If I had thought, back in the 80s, that some of the games I treasured on my Commodore-64 and in the arcade would be the subject of mass adoration a scant twenty years later, I might have paid more attention. Somewhere in the testosterone fog, a little game called Robotron: 2084 made quite an impression on me. Instead of the standard side-scrolling action, this was a game of action on all sides. In reality, the character you play goes nowhere, but you're too busy saving humanity to care.

Ultratron picks up after twenty years with some sweet graphics that would have made my C-64 weep for joy. There is so much going on all the time, and everything on the screen appears to be in motion. At first, this can be disconcerting, but like any good game the mind's eye starts to understand patterns and the rest is just hand/eye coordination. There isn't really music in the pure sense, but some good effects that make the destruction a little more visceral, and some droning that keeps the tension high. The graphics have a cool, soft look against a dark background that really makes everything pop. Go look at the screens for Robotron: 2084 and you'll see just how far we've come in twenty years. There's just enough that's derivative here to keep you nostalgic, but I can't say that I finished playing and wanted to hop on Robotron: 2084. I'll just play Ultratron, thanks!

This game (and Robotron: 2084 for that matter) plays much like a bulldozer drives. Separate controls on each hand, one for movement and the other for weapons. It does take a bit of getting used to, that independence. But, it is a beautiful thing and there are some very useful updates in Ultratron that make the gaming so much sweeter. The Big Idea behind Ultratron is that there are four evil robots whom you'll battle wave after wave of minions to reach and destroy. Each screen or wave of robot attackers will require some good coordination and planning to conquer. Powerups appear, and range from standard upgrades for weapons and shields to "helper" drones or smart-bombs. Where the replay value in a traditional shooter might be limited, Ultratron manages to avoid cliche and offer several different ways to customize your play.

Enemies appear with a flash that you'll learn to look for, so that you can start to move and fire in their direction. Some levels start off with big armies of robots that you have to shoot your way out of immediately. And the bosses... They are pretty serious, but lots of fun. The regular attackers will come at you with different weapons, including some that just plow around the screen dropping mines or bombs. Much like the other great shooter from Puppy Games, Titan Attacks, this game also includes enemies that are hardened to varying degrees against your weapons. So, if you invest in rapid fire but don't upgrade power, you may find yourself running all over the screen trying to avoid heavier enemies. Ultratron doesn't use a point/purchase system, but instead relies on powerups right on screen that you shoot to trigger the bonus you want. This keeps the pace racing. Working through the 40 or more levels will test reflexes and you'll have to master the use of powerups if you have any hope of seeing the last boss.

Just from the standpoint of the control scheme, Ultratron is no walk in the park. The choice to have powerups granted in "real-time" is a nod to more hardcore players, and it would have been nice to also have some powerups for "sale" between levels or at least after bosses. The tempo in Ultratron is pretty wild, and either you're along for the ride or not. What I miss most are the two joysticks, but controlling on the keyboard is a decent substitute.

Like most of the Puppy Games' catalog, Ultratron keeps it simple, as you would like. We just want to get into the game, right? Downloading the demo and installing is simple, and support for open standards means that this works just as well on Mac as Linux or Windows. Configuring keys is a nice option, since lefties or righties might differ on how they'd like to fire or move. One trick I'll throw out there is that firing and moving can be on the same keys. I may be wrong, but when I played Robotron: 2084 on C-64, everything was on one joystick. The thing is, you'll want firing and moving in opposite directions, since you are generally moving away from enemies as you try to take them out. But, this is a perversion, since the essence of having movement and weapons independent is to allow strafing. To really get a good strafe going, you have to work with both hands... Running in full screen, performance was still excellent, and Ultratron is just a smooth game all around. If you spent any time in the arcade back in "the day" you probably took a spin on the game that inspired Ultratron. Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, I'd say that Puppy Games has captured the spirit of the old game by showing some serious love, and they also manage to pay homage to classic gaming without too much plagiarizing. Old becoming new again, and all for the low, low price of $9.95. What are you waiting for?