Every Extend Extra [PSP]

Though most games coming out of large developers these days are pretty formulaic, some of the most creative titles over the years have been from designers that weren't afraid to break the mold. Tetsuya Mizuguchi has never shied away from trying new things, and Every Extend Extra promises to change the way you think about shooters. But gameplay isn't the only unconventional aspect to this title.

Every Extend Extra got its start about two and a half years ago when a version of the game was released to the web as freeware. Known as Every Extend, the game is self published by its author, Omega. Unlike most freeware games though, Every Extend got noticed by Mizuguchi himself. After falling in love with the game, Mizuguchi got in contact with the author and struck a deal to produce a commercial version.

"We found the guy who created the original Every Extend and had a collaboration with him," said Mizuguchi.

Like many shooters, the focus of gameplay in Every Extend Extra is earning a high score, but the difference here is that you don't shoot the enemies. Instead you simply fly in close and blow yourself up. Every suicide attack drops a life from your total however, so survival requires high scoring chains. Kill enough enemies at once and you earn extra lives.

This delicate balance of risk and reward adds an impressive layer of depth to what is otherwise a simple game. Simply destroying every enemy is a quick way to end the game. Waiting for a massive chain increases the risk that another enemy will take you down before you self-destruct. And sometimes lone power-ups float by, far away from your opponents. Do you sacrifice a life to secure the power-up, or do you risk losing it while you wait for another wave of enemies to fly in?