For 700 WiiWare points, it's a great option despite it's faults. We'd just love to see High Voltage Software refine the design and hit us with a sequel; though if it's put on temporary hold in order to finish Animales de la Muerte, we more than understand.

Gyrostarr takes inspiration from a few types of shooters in gaming history, but rather than going with a specifically "top view" or "sidecroller" feel, it's a hybrid of games like Stun Runner, Gyrus, and Tempest. Players enter their three-letter name, select a colored – F-Zero inspired – ship and blast off down tunnel after tunnel of space tubing. The core experience is based around dodging and shooting (it wouldn't be shooter if it wasn't), but the game is deepened via the warp conduits that loom at the end of each of the 50 stages. As each level progresses, speed increases as you rocket towards the next warp gate, but you'll need to power the portals before crashing into them in a fiery and deadly finale. Via a grapple arm (shot out with the up or down button on your d-pad or stick), players can grab power orbs, weapon upgrades, or additional health. As long as you've got the gate powered by the time you hit the inevitable end of the road, you'll blast off to the next stage.

Gyrostarr never becomes exceptionally difficult. However, if you can endure the first ten levels or so, which are so simple as to be a bit tedious, you'll find a high-energy, fast-paced shooting/racing … thing that is worth playing. As the game picks up in speed and intensity, it entrances you with its hypnotic, pulsing music and swirly, colorful appearance.

The perspective and the fact that you can shoot are really all it has in common with Tempest. Oddly enough, the goal of Gyrostarr's levels isn't the shooting of enemies. Instead, your ship must pick up small white clouds around the level, which represent energy. Energy can be grabbed by running into it or by shooting the grappling hook at it. Each pickup increments a progress bar at the top of the screen, which also shows your movement through the level. Pick up sufficient energy before the end of the level, and you warp out in an awesome-looking effect, on to the next level. Fail, and you die!

If there was ever a time to go out and buy a Wii Points card, this is it. High Voltage has provided a truly great third party effort to sit alongside titles like My Life as a King, LostWinds and Toki Tori. Gyrostarr provides a fresh, challenging experience that you could be playing for some time. This is the kind of game that makes Wiiware a worthwhile feature, and shows that good hardcore games can be made for the system in any size.

Gyrostarr could be described as F-Zero meets the Star Soldier series, with a bunch of new tricks here and there.

The lack of a boss fight and the unimaginative bonus levels do tend to make the game feel a bit repetitive after you've played the game for a long period of time. …. If you're a shooter fan and you don't demand a lot of variety in your gaming experience, Gyrostarr is a game which you are likely to enjoy. However if you are one of those gamers who felt disappointed with the lack of substance in Star Soldier R, you will probably feel the same about Gyrostarr on the whole despite all the good things it has going for it.

The gameplay in Gyrostarr is pretty standard as far as shooters go. You can move left and right around the track and use your cannon fire to take out enemy ships that stand in your way. To make things a bit easier, your ship comes equipped with a grappling hook that you can shoot out by pressing up or down on the D-pad or "L" stick. This allows you to grab power-ups and energy pods without having to take your thumb off of the fire button. The game allows for the use of several different controller options including the Wii Remote held sideways, the Nunchuk, or the Classic Controller. The game even offers up something called "Paired Control" where one person can use the Wii Remote and another player can use the attached Nunchuk or Classic Controller.

It’s a hardcore arcade shooter at its core, but with excellent graphics, and a supreme multiplayer mode that puts it over the “Above Average” level and into the “Good Game” level. And of course, the fact that you are only paying $7 makes this ALMOST a must-buy.

…this game plays a lot like Tempest with the speed of F-Zero. You hurtle down tracks at very high speed shooting enemies with your blasters, collecting power-ups, and getting enough energy to make it through to the next level. You can get energy by collecting it on the tracks, but you can also use your grappling hook to get energy and power-ups on the track in front of you.