8-Bit Coding wizard Juan J. Martinez returns with his second MSX game of 2019, Uchusen Gamma, a seriously gorgeous-looking shoot 'em up. If you know your MSX you will be aware there is already a very high pedigree of great shooters on the MSX. Will this latest addition hold its own against them?

Juan is a bit of an 8 bit coding expert; not only does he program for the MSX, but he's already released games for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and the Amstrad CPC! Surely with this kind of flexibility, he must be a jack of all trades and a master of none? Not by a longshot! This man is a bona fide genius and you only need to look at his back catalogue to see quality title after quality title. Rescuing Orc (C64, 2018) and Night Knight (MSX, 2019) are but two recent examples of his high quality productions. His latest release has the player taking part as a pilot in a solo spacecraft called the Gamma. This fighter, alone, must save the fading empire from the clutches of the evil cyborgs. Easier said than done, and it's one tough game too!

The game is based around the classic vertical scrolling shoot-'em-up design. The player's craft begins at the bottom and the landscape (spacescape?) and the play area moves down towards the ship giving illusion of movement. The craft itself can be moved around the entire playfield, but this doesn't alter the speed of the scrolling. The player is presented with wave after wave of vicious enemies that they must destroy. This is where Juan's gaming passion comes into play; he always comes up with neat twists that add a new layer to a traditional style game. Here the player has to shoot nine enemies in combo fashion in order to gain power-ups.

There is a time limit between each kill and if that threshold is crossed, then the combo resets to zero. The aforementioned power-ups can range from extra smart bombs to better laser cannons – all of which are vital for the onslaught ahead. It is, therefore, prudent to memorise the wave patterns and know which enemies will be entering the screen and where, so the player is on them before they've had a chance to become a hindrance (and this is the only way to rack up combos). There is a great variety of enemies throughout all five of the levels. There are mini bosses which are a pain in the arse and brilliant main boss fights at the end of each level. The latter require dexterity and quick thinking. Each successive level provides a harder challenge and some tougher enemies to combat with. [Don't I know it? But it's great fun too - Ed]

There is so much to love about this game. Firstly, I'd like to acknowledge the MSX's gorgeous colour palette; perhaps I don't play enough MSX games to have got used to them, but every time I launch a game on this great system, I am spoken to, in very sexy ways, by its soft hues [Be careful Gordon you could be falling in love with a machine! - Ed] . The variety of sprites guarantees that each level feels different from the last and you don't feel that you are playing the same level over and over. Not only can this guy code - he is a talented chiptune artist.

The music is just as exceptional as the game itself and there is a different tune per level (that first level tune is so addictive - Ed). We are really spoiled here. The movement of craft, the clever placement of the alien waves and the beautifully crafted levels have ensure the player of a true arcade experience in his own home.

Although it is difficult, the game does only return you to the start of the current level if you lose all your lives. Good, because I'd likely have smashed my monitor if this wasn't the case.

There is very little to dislike to be fair. As I ran this on an emulator, I found the scrolling slightly jerky, but that may be rectified by tweaking. I didn't have real hardware to compare this to. I didn't like the fact that the stars were stationary, I'm so used to them moving in this genre of game - but that's just me being a pedant.

This is one of the best games on the MSX period. Juan should be proud of his work on this creation and it raises the profile of a very cool but lesser spoken about 8-bit micro.

Play it now, you will be smiling for weeks. Those who wanted a Last Starfighter experience, look no further - this is it. Shame there is no Death Blossom weapon though - a missed opportunity?