Power-Up

About

Power-Up is a single player arcade shooter game. It was developed by Psychotic Psoftware and was released on August 29, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

With a monster soundtrack, challenging gameplay and an impressive arsenal of weapons - Power-Up is the modern-retro styled Shoot-Em-Up from one-man game studio, Psychotic Psoftware.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 115 reviews

music9 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

Unique weapon switching and individual power-up system adds strategic depth and satisfaction.
Retro-style side-scrolling shooter with nostalgic graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and engaging boss fights.
Affordable price and made by a single developer, delivering a solid, challenging experience for shoot-em-up fans.

Lack of gameplay options including no control remapping, sound volume control, or resolution settings.
No continues or checkpoints; running out of lives forces a complete restart, which can lead to frustration.
Graphics and visual effects can be distracting or sluggish with frequent screen flashing that hampers bullet visibility.

music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The music in the game is generally praised for fitting the retro, bullet-hell style and enhancing the atmosphere, with some describing it as amazing and addictive. However, several users noted issues such as the music being too loud, lacking volume controls, and no option to mute, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is a strong positive but would benefit from better audio settings.
- “The retro atmosphere provided by the stylish visuals, detailed backgrounds, and heavy music are all the work of one man and obviously with a lot of love making this an even more impressive endeavor, as well as a seriously solid entry into any shmup aficionado's library in its own right.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing, fits in with the whole theme well.”
- “Music and sound are pretty good and match the setting and style of the game (think retro but higher quality than 8 bit).”
- “The soundtrack is pretty bad, switching weapons is clumsy and the forcefield should just have been on by default.”
- “The music is loud and grating, the resolutions are 'windowed' or that resolution stretched to full screen.”
- “Unable to mute the music.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics in this game are generally described as decent and fitting with a nostalgic, retro sci-fi style, showcasing detailed backgrounds and layered scrolling. While not highly polished or aesthetically advanced, the visuals reflect the effort of a solo developer and contribute to a distinctive indie charm. Some users note the lack of customization options or workshop support for new graphics, but overall the art style effectively complements the gameplay experience.
- “The story in Power-Up is simple sci-fi fare but is effective through its usage of snazzy dialogue and slick visuals that all give a nostalgic retro flare.”
- “The retro atmosphere provided by the stylish visuals, detailed backgrounds, and heavy music are all the work of one man and obviously with a lot of love making this an even more impressive endeavor, as well as a seriously solid entry into any shmup aficionado's library in its own right.”
- “A fully leveled up weapon gives you so much pleasure when fired, the graphical fidelity of this title is unique and perfect for this game.”
- “Graphics are very poor, and there are no options to speak of.”
- “No workshop (seriously this game could use the workshop for new graphics).”
- “Graphics could be more polished with a very indie look.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The gameplay offers a variety of weapons and power-ups, providing enjoyable and challenging side-scrolling shooter mechanics with a retro feel reminiscent of classic games like Gradius. However, some players criticize awkward controls and limited pause/save options, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite mixed opinions on mechanics, the enemy variety and progression system are generally praised.
- “You have a choice of weapons to use as you play, which is a nice addition, and part of the gameplay as enemies attack from different vectors.”
- “I did not have any problem with the gameplay either; you kill a lot of enemies and try to pick up all the power-ups, which increase things like your shooting power and shooting speed.”
- “Gameplay is very intelligent, I love the progression of power-ups and the enemy variety and routines.”
- “The quantity of 'power-ups' offered and their impact on the moment to moment gameplay of this side scrolling shoot-em-up doesn't quite live up to the bolded name of the game.”
- “So, during gameplay you can't pause game with esc...”
- “This was deeply disappointing, from the terribly mapped controls (who seriously assigns 'j' to 'fire', and 'space' to 'super bomb'? and while I'm at it, nobody ever used QAOP for movement in the 'retro' days) to the plodding gameplay.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The story in the game is a simple sci-fi narrative that some players find engaging due to its retro visuals and dialogue, while others consider it boring or unremarkable. It is presented between levels, adding some context, though not all players choose to engage with it. Overall, the story is viewed as a modest but fitting addition to the game’s style.
- “The story in Power-Up is simple sci-fi fare but is effective through its usage of snazzy dialogue and slick visuals that all give a nostalgic retro flare.”
- “Nice to see also with this sort of game a story that is shown nicely along the bottom of the screen between levels.”
- “Interesting story or at least an attempt at one.”
- “Story is boring.”
- “The story is just kind of pathetic.”
- “I skipped all the dialogue, so I cannot comment on the storyline.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers very limited replayability, as it can be completed quickly and tends to feel repetitive, diminishing the incentive to play again.
- “It can be beaten in one 10-minute sitting and has zero replayability.”
- “Limited replay value as it feels samey quickly.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect is deeply impactful, evoking strong feelings and personal reflections. It effectively conveys significant moments that resonate with players on a heartfelt level.
- “I was about 10 years old when my mother said to him: 'If you ever want to see your grandchildren graduate, you have to stop immediately.' Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is deeply immersive, combining stylish retro visuals, detailed backgrounds, and intense music, all crafted with evident passion by a single creator. This cohesive presentation enhances the experience, making it a standout title for shmup enthusiasts.
- “The retro atmosphere provided by the stylish visuals, detailed backgrounds, and heavy music are all the work of one man and obviously with a lot of love making this an even more impressive endeavor, as well as a seriously solid entry into any shmup aficionado's library in its own right.”