Heavy Weapon Deluxe

I have to say that Heavy Weapon Deluxe is one of my favorite games that the fine folks at PopCap games have put out. This is an action-packed shooter with a ton of personality. It is a game that I feel deserves way more attention and if just one of your guys who reads this takes the time to play through this game then I have done my job. This is a true hidden gem and one of the most fun arcade-style shooters to come out in the last decade or so.

The Red Enemy!

There is a pretty awesome 80s action movie style story being told in Heavy Weapon Deluxe. It has a very Red Dawn kind of vibe going on where you and your badass tank need to stop the invasion from The Red Star which is pretty much the U.S.S.R! It is pretty cool stuff and the little scenes you get at the start of the game do get you pretty hyped up for what you need to do.

That PopCap Style

The visual presentation of the game is awesome. Everything in this game has that PopCap visual style that all their games have and I love it. Your tank manages to look cool, but also a bit cute at the same time. The whole game is very bright and has an almost cell-shaded vibe going on and I really like that.

Not only does Heavy Weapon Deluxe look great. There is a ton of variety to the visuals here as well. For example, the levels include places like a snow-covered area, a decimated city, and even a prehistoric type place that has freaking dinosaurs moving around in it! There is so much imagination on display here and it helps keep things fresh and interesting.

Get Ready For War

While I love the premise and the art style that PopCap has done here, it is the gameplay that I love about this. You control your tank and it moves from left to right. You can shoot in all directions around you though. So you have to manage moving your tank left to right in order to avoid attack, but you also need to move the turret so you can take down the vast amount of enemies that are coming your way. It is simple, but very satisfying.

There are plenty of boss battles here and these are just as varied as the levels themselves. Boss battles include a giant sea destroyer, a robot, and a giant gorilla with rockets on his back! The gameplay is a lot of fun and it is the kind of thing that is easy to pick up and play, but hard to master. You have a mission mode which is where you play through all the games levels. You also have a survival mode which is where you can try and see how long you can last with one life. While I have never tried it, you can actually play survival mode with a buddy in online and local co-op.

I love Heavy Weapon Deluxe! There is a demo version out there, but do not waste your time with that. Just jump into the full version and then thank me for it later. I will admit that the game is a tad light when it comes to the overall content. However, what is on offer here is an awesome and super fun shooter that I have played through many, many times, and never once have I gotten bored with it.

Pros:

• I love the PopCap style
• Your little tank is badass
• Some of the boss fights are pretty nuts
• There is a lot of variety to the levels
• The game is just so much fun to play

Cons:

• I do wish there were more levels
• Sometimes you take a hit and it feels a bit cheap