Novastorm

The Good
Novastorm is a solid example of what an arcade shooter in front of a motion video backdrop should be. The gameplay is challenging without being frustrating, the graphics are good, the powerups are balanced, and the end-level bosses are creative in appearance (as opposed to simply being huge things you pound on at the end of a level). Of particular note is the music soundtrack, which consists of several high-energy, light techno tunes that match the urgency of the gameplay well.

Another nice touch is a small radar screen in the upper corner that shows you where the end-level boss you're currently fighting is vulnerable, and how much stamina he has left.

It's also apparent that a lot of time went into creating the pre-rendered 3D graphics and sequences.

The Bad
The music was apparently sampled at 11Khz to conserve space and processor time. The music is so good that you lament you can't hear it at a higher quality.

The Bottom Line
A good arcade shooter with good music and some creative end-level bosses.