Shred Nebula

Shred Nebula is a fast-paced 2D top-down space shooter. The player controls a small ship using the left analog stick and acceleration is mapped to the left trigger. It is not a twin-stick shooter as the ship's primary weapon can only shoot in the direction the ship is facing. Movement also includes braking and next to the primary weapons there is a shield, speed boost, secondary weapons and special weapons such as a shockwave or a noxious gas trail. Gameplay requires quick reflexes as combos and quick kills are also rewarded with extra points. The game features over 20 ships, each with its own type of attacks, durability and speed. Some story fragments are provided every now and then throughout the campaign.

Next to opponents, levels also contain many obstacles and traps. There is some freedom of movement to explore as the screen's scrolling follows the player's space ship to keep it in the center of the screen. Finishing a level in the single-player campaign is done by locating and scanning a beacon. This powers up the ship's engine to allow it to jump to the next galaxy where a new level starts. The beacon can only be scanned by holding a trigger while not being hit, so usually the best approach is to kill all enemies first. The primary weapon gradually improves by progressing without being hit. Weapons are upgraded automatically without customization options. The game contains an unlimited amount of continues and there is no impact damage.

The single-player game consists of a campaign mode with 22 stages and five secret levels, as well as a score attack mode. Multiplayer is supported locally through a system link for two players or through online multiplayer for up eight players with competitive and cooperative game modes.