Apydia is a game that will appeal to any of those who, like me, appreciate a good old-fashioned shoot'em-up. Within the Amiga's vast library of shooters, Apydia stands as one of the best, if not THE very best.


Boosting excellent graphics, sound and playability, this game is worthy of all the praise that one can pour into it. Produced with a rare finesse for the time, this game felt professional all the way through. It's as if we sense within the game the dedication that the programmers and designers have put into it. It is, clearly, a product of love.


Rightly classified as a horizontally scrolling shoot'em-up, Apydia is somewhat reminiscent of classic arcade games such as "Silkworm", "R-Type" or "Salamander". However, contrary to tradition, you don't play a space shuttle on a lost galaxy somewhen in the distant future. In Apidya, you play a wasp. "A wasp?!" you may wonder. Yes. A wasp. And this revolutionary concept is introduced on a very well made and engaging intro. Back in the day, a game intro like Apidya boosts was something to be proud of. It was the kind of stuff that made you invite your PC and ST owners over and have them green of envy for it.


The game spans over 12 levels (+ bonus ones) excellently drawn and ornamented with beautiful scenery. The enemies match the environment of the levels and are simultaneously beautiful to behold as they are challenging to overcome. The music, excellent in its own right, suits the levels quite well (like the Techno world having a techno tune). In terms of gaming, the large amount of power-ups and weapons available make it very complete, providing a sense of strategy to the game (some power-ups are better to destroy some world bosses than others, for example). The game allows two simultaneous players on screen (even though the second player is somewhat "inferior" to the first one, meaning that the wasps are different), which is always a big plus, and it takes advantage of the Amiga's second button ability, something so rare, strangely.


This game is great. Period. It's great because it has all the bells and whistles I've been just rambling about, it's great because it shows just how good the Amiga was and, basically, it's great because I SAY SO! And i always speak the truth. "Project X", "SWIV" and "Xenon 2 - Megablast" may be good games, may even be held as the best shoot'em-ups of the Amiga, but above all of those stands a game that has touched the very core of all of those who have had the privilege of booting it up: That game is Apidya.