GameTop: Purge the Galaxy of Alien Insects in Star Defender 4

The space shmup genre is… not new. Nor is it a barren wasteland of limited selection. With that in mind, Star Defender 4 aims to stand out by offering an assortment of weaponry not typically featured in shmups.

As the fourth entry in the Star Defender series, developed by Awem Games, the game includes a number of previous weapons fans are accustomed to, including the parasitron, an assortment of basic and homing lasers, the infector, a ball lightning technique, and those trusty missiles. On the defensive side of power ups, there are barriers players can pick up amidst the chaos for added bullet/laser-sponge protection. On top of this arsenal, Star Defender 4 includes such additions as a machine-gun, saw, flame thrower, acid bomb, and cutter. (What’s the difference between the saw and the cutter? Players will have to progress far enough to find out.)

Despite being the latest game in a franchise, players don’t need any prior knowledge of the series to jump on board. In fact, there isn’t much story to speak of — as is the case with most shmups — so the focus is squarely on action. The basic premise is that alien insects are a threat, and players must exterminate them through 8 missions spread across 100 levels. Each mission culminates with a boss fight against a large, screen-consuming enemy. Star Defender 4 is available as a free download, only for Windows PC.

GameTop is a sponsor of Indie Game Magazine. According to their official statement, “Gametop.com offers high quality games for Windows and Mac users. The games are offered free, without in-game ads or malware. 100% trusted and safe.” For more details about GameTop, visit their F.A.Q. Page.