It's probably a pretty safe assumption to say that just about anyone who's ever played a videogame has wondered what it would be like to make a game of their own. After all, who wouldn't want to let their creativity flow and craft their ideal game? The only problem is that making games is hard. You've got to deal with complex programming, long hours, and bosses telling you that you have to work on the new That's So Raven title when you really want to create the next Ico.

To help aspiring game designers, there have been a few notable "do-it-yourself" game-creation programs over the years. From older titles like Pinball Construction Set and Gary Kitchen's GameMaker to more modern equivalents like RPG Maker and Fighter Maker, game designers have tried to make it easier for the regular Joes to try their hand at building a homemade masterpiece. The latest of these is Blast Works, an enhanced version of the PC game, TUMIKI Fighters. With Blast Works, you can create your own horizontally (or vertically) scrolling shooter.


Before discussing the game editor, it's good to know about the actual shooting engine that you'll be working around. The game's Campaign mode lets you play through a standard-length shooter that was built with the editor. Not only is it good for providing inspiration, but you can unlock all sorts of cheats and bonus games (including the original TUMIKI Fighters). The main gimmick is that when an enemy is shot down, you can fly into it as it drops off-screen. If you're able to "catch" it, the fallen enemy attaches to your ship and continues to automatically fire in whatever direction it's facing when you grab it. Additionally, it provides a handy shield for your normally quite vulnerable fighter.

You can continue to capture more and more enemies, turning your ship into a massive ball of bullet-firing hardware. Think of it as a shooter take on Katamari Damacy. With the push of a button, the captured enemies will temporarily vanish from view, which is handy for when the action gets a tad too confusing or when you want to conserve their shield functions for a boss encounter.