Genre: Arcade
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Vector graphics are best known for their use in Macromedia's "Flash" framework, and for their use in the failed Nintendo "Virtual Boy" system. Now they can be known as "the graphic style used in Geometry Wars"! Colorful, sharp, and busy, Geometry Wars is the dream of anyone who enjoys particle effects and lots of explosions.

There is only one gameplay song in Geometry Wars, but it's a good one-- pounding bass and a memorable melody add to the rhythmic and addicting gameplay. Sound effects are modern in quality but old-skool in style. The exploding gravity wells in particular release a huge bass "boom" sound, which can really shake a house if a good subwoofer is in use.

Among the long line of multi-directional shooters, popularized by games such as Robotron, Geometry Wars is one of the best-- the individual classes of baddies behave differently enough to exude some character, and the game is deep enough to have created several different playing styles and calibers of players.

If you can prevent your eyes from going crossed, Geometry Wars is an outstanding example of what happens when you combine an 80's-style shooter with modern-day technology. Modern game designers should take note; complexity, drawling narratives, and 40-hours of gameplay aren't required to make a good game.