Mayor Rahm Sprite, whose suit color seems to have changed. Creepy...

Genetos Review (Freeware, PC)
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Basic info, summary
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Genetos is a freeware PC game, available at http://gamersdatabase.com and a relatively light download(29.9 Megabytes).

(Summary) Genetos prides itself on linking together the many generations of “Vertical Shooters”, (ie; Space Invaders, Galaga, the like,) and it does this rather effectively. The visuals are stunning, the sound beautiful, and the gameplay challenging yet addicting, similar to most of its inspiration titles.

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Gameplay in-depth
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The gameplay is your standard vertical-shooter fare, with only a few buttons to control your movements and actions, specifically Z(shoot), X(Bomb), Shift(Laser), and arrow keys(movement). (For more in-depth controls, hit V in the program.)
Speaking of movement, your craft will be prohibited from moving all over the screen for the first two “Generations”, after which you may zoom around where ever you like. Try to gather as much EXP as you can from destroyed enemies and the like.
Controls are very fluid, there is almost no lag between pressing a button and the action appearing in-game. To use bombs, you will either have to wait for them to “generate” or gather a “Bomb” pick-up, after which you use X to detonate. You can unlock various bombs by doing certain actions, so see the tab called “History”, which tracks unlocked weapons. (This applies to Sub- and and Primary-Weapons as well.)
To shoot, use Z. Your gun goes from a simple line-bullet a la Space Invaders to a very constant and wide-ranging sort as you progress through Generations. You can also unlock better attachments/upgrades for your gun.
Finally, lasers. You use the laser by holding down Shift, and it requires energy to use. It locks on to targets and then shoots multiple beams at them. You can track your energy on the right side of the screen. The longer you hold down Shift, the more lasers you'll shoot at the auto-locked enemies. This is good for clearing lots of tiny objects on-screen.

A warning, there is a rather quirky narrative near the end, translated to English on the bottom portion of the screen. Whether it's truly philosophical or merely a clever way to distract you into blowing up, it's certainly interesting, plus mildly thought-provoking if you over-think it.
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Sound
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Genetos has some amazing music, and it usually fits the level's “mood” perfectly. I personally recommend wearing headphones while playing. Most of it is very arcade-like, but some are rather elaborate. After you complete the main game, you unlock the music player and can listen to your favorites as much as you like!
As for SFX, the game has relatively clean and clear SFX that aren't muddled by the main tunes. You can distinctly hear when your ship shoots, or you detonate a bomb.

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Graphics
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Genetos has some amazing graphics, both 2D and 3D. The creator did an amazing job of mimicking the original games' styles, yet breathing new life into them. As you “Evolve”, the graphics become even smoother, surpassing GameCube levels of prettiness near the end. Everything is clear and well-defined, so you can't blame any deaths on “Blurriness”.(speaking of blur, holding down B while playing causes a Motion Blur effect. Perfect for emulating tripping.) The entire interface, from Intro to Start screen to Menu to Game is just visually stunning, showing how dedicated this person was to creating an amazing experience. You will definitely enjoy this game, if you are a graphics-buff. Plus, the nature effects are rather realistic, as far as freeware goes. Again, stunning.
On the downside, there is a slight line that runs horizontally across your ship's nose when you turn right in later levels. You will hardly notice this during “Bullet Hell”, though.

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Extras
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After beating the main game, you will unlock both Free Play and Sound Test, both basic unlockables in most games. Free Play does have some interesting customization options, like doing only Boss Levels.

Aside from unlockables, you also can save a replay of your last game, mostly for bragging rights. This is also useful for reviewing what does and doesn't work, so you can learn from your mistakes.
Finally, your records in-game will be kept as well, ranging from score to total number of bullets repelled. Again, good for bragging rights.
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Closing comments
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For only about 30.0 Megabytes, Genetos offers a surprisingly rich gaming experience. It's good if you just have an arcade-game craving that needs to be satisfied, or if you're a high-score buff. You will most likely be satisfied with the tight controls, smooth graphics and awesome music, let alone a bit of the nostalgia factor in the first few levels. Enjoy.

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Total Score: 9 out of 10 Chanseys.

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[written with OpenOffice.org word processor]