
The original Sinistar is a reasonably well known arcade game from Williams released back in 1982 and this game is a sort of sequel which continues the sci-fi story of alien killing mayhem (although it didn't start out that way). The vague plot revolves around the typical cliche of a marauding alien race which must be stopped, in this case named the Distilled Evil, and which you as the player are the only one who can save the universe. Here, the Distilled Evil are trying to power up a warp gate by using their slaves the Sporg to fill it with crystals so that the Sinistar, a biomechanical monstrosity, can make its appearance. What all this basically boils down to is a space-based shoot 'em up with free roaming aspects, like a simplified Freelancer or Wing Commander, which sees you trying to destroy the Sporg before they can get the portal going. As you would hope, there are several ships to choose from, with a number of slick weapons to aid you in your efforts, including missiles, a lightning gun and a cutting laser, and which add in some interesting tactical elements. Sinistar Unleashed is actually a very cool shooter which is definitely worth some play time. The action is fast, frenetic and intense, with some smooth scrolling, wide range of exotic and organic enemies and some very neat effects for the weapons. The control system is slightly complicated for what is basically a straightforward shooter and there really isn't much more to it than blowing stuff up, but as far as it goes, Sinistar Unleashed is an exciting and enjoyable blaster.
