Originally an extra mini-game for Project Gotham Racing 2, Geometry Wars quickly became such a fan favorite that Bizarre Creations decided to update it for Microsoft’s XBOX 360. This time around the gameplay is better polished, graphical effects are truly next generation, and you don’t have to buy a Project Gotham game to play it. Just head on to XBOX Live Arcade Marketplace and pick it up for around $5.

If you ever tried the classic arcade shooter Asteroids or any variation of it then you’ll be right at home in Geometry Wars. The big difference here is the fact that you’re not taking out rock forms, you’re taking out a variety of geometric shapes that have distinct personalities. Some charge toward you, some cower away from your guns, and some split into tinier pieces once shot. These three seemingly basic behaviors along with the added black hole objects that pop up from time to time create a joy of an experience.

Along with these basic enemies that pop up all the time there are also a couple extras that only make special appearances from time to time. The first is a rogue ship, much like the one you pilot, which actually hunts you down and takes quite a bit more fire power than normal enemies to take it down. The other enemy is actually just large bunches of small blue figures that slowly move toward you. They’re fun just because you destroy so many of them at a time that the visual fireworks on screen are quite amazing. It’s amazing how something as simple as a wire frame 2D geometric figure can breathe so much life in the right hands. It’s also incredible how easy it is to send them to their doom, at least for the first few minutes of match that is.

The left analog stick moves your geometry ship around and the right shoots in the direction you point it. This leads to a truly boundless shooting experience seeing as you can move in one 360 degree angle while shooting at another. Along with your basic guns that get upgraded every 10,000 points you’ll have a small supply of screen clearing bombs that can also be renewed by gaining more and more points. As your guns get more power, the graphical effects get more and more amazing.

If you’re one for achievement difficulty you certainly won’t be disappointed here. In all my hours of playing I barely got over 150,000 a handful of times and yet there are achievements for 1,000,000 points with and without the use of bombs. Not only that but there are some insane scores on the leader boards that show just how much of a skill based game this really is. So if you are an 80s arcade lover this is probably a must download and own for you.