A retro shooter with rows of marching raiders

If you want an old-style shooter where rows of enemies march down the screen towards you, Sky Raiders in Games by Zaweba is that game. The raiders creep down the sky, faster and faster, and you hold the line from your tank behind crumbling shields. It is free, original and offline, and drawn in an 8-bit home computer style.

It sits on the Retro arcade shelf, one of 26 original arcade and platform games in the app.

Holding the line

Shoot every raider before they reach the ground. Move with Left and Right or A and D, and fire with Space or Z. You can also use the mouse: move to steer and click to fire.

The raiders speed up as their numbers fall. That's the twist that makes the game. The first rows go slowly, but the last few raiders move fast, and the very last one can be hard to hit. So plan for the end of each wave, not just the start.

Using the shields

Shields soak up bombs, but they wear away. Use them as cover while you line up shots, then step out to fire. A shield that's still standing late in the wave is very valuable, so don't shoot through your own shields carelessly.

Many players take out the raiders at the ends of each row first. That narrows the formation, which means it takes longer to reach the edge of the screen and come down a step. A narrow formation buys time.

The mystery saucer and extra tanks

Now and then a mystery saucer crosses the top of the screen. Hit it for a surprise bonus. It's worth a shot when the raiders aren't pressing, but not worth losing a tank over.

You get an extra tank at 1500 points, so a strong first wave gives you a spare life early. Your best score and plays are kept on the game's tile, in a scores file on your own PC.

The 8-bit style is drawn in the spirit of a 48K home computer, with bold shapes and simple sounds. It is quick to pick up, and the speeding raiders give every wave a natural build of tension. A wave that starts calmly can end with your heart racing as the last raider zips from side to side.

When things get frantic, stay calm and keep firing in short, aimed bursts. Chasing the last raider across the screen often leaves you out of position for its bombs, so let it come to you where you can.

Playing Sky Raiders

Find it on the Retro arcade shelf of Games by Zaweba, or press Ctrl+F and type raiders. The title card explains how to play, F1 explains it again, Esc pauses and F11 fills the screen. If you switch to another window the game pauses itself, so the raiders wait for you.

There are no adverts and no accounts, and nothing goes online. Every raider and every sound is made in code. If you like defending against waves from above, City Shield on the same shelf has you protecting six cities from falling missiles, a different take on the same kind of pressure.