The scrawltastic "SketchFighter 4000 Alpha" is a promising 2D shooter currently in Beta-testing by veteran Mac-centric game developer Ambrosia Software. Unlike traditionally-slick shooting games, SketchFighter looks very much like it's leapt from the pages of my middle-school notebooks--the game's spaceships and scenery are all doodled on a field of graph-paper.

Although the final details are likely to change, Ambrosia's Lars Gafvert says that the game will focus on exploration, where access to new areas is achieved by defeating bosses and upgrading one's ship. Gafvert says "There is also a two player mode that focuses more on short matches where the players either compete [or] work together to collect points." Sounds like a refreshing change from standard shooter play. Based on Ambrosia's catalog of games, SketchFighter 4000 Alpha is guaranteed to be available at least for Macs, if not for Windows-based PCs. One can hope.