Bad Caterpillar (XBLIG, 2013)

Bad Caterpillar
Developed by Fun Infused Games
Released for XBLIG (2/2013)
Also on PC

Bad Caterpillar is pretty much a clone of the Atari classic Centipede. The game throws in a couple new features in the form of power-ups, including weapon upgrades, bombs, speed and one to freeze all enemies. Some levels will introduce multiple caterpillars, and you have your bugs that pop in to give you trouble at the bottom of the screen. In case you're somehow unfamiliar with Centipede, the multi-segmented caterpillar comes in at the top, while your ship is fixed to a small area at the bottom but you are able to move in all directions within this space. The caterpillar will split after you shoot a segment off and you will move on to the next stage once you've destroyed them all. The game will continue on until you inevitably lose all of your lives. Local high scores are saved which is always appreciated in arcade-style games like this. Bad Caterpillar is a pretty solid shooter styled after Centipede and fans of the old classic that want a remix will enjoy this title. It should also be noted that Centipede & Millipede were both released as one game on Xbox Live Arcade back in 2010, so if you want to play the original titles that inspired Bad Caterpillar there they are.

Final Verdict: Bad Caterpillar is a fun Centipede clone that plays quite well.

Related Links:
Bad Caterpillar - GameFAQs
Fun Infused Games - Official Site

Ultra Aktion! (XBLIG, 2015)

Ultra Aktion!
Developed by Fun Infused Games
Released for XBLIG (10/2015)

Ultra Aktion! is a 2D run-n-gun with blocky graphics that wouldn't look out of place on the Atari 2600 at a glance. This is a pretty sweet game that I'm surprised I hadn't really heard of before. The game is basically Contra with Atari style graphics, meaning all of the characters are just made up of rectangles and squares. It also supports up to four players at a time. The controls needed a little tweaking, as aiming to hit small objects can be a little bit harder than it should be, but I enjoyed the trial enough to drop my dollar down immediately afterward. Expect me to return to this one when I get around to it for a look at the full version.

Final Verdict: We just don't see many 2D run-n-guns anymore and Ultra Aktion! does its own thing interestingly enough to make it worth a look.

Related Links:
Ultra Aktion! - GameFAQs 
Fun Infused Games - Official Site