Geometry Wars knockoffs hit the PC

(tags gaming, shmup, high-score, Windows, freeware, open-source)

Insert Credit with the win, for telling me about Kenta Cho's newest game, Mu-cade. (More snooty wording here "rather vapid game" (about Geometry Wars, mind you), what is up with these flamers?)

But hey, you gotta keep your eye on multiple targets, because I've been playing another knock off called Grid Wars before Kenta Cho's, which I found through Download Squad's Today's Time Waster last week.

I've been playing Grid Wars with my first choice, the Sega Saturn style controller for USB. Unfortunately, putting WASD-like layout for the right side just doesn't feel intuitive. Gotta break out the Playstation Dual-Shock and the USB converter, hey where is it?

Both of these games are interesting, because they are open-source in programming languages that aren't (yet?) mainstream. Kenta Cho's has been championing the Digital Mars' D programming language for his last bunch of games. D is C-like statically-typed programming with managed memory, object-oriented programming, and other 21st century ease-of-use features that make system programmers (not application programmers) jump for joy. The only problem is that the compiler isn't open-source, which slows adoption.

Grid Wars is made in Blitz BASIC. OMG, "BASIC" reminds me of typing line numbers (10, 20, 30, oh forgot to add a goto, 15) and Applesoft BASIC. Anything in BASIC is probably automatically considered a toy, but actually this game is pretty fun and visually exciting. I'm going to assume this game is made in the commercial product Blitz3d.