Chromium B.S.U.

Lore & Background

The storyline of Chromium B.S.U. casts the player as a captain aboard a cargo ship named 'Chromium B.S.U.', tasked with delivering cargo to troops on the front line. The ship carries a series of robotic fighter spaceships, which the player must use to ensure the cargo ship reaches its destination. The game is a 2D top-scrolling space shooter where players shoot enemy aircraft before they reach the bottom of the screen; each enemy that reaches the bottom costs the player a life, a rule that makes the game unique among scrolling space shooters. Limited ammunition adds to the difficulty, requiring efficient use. Players who struggle can either crash into enemy vessels, damaging both ships, or self-destruct to destroy all enemies on screen. The first level features only three types of enemy ships, with more introduced as the player advances. The game was designed for short play intervals rather than long sessions.

Reader's Guide

Chromium B.S.U. holds significance as a free software space shooter that has been widely ported and downloaded over 110,000 times from SourceForge.net between 2007 and 2019. Its technical architecture is notable: written in C++ with OpenGL for graphics, it requires hardware acceleration and uses SDL (or optionally GLUT) for windowing and input. Audio support is configurable at compile time between OpenAL and SDL_Mixer, and the game supports user-defined playlists and CDROM playback. Font rendering can use either FTGL or QuesoGLC. The game received positive critical reception: Linux Format selected it as a 'HotPick' in Christmas 2008; Ubuntu Magazine praised its graphics, music, shooting action, easy mouse controls, and challenging gameplay; Linux Planet highlighted its unique elements—enemies escaping cause life loss, ramming is allowed, and ammunition is limited; Novell recommended it as a 'fun stress-reliever'; and the Linux Game Tome gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Its legacy lies in demonstrating a customizable, community-developed open-source game that achieved cross-platform availability and critical recognition.

Did You Know?

• The game's unique rule that enemies reaching the bottom of the screen cause the player to lose a life is highlighted as distinctive among scrolling space shooters.
• Players can either crash into enemy vessels or self-destruct to clear the screen of foes.
• Audio support is configurable at compile time, with a choice between OpenAL and SDL_Mixer.
• The game was downloaded from SourceForge.net over 110,000 times between 2007 and 2019.