In Mech mode, your movement is slow but precise, and you have access to the Beam. You can tap the X button to activate and deactivate it, or hold the button to charge it up and release to fire. The beam generates heat while firing, except for when it is using up built up charge.

In Ship mode, you are harder to hit, move fast but with more inertia, and have access to the Gun. The gun doesn't generate heat, but becomes imprecise if fired continuously - simply stop firing for a moment to recentre your aim, as it were.

Weapons start at medium level, and can go go low or high.
If you are hit, you will lose a level of a weapon at random and lose some of your shield charge as it deploys. While its deployed you are safe from damage for a while, but all hits (including the first one) generate heat. The shield charge is displayed as a circle filling out from the top surrounding the rest of the hud.

If you overheat, your speed will drop and your beam will become unavailable. As long as you don't accumulate more heat, you will recover in some time. Heat is displayed as shimmering red/orange semi-circles on the sides of the hud.

Once you lose all your shield charge, the next hit will destroy you.

Collect the alien cores dropped by enemies to upgrade your weapons and mech/ship.

	[8x8]

Physical core (or the "gun" pickup)- improves the fire rate and spread of the gun. When you collect the core at high level, the Gun will be Boosted for 5 seconds, spreading bullets at a ridiculous rate and permanently improving its damage. If you collect another core while Boosted, the timer will reset and you will score extra points.

	[8x8]

Energy core (or the "beam" pickup) - improves the charge rate and heat generation of the beam. When you collect the core at high level, the Beam will be Boosted for 5 seconds, generating no heat/spending no charge when fired, adn charging at a very high pace. If you collect another core while Boosted, the timer will reset and you will score extra points.

	[8x8]

Heat core (or the "heat bomb" pickup) - adds one Thermal Bomb to your inventory, as indicated by pluses at the bottom of the hud. The bomb will detonate if you overheat, destroying all enemies and bullets on screen. If you collect a Heat core while holding 3 bombs, a Heat Sink will be added to your inventory, improving the rate at which you cool down.

	[8x8]

Shield core (or the "shield" pickup) - restores a portion of your shield, and activates it. If you collect a Shield core while at full Shield, or shortly after collecting a Shield core, you will gain a stack of Pulse. The next time you take a hit that activates the shield, a stack of Pulse will be consumed erasing all bullets on the screen and protecting your weapon level.