As the scope has narrowed, a modern SHMUP finds itself increasingly reliant on complex scoring methods to differentiate itself from the pack and to satiate the more skilled of hardcore players. Enter Hizoka's abstract shooter Warning Forever - a rather unique beast that looks and plays unlike any traditional / mainstream shooter ever created. The freeware status removes many of the profit-driven burdens that compound mainstream video game development, thus giving creators the tools to be as experimental and expressive as they wish. Warning Forever sits among several other Japanese doujin titles ( namely rRootage and the emerging BulletML genre ) which are at the forefront of shmup evolution, pushing the limits into exciting new areas of creativity.

The premise of the game, as its name vaguely suggests, is centred entirely on boss battles. Gone are the standardized scrolling levels littered with swarms of enemy combatants. Powerups and smartbombs are absent, and even the number of ships the player defends is undefined. This has all been replaced by completing stages of progressively larger, stonger, swifter, smarter and more potent boss encounters. Moreover, your true enemy is the clock - and as the time dwindles down, destroying the boss and completing the stage will restore a certain ammount of precious time, while losing a life will result in the exact opposite. When the timer reaches zero, the game is over.

.

The often crab-like bosses are constructed from multiple smaller sections interconnected around the core area to form a massive mech-giant. Using clever mathematical algorithms, Warning Forever generates each boss craft and allows them to grow and evolve from one stage to the next. Warning Forever boss ships will identify the main areas upon which you focus your attacks ( Particularly the front and rear sections ) - and, as a result, future generations of the ship incorporate enhanced protection and weaponry in those specific problem areas. Strategies can then be devised by which sections to target and the intelligent boss combinations / game outcomes may vary significantly from game to game. As the game progresses, the bosses capture a large portion of onscreen real estate, forcing the player to make full-use of the available playing field as the hulking giant rotates around and boosts forward.

The controls are straight forward with one major twist. By default, your ship shoots directly vertical, however, the press of a button activates a shift mode where the direction and spread of the cannon fire can be adjusted. Moving your ship slightly to the left will shift the cannon fire towards the right with a large spread arc - moving further to the left will effectively focus the spread down to a finer and more powerful beam. As the bosses are comprised of many smaller sections - the player may spread their firepower over a wider area and remove the smaller threats or simply concentrate it on one section and blast their way through to the core. Another feature is a third button which, when held down, will decrease the player's movement speed - a very useful inclusion which is sorely missing from many other SHMUPS.

.

In terms of scoring, there are two key factors: Rapid Bonus and Chain Bonus. Rapid Bonuses are achieved by elimating parts of the boss in quick succession, while removing the larger 'limbs' - and thus destroying several smaller sections / weapons turrets in the process - results in Chain Bonuses. Since both bonus systems revolve around eradicating the boss quickly and efficiently, they are a natural extension of the time-based gameplay structure - and do not clutter the player's mind like certain. In a game such as Dodonpachi, the player may struggle to balance between basic survival skills and the zen-like concentration required to constantly maintain the chain meter level. To a large extent, Warning Forever trims off most of the frustration associated with many modern scoring systems ( chain / buzz, etc ) and just leaves the player to get straight to business. The balance is such that playing for speed invariably means playing for survival *and* for score. The latest version release of Warning Forever now includes a 5 Minute Attack, Sudden Death ( a single life with unlimited time ) and a Custom game mode - adding considerable depth and longevity to an already immersive experience.

At first, Warning Forever's weakest link may seem to be the fact that the game has no music at all. However, besides the obvious benefit of a smaller download size, the absence of music also serves to accentuate the games proficient sound effects and complements the basic nature of the graphics. If the player requires music, there is a simple method of including their own with several file formats supported.

Visually, Warning Forever lies somewhere between the early techniques employed in Tron / Temptest / Asteroids and more modern abstract 'cyber' titles like Sega's REZ. But it certainly captures a minimalistic essence ( and distinctive beauty ) unto its own. The majority of its graphics, including the player's craft, boss ships and tiled background, are expressed by simple yet stylishly composed vector wireframes. The clean and perfectly rotatable geometric shapes coated in lavish 'digital green', amber and red are truly an eye-opener, never distracting or detracting from the gameplay. To counteract the characteristicly flat vectors, several effects are rendered in contrasting full-colour - these include glorious pink lasers, fire / smoke-trailed missles, phosphorescent blue thrusters, spectacular explosions and a multitude of spark particles given off by cannon fire and direct hits.

.

And the final gloss: Warning Forever was meticulously crafted by a single person. It is completely free, an extremely small download, occupies very little space on a hardrive, is almost entirely in English ( including installation process and documentation files ) and supports full joypad control. Warning Forever's time-based gameplay is expertly implemented and adds new depth and tension to the mix. Warning Forever is a compulsively addictive, visually enthralling and genuinely unique SHMUP experience like no other. The voice of the underground has spoken. The future is here.