IO

IO is a remake of the Kinetic Designs 1988 Commodore 64 game of the same name. It is a side-scrolling shoot-em-up where the player controls a small space ship and there are 4 levels to complete. With 5 lives to start, the game is difficult and unforgiving, as every collision is fatal, returning the ship to an earlier checkpoint. There are 2 power-ups to collect, which can be selected by shooting them: a smart bomb or a weapons upgrade which provides faster fire or a sidekick. It is not documented how to use the smart bomb however, or which key to activate it. While carrying a weapons upgrade, an enemy bullet is not fatal and only removes a single upgrade. Each level ends with a boss. The original game design has been maintained, while the graphics and music have been improved.