Geometry Wars Galaxies, Levels provide reasonable variety

Like video game fairy floss, Geometry Wars is deliciously retro-flavoured and addictive but best enjoyed in small doses. It's also a bit hard to stomach at this price, especially when Galaxies predecessors were free bonuses or cheap downloads.

There are plenty of additions to help justify the price and add considerable depth to the "Asteroids on acid" premise but ultimately it's difficult to imagine many could justify spending $70 on a repetitive, two-dimensional blast-'em-up, no matter how much fun it is. The price is also at odds with the game's supposed casual player appeal.

The best new inclusion is that enemies now drop "Geoms" after they are blasted, which serve as crucial multipliers for scores as well as currency to unlock solar systems and planets. The treats quickly disappear, so you are forced to keep moving and venture into dangerous new terrain among the chaos.

The game's structure works well, with players presented with the choice of unlocking new levels as rapidly as possible or seeking to master stages to earn medals. Replay also helps boost the abilities of your drone helpers. The drones initially provide feeble assistance but as they level-up, they transform into (perhaps overly efficient) assassins.

Levels provide reasonable variety, with different enemies, attack patterns and barriers as well as differently shaped grids which force you to vary your furious wave-clearing strategies. Unfortunately, it's annoyingly common for enemies to appear right on your tail.

Previous Geometry Wars games used twin analog stick controls for movement and blasting, providing the perfect interplay between survival and attack. Galaxies players can use the same method using a Classic controller but most will have to use a Nunchuk for movement and the Wii Remote pointer to direct their ship's fire. With practice, the new controls become accurate and responsive but will have detractors.

ENDGAME Overpriced compared to its predecessors but as addictive as ever and the new structure successfully adds depth.

Review by The Sydney Morning Herald View product details at Amazon