If you like 2D shooters then we’ve good news for you. You’re presumably sitting in front of a computer reading this, so why not head over to intermediaware where you can download a free demo of their brand new, hot off the press shoot ‘em up, Absolute Blue? It’s quite nicely made and, being created by German chaps, has a techno soundtrack, which you’ll also get in mp3 form if you decide to upgrade to the full version (Warning: costs money!).

Ah, that’s better! Shooting things on a 2D plane makes us happy. So do independent games from independent dev teams, and this one costs less than a tenner for 60 levels.

In other independent game news, the well known GarageGames received the game of the year prize at the recent Indie Games Convention, for their Tubetwist puzzle game. With the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Revolution both offering ways for the independent scene to expand onto consoles, we predict bright times ahead for the mini-industry as a whole.