OMG: Our Manic Game

It wasn't hard to spot OMG in the marketing blitz that ran up to Windows Phone 7's launch.

There, popping straight out of the picture in the middle of Microsoft's trailers was Arkedo's shooter, sporting the kind of visuals that make Geometry Wars look plain.

Indeed, of all the original games lining up for day one on Windows Marketplace, none felt more like the product of the iPhone generation than OMG.

Even the name smacks of text speak - although thankfully in this case, OMG is not the result of a lazy SMS sent to your mate Cherene on the bus back from school, but rather stands for the game's full title - Our Manic Game.

Straight shooter

Bizarre it might be, but OMG's name acts as a warning: after the calm comes the frankly frenzied, laser infested space storm.

The concept is certainly simple enough – you shoot anything that moves on screen. The visuals manage to be both distinctive and stunning, and, crucially for a smartphone shoot-'emup, the controls are perfectly suited to touchscreen play.

Indeed, if players take only one thing away from their experience with OMG, it's likely to be just how simple it is to control the game.

Moving your finger anywhere on the screen guides your ship around in the same manner, with a laser automatically firing out of the front of the craft.

Hide and seek

As such, OMG charges you with doing two things; targeting each and every object that tracks into play – your firepower shooting directly ahead at all times - and dodging the bullets that are inevitably sent your direction.

The longer you last, the more effective your arsenal becomes, but by the same token, the more difficult it is to dodge and shoot your way to victory. In short, non nimble fingers need not apply.

What sets OMG apart from the leagues of other space shooters currently doing the rounds however is the addition of a risk and reward system.

If you choose, you can play the game at its most relaxing, taking out each and every ship you come across and mopping up the patches of points that come your way as a result.

On the other hand, you can employ each craft's manic mode and watch your total shoot skywards – assuming you survive, of course.

Tapping a ship with your finger sends it – in true tech lingo – slightly mental, both the rate and direction of your foe's fire turning turbo, leaving almost no inch of the screen untouched.

Nonetheless, the amount of points rewarded for taking these targets out naturally reflects the skill needed to do so, with every bullet they've fired also upping your total.

Different by design

The satisfaction of OMG is that it's up to you just when and where these sterner tests arise.

If things are a little sticky, then there's no shame in pulling back for a while, taking on enemies as they come until you're comfortable again rather than keeping play at a constant high.

This ability to switch play as you see fit means OMG's replay value is huge. Not only is there the prospect of beating your own and, thanks to Live leaderboards, your friend's top scores, there's also the ability to play around with the game as you go, experimenting with just when to let OMG live up to its manic billing, and conversely when to keep things cool.

So the lack of additional modes aside – play is only available in infinite, or five minute variants – Our Manic Game serves its audience well, giving Windows Phone 7 owners a much needed slice of shoot-'em up savvy.

OMG: Our Manic Game

Letting players take it on at their own pace, OMG: Our Manic Game successfully drops its retro shoot-em-up style play into a contemporary setting.
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Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.