JAM: Jets Aliens Missiles Preview

I like pixel art as much as the next guy, but I have to say… I’m glad to see a game with old school sensibilities and polygons.  3D looks good too!  And J.A.M.’s drawn backgrounds don’t look too shabby either.

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Alien invasions and shooting, like wine and cheese

I like pixel art as much as the next guy, but I have to say… I’m glad to see a game with old school sensibilities and polygons.  3D looks good too!  And J.A.M.’s drawn backgrounds don’t look too shabby either.

J.A.M., developed by Neptune Interactive and published by Forest Moon Games, is not a game that is trying to push any envelopes or shift any paradigms.  It’s another entry in the ancient and hallowed shoot’em up genre.  If you like to shoot things — specifically if you like to shoot things upJ.A.M. is here for you, waiting to be enjoyed like a cup of coffee in the morning or cold mug of beer at night.  J.A.M. looks like it will be familiar and comforting, the video game equivalent of a security blanket.   A sci-fi setting, a spaceship, an alien invasion — I mean, come on… what more can you ask for?

Anyone who’s ever touched a shmup knows what to expect here.  You control a ship and fire an endless stream of projectiles at bad guys, while avoiding the endless stream of hostile projectiles that are fired back at you.  J.A.M. does stand out a bit from the herd with its control scheme though.  Your ship is fixed on the left hand side of the screen.  You can control it vertically, raising or lowering your ship to avoid enemy attacks.  Your attacks are handled via touch controls — a system that looks to me like it’ll work well.

J.A.M.

J.A.M.

J.A.M. will feature boss battles and other shmup trappings.  An upgrade/customization system allows you to tailor your ship to your play style, and an in-game store will let you trick your ship out with real money if you so desire.

If J.A.M. is getting you all excited to shoot up some aliens, here’s a little something that might hold you over.  According to the developer, the 2008 shooter Space Deadbeef served as J.A.M.’s inspiration.  Give it a shot, and keep your eye’s peeled for J.A.M. when it drops.