This Turrican-esque Retro Shooter Has Just Received a Game-Changingly Massive Update

Shockbot, the pixel-perfect retro run-and-gun platformer from developer Glowmatic, has just been updated with a host of new features.

Version 1.5 of the game boasts a slick graphical overhaul and a novel Enhancements system, which lets you upgrade Shockbot’s abilities using the atoms that you collect during gameplay.

There are eight enhancements right now, but you’ll have to read on to find out what they are.

For the uninitiated, Shockbot is a Turrican-esque arcade platformer set in a dystopian near-future in which scientists have erroneously opened a portal to a terrible, monster-filled universe.

Those monsters are flooding into our dimension, commanded by a laser-toting cyborg beast called Ultramech, and Shockbot is all that stands between these assailants and the extinction of the human race.

Gameplay-wise, that means running, jumping, and gunning your way through all manner of human habitats, from cyberpunk cityscapes to gloomy caves, all while a slamming drum and bass soundtrack pulsates in the background.

Shockbot’s signature move is a Shock Attack, which you can unleash whenever you kill enough enemies and collect their Shock Cores to fill your Shockmeter. A Shock Attack literally kills everything on the screen, so it’s not to be trifled with.

Joining this devastating attack are those aforementioned Enhancements.

They include a Revive ability, which lets you continue your turn after death by spending atoms instead of watching an ad, and Wall Grip, which lets you hang onto walls in order to increase your vertical range.

There’s Dash, which works as both an attack and a range-extending jump; a Fast Charge ability, which charges your Shockmeter faster; an Armor Boost, which halves the damage you take; and the Fire Shield, which obliterates enemies on contact.

Rounding out the list are the One Shot and Rapid Fire abilities, neither of which require an explanation.

There are more of these Enhancements in the pipeline.