RIP is a fast, instense overhead-view third-person shooter with hordes of enemies to destroy and pretty nice sound and graphics. It's a lot like Crimsonland, in other words, which is by no means a bad thing.

But it has some differences, two. For one thing, your character doesn't move; you fire from a "turret" which stays in a fixed position on each level. That may sound like it diminishes your tactical options, but it has advantages too; levels are specifically designed around the fact that your position is fixed, with obstacles channeling the flow of attackers and such, and level design is one of the strengths of the game. And the fact that you can focus on just shooting makes RIP far easier to play than many other Robotron-esque titles.

RIP-Snorting Overhead Shooter Returns for More Carnage

The RIP series is the king of third-person, overhead shooters--fast, frenetic, nicely balanced, and with intuitive UI and a host of weapon types. With each outing, Elephant Games seems to get better.

The first two games (RIP and RIP Strikes Back) featured three oddball characters--Death, Halloween, and Rock 'n Roll--each with slightly different characteristics; they're in RIP 3 too, but if they're too silly for you, you also have a choice of more typical, merc-like characters.

In any event, if you're a fan of games like Crimsonland or Alien Shooter, you'll find a lot to like (and blow up real good) in RIP 3.

Note: While each of the three games are available independently, you can also get the RIP Trilogy, all three for a somewhat reduced price--a good deal, if you don't have at least one of the three already.

Arcade Shooter Excellence

Building on the success of their earlier title RIP, White Elephant returns with a considerably more polished and flexible game featuring the same oddball cast of characters for you to play (Death, Halloween, and Rock 'n' Roll, each with his own set of skills and upgrades).

RIP-Snorting Carnage-Filled Overhead Shooters

The RIP series is the king of third-person, overhead shooters--fast, frenetic, nicely balanced, and with intuitive UI and a host of weapon types. With each outing, Elephant Games seems to get better.

The first two games (RIP and RIP Strikes Back) featured three oddball characters--Death, Halloween, and Rock 'n Roll--each with slightly different characteristics; they're in RIP 3 too, but if they're too silly for you, you also have a choice of more typical, merc-like characters.

In any event, if you're a fan of games like Crimsonland or Alien Shooter, you'll find a lot to like (and blow up real good) in these games. And at a $25 discount to the price of the three games combined, RIP Trilogy is an excellent deal.

Fast-Paced Arcade-y Shooter with Online Play

Robotopia is a cheerful sidescrolling shooter with a color palette remniscent of the arcade, in which you control a robot who can fly, zapping a huge variety of opponents and bosses. The single-player game has scads of challenging levels (ten in the demo); you level up over time and can purchase new weapons and equipment, for an RPG-like experience. And once you've gotten good at the controls (see below), you can go online* and battle others in deathmatch, "capture-the-flag" or "bounty-hunting" play.