Games like Starblaster (ZX Spectrum Next 2.08+)

Defeat the Galactus empire, battling wave after wave of relentless attack craft and alien creatures! Galactus is a fast paced, classic arcade-style shooter, with a broad variety of backgrounds and aliens,  written entirely in NextBASIC (2.07k) for the ZX Spectrum Next.   ---UPDATED:Note that there are now two Galactus game downloads.  Either version will work fine - however the Speedfix/KS2/208 ve… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to GALACTUS (ZX Spectrum Next).

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, replayability

92% User Score Based on 763 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 2 reviews

As the last surviving tank commander on Earth, single-handedly turn back the evil invading alien army, drive back the Titans across the Solar System, and defeat them on their homeworld... Titan Attacks has the same easy-to-learn and addictive gameplay of the classic arcade shoot 'em up If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Titan Attacks!.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, story

94% User Score Based on 125 reviews

Critic Score 63%Based on 1 reviews

A modern revisitation of the 80s arcades. Use your Razerwire to cut through waves of nanobugs with a rogue-like inspired progression. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Razerwire:Nanowars.

55%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, replayability

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

87% User Score Based on 15 reviews

Arcade co-op pixel perfect retro shmup If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Galactic Wars EX.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

78% User Score Based on 50 reviews

MadRobot X is an old school shoot 'em up game. You control a robot trying to escape from the laboratory of a mad scientist, and to accomplish this, you'll need the help of GoboGobo, another robot who also wants to escape. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Madrobot X.

27%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, story

27% User Score Based on 82 reviews

Arcade shoot game inspired on 80’s classics with extra features as you progress. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to GALAXIUM.

The day started out as just another relaxing Sunday drive...  However craters, rocks, mines, road spikes, plummeting asteroids and being bombed by the angry locals who don’t like you driving around their neighbourhood made it less pleasant than normal. Crater Crawler is an arcade game inspired by the classic Moon Patrol, written entirely in NextBASIC (2.07L) for the ZX Spectrum Next.   ---- FYI … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to CRATER CRAWLER (ZX Spectrum Next).

Originally released in the early 1980s for 8-bit home computers, then later ported to 16-bit machines, this unique top-down shooter with text adventure elements saw players take on the role of a time traveller seeking wealth and adventure across a number of different eras of time. Now, relive those days in this remastered emulated version. This is the version of the game originally published for … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Time Bandit.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability

89% User Score Based on 275 reviews

PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 Emulator If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to PCE.emu (PC Engine Emulator).

85%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

85% User Score Based on 129 reviews

You are a space trooper. Somehow you got to the enemy territory, and you should wait for your squad to get out of here! But only God knows when will they arrive to you! They will send you bonuses for killed enemies to longer your life till they arrive. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Alien Attack.

72%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding

72% User Score Based on 122 reviews

“We thought they were our friends and benefactors, but instead they are our masters. The Chronicles didn’t liberate us from our primitive ways – they conquered and destroyed us. The others don’t know, their heads are still full of the melodious voices of our alien masters. But that will change. I will change it!” – Sasaki Survive in Space is a skill-based space shooter with a hardcore focus on ga… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Survive in Space.

38%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:replayability, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

64% User Score Based on 11 reviews

Radar Warfare is a bullet hell/fast paced arcade shoot 'em up with radar theme and retro style. 27 stages will challenge you with different waves and enemies. How long can you survive? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Radar Warfare.

Space Junk, the much loved, retro-styled homage to arcade classics, has finally arrived on Steam. This game-play in this 2d Action shooter is fiendishly simple, but fiercely addictive! Steer your player through waves of interstellar junk, pulverising it with your blaster and breaking it down until it's reduced to space dust. Fight your way through 25 increasingly intense levels of action. Aim t… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Space Junk.

96%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, story

96% User Score Based on 96 reviews

Now includes FREE enhanced version — RELOADED — with a brand-new Career mode! StoryThirty years have passed since the first battle against the alien menace in Project X. Now, the threat has returned—stronger, smarter, and more relentless than ever. Project X: Light Years brings back high-octane, side-scrolling shoot’em-up action as the official successor to the beloved Amiga classic. Craft… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Project X: Light Years.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding

89% User Score Based on 1,052 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 11 reviews

You are Roy Becket, a young pilot with dreams of becoming as skilled as his adoptive father. When a galactic war with an ancient mechanical alien race reaches its boiling point, Roy is forced to spring into action and take control of an otherworldly bipedal war machine in hopes of saving what's left of humanity. Joining Roy is a young girl who claims to have escaped the clutches of the nefarious a… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Astebreed.

77%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

77% User Score Based on 526 reviews

Critic Score 64%Based on 2 reviews

R-Type has returned! The legendary side-scroller is back and better than ever with beautifully rendered 3D graphics, exhilarating shoot-'em-up gameplay, and a multitude of stages, ships, and weapons that will allow you to conduct a symphony of destruction upon your foes. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to R-Type Final 2.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding

84% User Score Based on 68 reviews

Galagan's Island is an Arcade style Space Shooter paying loving homage to classic arcade style & difficulty. This Bullet Hell is sure to satisfy your Shmup Shortage! Featuring 25 LEVELS of handcrafted whimsical charm. Formations so pretty you almost don't want to destroy them. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Galagan's Island: Reprymian Rising.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization

87% User Score Based on 244 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 4 reviews

Space Invaders Extreme combines the captivating essence of the original game with a stunning alliance of futuristic graphic design and cutting-edge audio. The gameplay experience has been developed to maximise on the consoles' abilities, offering players a whole new range of amazing features including a vast array of new power-ups. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Space Invaders Extreme.

Discord Community About the GameBecome the Starborn Survivor! The galaxy is under attack. You are the Starborn Survivor, an ancient robotic warrior, previously known as a Nova Sentinel, armed with forgotten technology, tasked with defending worlds from an alien invasion. In this debut game from our indie team, you’ll face relentless waves of enemies, uncover your mysterious origins, and upgrade… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Starborn Survivor.

A classic maze-munching arcade game!  Eat your way through mazes, slurping up dots, munching on the dopey cube-folk who live in the maze.  As dopey as they are, they don't stay that way - when you've eaten just too many of their dot's, it puts them in a rage!  This game is written entirely in NextBASIC for the ZX Spectrum Next.   It was originally written in 2020 when I first got my next, under th… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to BLOK BOY (ZX Spectrum Next).

Battle for Asciion is a classic horizontal shoot 'em up built entirely from real text characters. No sprites. No pixels. No images. Just pure ASCII action, massive bosses, weapon upgrades and retro arcade challenge. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Battle for Asciion.

61%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, story

61% User Score Based on 122 reviews

Remember defending that beach? The rush of artillery fire, scrambling to man different positions as enemy forces stormed ashore? That feeling is back. BeachHead Gold Edition brings together three classic titles - BeachHead 2000, BeachHead 2002, and BeachHead 2003 (Desert War) - fully optimized for modern Windows systems. Key Features • Three Full Games: BeachHead 2000, 2002, and 2003 … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to BeachHead.

70%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

100% User Score Based on 21 reviews

In Atomanta, you step into the role of Taria Takara, a space pirate on a mission to recover a highly valuable artifact hidden on the planet Azavuraz. Armed with the powerful Atomic Manta warship, Taria finally has a chance to claim the bounty and pay off the debts from her previous handlers. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Atomanta.

93%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, story

97% User Score Based on 290 reviews

Critic Score 87%Based on 7 reviews

Earthion is a side-scrolling space shooter developed natively for 16-bit systems. Guide space fighter pilot Azusa Takanashi in her fight to repel the alien invaders and save planet Earth. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Earthion.

Last update of the game (ZX Spectrum tape):  1 September 2025 Last update of loaders for various other media:  14 October 2025 (10 October: new versions for Disciple / +D / Uni-DOS, Didaktik 40 / 80 / Kompakt and Wafadrive; 14 October: updated version for TR-DOS, and new versions for Timex FDD and Timex cartridge) This game is for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer and is based on the arcade g… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Donkey Kong.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, stability

94% User Score Based on 1,422 reviews

Prepare yourself for an insatiable rain of bullets, bombs, and beams in Crimzon Clover. From Japanese indie developer YOTSUBANE, AdventurePlanningService, this unique top-down shooter is a wild ride you won't want to miss out on. Your first step in Crimzon Clover: World Ignition is as simple as choosing how you want to play, and which powerful ship will be yours to command. Choose your mode from … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Crimzon Clover WORLD IGNITION.

85%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, story

96% User Score Based on 146 reviews

Critic Score 71%Based on 7 reviews

Witness the birth of the Silver Hawk in HD glory! Take flight in the iconic Silver Hawk and immerse yourself in thrilling gameplay with both modern HD-visuals or authentic retro-arcade graphics. Experience the conflicts between the Amnelia Kingdom and the merciless Thiima Empire that took place before the battle between the people of Darius and Belsar. During this conflict, the series’ iconic Si… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to G-Darius HD.

82%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding

88% User Score Based on 139 reviews

Critic Score 66%Based on 3 reviews

Fact: everything is better with lasers. So we put lasers on over 30 angry giant insects who want to stop you, Space Moth, from escaping Earth and going to the Moon. Show them who's boss and blast your way into space! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Space Moth DX.

35%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, optimization

35% User Score Based on 98 reviews

Star Drifter is a super hard and hectic space shooter, inspired by classics such as R Type, Xenon, Galaxian, Moon Cresta and Gradius. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Star Drifter.

74%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding

74% User Score Based on 102 reviews

The Hurricane of the Varstray is a vertically scrolling shoot'em up with a SF story: in the distant future, to defend the Earth against the invasion of mystery mechanical structures, 4 girls head to "the Varstray sector," far away from the Earth and considered as the villain. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Hurricane of the Varstray: Collateral hazard.

92%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

92% User Score Based on 120 reviews

The second chapter in one of the most loved and respected Japanese shooting game series ever: The Tale of ALLTYNEX by Japanese indie developer SITER SKAIN. Carefully crafted play experiences, destructive fun, and absorbing gameplay have made the ALLTYNEX trilogy renowned in shmup / shooting game communities, both in Japan and overseas. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to RefleX.

92%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, optimization

92% User Score Based on 123 reviews

Juanito Arcade Mayhem revives all the retro classics using the mechanics made popular by Super Pang. Don your finest pyjamas and help Juanito defend our favorite games from the alien Clonocell invasion! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Arcade Mayhem Juanito.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, monetization

94% User Score Based on 469 reviews

1982 is a FREE retro inspired blasta-thon that will test your gaming skills to the max. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to 1982.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

90% User Score Based on 494 reviews

Shred the skies to pieces in Furious Angels, an endless shooter with flying tanks, leaderboards and different waves each day! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Furious Angels.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere, stability

94% User Score Based on 1,861 reviews

Jamestown: Legend Of The Lost Colony is a neo-classical top-down shooter for up to 4 players, set on 17th-century British Colonial Mars. It features all the intensity, depth, and lovingly handcrafted pixels of a classic arcade shooter, with a modern twist: deeply-integrated cooperative gameplay.Unlike most top-down shooters, which give multiple players a shared pool of lives or continues, Jamestow… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Jamestown.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

97% User Score Based on 3,453 reviews

A throwback to the classic quarter eating arcade games of the 80's. Bit Blaster XL is a retro styled, addictive, and fast paced arcade shoot 'em up! (shmup). If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Bit Blaster XL.

54%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

72% User Score Based on 29 reviews

Critic Score 45%Based on 1 reviews

A retro mix of a shoot 'em up gameplay with RPG elements, DreadStar: The Quest for Revenge is inspired by the likes of Tyrian, Raiden and Donpachi. Fast-paced with a primary focus on gunplay rather than bullet hell, DreadStar gives you incremental ways of not only pushing through content, but also improving your ship and its loadout (such as experience, leveling and skill points). If you’re strug… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DreadStar: The Quest for Revenge.

88%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization

90% User Score Based on 707 reviews

Critic Score 74%Based on 1 reviews

The legend is back! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sky Force Anniversary.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

87% User Score Based on 56 reviews

Zero Wing is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game, notable for a poorly translated English version for Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) that spawned the "All your base are belong to us" Internet meme. Gameplay includes novel features such as being able to 'tractor' enemy ships, using them to shield your own. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Zero Wing.

"Quadron is an original arcade style game for the 48K ZX Spectrum created in the mould of the 1980s Williams classics. Set in the Quadron complex, you are charged with the task of defending the crystals mined by the relentless onset of marauding aliens. Featuring fast arcade style gameplay, multiple weapons, enemies, collectables, powerups, and a pointer based status screen and scanner, the … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Quadron.

57%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay

88% User Score Based on 16 reviews

Set on a distant mining facility under alien attack, DEFENDOR makes you the last ship to stand up to the alien hordes! One pilot against impossible odds taking on the entire enemy fleet. Just like if we were back in the '80s. Defendor is a arcade, one screen, shoot-em-up, based on Asteroids with the emphasis on "steroids" part! Control a ship that keeps on shooting and gather stars to upgrade you… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Defendor.

``An unknown alien armada from deep space is advancing through the Solar system. Defenders, stop this invasion before Earth falls.`` Advanced Invaders is an arcade shoot 'em up game with a sci-fi campaign through Solar system, multiple weapons, enemies, bosses and other surprises. The player is in control of a ground defence, D-1, vehicle, with the task to shoot down all invading alien formations … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Advanced Invaders.

Welcome to Validius - a fun and furious shooter written for the Syntax Bomb "Reboot" competition. I'm very proud that this game was the winner of that event. Important information for Mac users. When you have downloaded the zip file then you need to make sure you drag the app into the applications folder before running it else sometimes you get a "game not found" error message when launching it. … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Validius.

Sky Shapers in an engaging and challenging 50 FPS vertical scrolling SHMUP for AGA Amiga computers from the new Norwegian developers Digilicious Nibbles, with lots of charm due to its distinctive hand crafted graphics. Featuring 3 unique levels and 37 enemy types, compelling boss fights, weapon upgrades and special weapons, high quality sound and two layers of parallax scrolling. The game include… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sky Shapers.

69%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

69% User Score Based on 78 reviews

Space. Anomalies. Throw down a challenge to mad alien mutants in dynamic firefights with continuous injection of adrenaline! Get ready for the most unforgettable and enchanting space confrontation of all time! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DEEP SPACE ANOMALY.

92%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story

95% User Score Based on 128 reviews

Critic Score 81%Based on 2 reviews

A refreshing and highly re-playable bullet hell style shooter that WANTS you to play dangerously! Ride the razor's edge of life and death in this high-risk high-reward danger oriented arcade style shooting game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Graze Counter GM.

79%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability

100% User Score Based on 32 reviews

Critic Score 66%Based on 1 reviews

Curved Space is an intense arcade shooter about battling cosmic energy spiders across warped, physics-defying battlefields. Space stations and asteroids curve and loop around themselves. Up? Down? Who needs those when you’ve got a spaceship, guns and swarms of bugs to blast? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Curved Space.

66%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

66% User Score Based on 248 reviews

Gear up and get ready for war! Take on hectic 2D action shooting stages with your deadly Gunhound mech. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gunhound EX.

54%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, story

54% User Score Based on 78 reviews

Critic Score 54%Based on 6 reviews

Circuit Breakers is an action racing game. Use a mighty array of devastating weaponry and rack up combos and upgrades to inflict maximum mayhem on the robot army, fighting your way through its massive manufacturing plant. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Circuit Breakers.

68%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability

73% User Score Based on 44 reviews

TERRORhythm - the music powered beat 'em up game. Follow the rhythm of music to defeat the security systems that keep any sound from the society. You are here to challenge and break the total muted control system. You are the TERRORhythm! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Terrorhythm.