Intro
In addition to the campaign mode (which has three difficulty levels: Chilled, Normal, and Serious), there is also a Score Tilt mode. Unlike the campaign mode levels, in which you pre-select the game speed beforehand (choosing from 25-point increments from 25% up to 200%), in Score Tilt mode you do not pre-select a game speed. Instead, you tilt the phone in real-time to instantly speed up or slow down the on-screen gameplay. This makes for a unique and exciting variation on the gameplay as it gives you full control over the game while also adding a sense of excitement.
The game consists of the same 6 stages from the campaign mode, but the game is never-ending: you simply continue looping through the game. Once you beat the 6 stages the first time, you unlock 'level 2', which results in an increase in difficulty (more enemies, more projectiles, longer levels, etc.). Beat 'level 2' and you unlock 'level 3', and so forth. To unlock the Tilt Master achievement you simply need to complete 'one loop' (i.e. beat the 6 stages and progress to level 2). After that you can keep playing for fun, or stop.
Setup
1. Selecting Score Tilt :
Tap the screen to go to the menu where you can choose from Start Game, Leaderboards, Achievements, Help & Options, and Exit Game. Tap on Start Game and then choose Score Tilt.
2. Calibrating:
In Score Tilt mode you control, in real-time, the speed of the game by tilting the top of the phone towards you to slow down (i.e. the top of the phone moves closer to you, like you're drinking a beverage) or by tilting the top of the phone away from you to speed up. The speed ranges from 1-10, with 10 being the fastest. The degree to which the game speed increases and decreases as you tilt the phone depends on how you calibrate it. Before the game begins you can tilt the device in the calibration settings to find out where you comfortably hold the phone. Fine a comfortable resting position, which will probably be somewhere between .30-.65.
Time to Completion
The length of time it takes you to beat the campaign is dependent on two things: 1) how quickly you kill enemies (itself determined by how many ships are in your phalanx) and 2) the average game speed. There are 6 stages in the game. With an average game speed (i.e. average of 5/10) each stage takes approximately 2 1/2 minutes to complete on the first run through of the game (i.e. the first 'loop'). Thus, you should get this achievement within 15 minutes, total.
You will want to choose the fastest gameplay speed that you can without worrying about failing. Generally, you can speed the game up to 10 when few enemies or enemy projectiles are on screen, and then quickly slow it down to 1-2 when a barrage of bullets are coming at you. You can be riskier than you were in the campaign mode because, unlike the campaign mode where if you lose your final ship the game is over and you must restart, in Score Tilt mode you can continue the game from the most recent stage. So, if you die halfway through Stage 4, you can simply try again from the start of Stage 4, as opposed to starting over at Stage 1.
You can pause the campaign whenever you want by pressing the in-game pause button in the upper-right corner of the screen or the home button (Windows button on your phone). Whenever you re-enter the game, you will pick up where you left off.
Differences from Campaign Mode
The differences in Score Tilt mode compared to Campaign mode are:
1. In Score Tilt mode you can adjust the game speed in real-time by tilting your phone. In Campaign mode, you choose a fixed game speed beforehand.
2. In Score Tilt mode you can resume play at the start of the stage you died on, rather than going to Game Over and having to completely start over, as is the case in Campaign mode.
3. In Score Tilt mode there are no flight 'paths' to choose from (see below).
Other than those differences, the rest of the gameplay is the same and is described below.
Tips
Shoot 1Up is a unique shoot-em up game in several ways:
1. 1UPs:
You don't collect extra lives so that when you die you use an extra life and resume play. Instead, you collect 1Ups that float around on the screen. If you collect them by dragging your ship on top of them, another ship will join your fleet. You can collect up to 30 ships! Each ship will expand your phalanx and make your weapon more powerful.
You should collect as many 1Ups as possible for two reasons. First, each ship is like an extra life so that if you get hit by enemy fire you lose a ship. That is, if you have 8 ships in your phalanx you can literally "die" by enemy fire 8 times before it's Game Over. Second, because they increase your fire power (spreading out your phalanx creates a powerful laser), it makes beating the game easier because you can destroy enemies faster.
Naturally, the game is designed to entice you to pursue the 1UP icons that float near the top of the screen. You should only pursue them when you're sure you won't get hit by enemy fire, thereby losing a ship in your phalanx and defeating the purpose of pursuing the 1UP icon (which will merely bring your phalanx back to where it was, rather than expand it). So, be patient and prudent.
2. Ghosts:
Like the 1UP icons floating around, occasionally icons with the word Ghost on them will also appear. Collect them and a clone of your phalanx will appear on screen and mirror your movements. For instance, if you have a phalanx of 5 ships, another 5-ship phalanx will appear, doubling your weapon output! You still control only your original phalanx, with the ghost phalanx moving in opposite direction (i.e. if you move the original phalanx left, the ghost phalanx will go right). The Ghost phalanx cannot die by enemy fire, so you only have to worry about defending your original phalanx. Collecting Ghost icons, then, can greatly aid you, but, as with the 1UP icons, be careful only to go after them if you are sure you won't lose a ship in the process.
3. Paths:
Unlike the campaign mode, which, on each of the 6 stages you are given a flight path decision where you can either keep flying straight or can temporarily bank right, there are no paths in Score Tilt mode.
4. Shield:
There will be a lot of enemy projectiles on screen at once. In most case you can shrink down your phalanx and maneuver through them (even if it seems like you can't). But, in some instances, it's not worth the risk and it's better to unleash your shield--your last-line of defense. Tapping on the screen will unleash a small explosion around your ship that will kill nearby enemies. However, doing so will also temporarily shut off your ability to shoot bullets and the phalanx-powered laser stream. So, that downside is something you need to keep in mind. After a few seconds, though, your guns will come back and your shield will regenerate. The shield is very powerful and I recommend using it when you get in a bind, or you can use it more often as a weapon for killing enemies (using your shield to kill 50 enemies in one stage is itself an achievement in the game).
Conclusion
Shoot 1UP is an excellent shoot-em up game. The best on Windows Phone. Score Tilt mode is my favorite mode in the game because I love the extra nuance involved in tilting the device to adjust the speed of the game in real-time. Be sure to enjoy the game and compare your high scores with your friends on the leaderboards!