Free computer speed downloads

Shooters have come a long way since dominating the arcades in the ’70s and ’80s, and the PC currently has consoles beat when it comes to innovative, gorgeous, and tough-as-nails blastathons.

1 Air Strike 3D: Operation W.A.T.

$19.95 www.divogames.com

Never mind that you’re in a helicopter that can’t hover—this game’s over-the-top power-ups ripped straight from space shooters combine with its gorgeous 3D graphics to create one of the most fun and colorful shooters ever crafted.

2 Alien Shooter

$19.95 www.sigma-team.net

Clear hordes of aliens from the base using loads of powerful weapons. You move via the keyboard while aiming and shooting with the mouse from a three-quarter perspective.

3 Noiz2sa

Free www.asahi-net.or.jp/

~cs8k-cyu/windows/noiz2sa_e.html

Among the best in a series of so-called abstract shooters, Noiz2sa is all about loads of bullets and strange enemies made up of various random shapes.

4 Ultra Assault

$19.99 www.smallrockets.com

This beautiful game is all about balance. Weapons upgrades slow the ship, so it’s important to pay

for speed upgrades often to avoid turning into a sluggish target.

5 Flatspace

$21 www.lostinflatspace.com

If the other shooters highlighted here numb your brain, kick it back into high gear with Flatspace. This gorgeous top-down shooter puts the “deep” in “deep space,” offering tons of missions, equipment options, and paths users can take as they explore a living, breathing universe.

Copyright ?? 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Computer Gaming World.