MW Design
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Chroma Vector app icon
On the App Store Game · iPhone, iPad, Mac & Apple TV

Chroma VectorA vertical shooter, rebuilt on Metal.

A fast arcade shoot ’em up and a reimagining of the classic Chromium B.S.U. Pilot a lone fighter through ten levels of scrolling circuitry, collect power-ups, and take down a boss at the end of every stage.

Download on the App Store See the screens
10 levels with bosses 4 weapons Custom Metal renderer No ads · No IAP
Chroma Vector key art: the neon logo and the player's fighter on a brushed-metal circuit frame
10levels, each ending in a boss
5skill levels, Rookie to Insane
4weapon systems
19explosion types
3terrain themes
0ads or in-app purchases
The tour

Busy skies, bright fire

Eight screens from the iPhone version. Swipe or use the arrows, and tap any screen to enlarge it.

The Laser Beam cutting a column up the screen
Laser BeamEverything in its path
Enemy fire and explosions over metal terrain
Under fireVolleys, debris and flame
An enemy firing a crackling cyan beam down the screen
Ray GunnerIt lines up, then it fires
The fighter firing streams of shots over the terrain
Twin Pulse CannonsAlways armed
An orange shield flare around the fighter as it takes a hit
ShieldsThey take the hit first
Enemies descending on both flanks
Waves from aboveWatch both flanks
A bright energy glow around the fighter
GlowLayered, additive light
Main menu with level, skill, sound, music, speed and auto-fire
Main menuPick a level and a skill
Weapons

Four ways to clear the screen

Your primary guns never run dry. Everything heavier is fed by ammo power-ups, and each weapon has its own bar, which flashes orange when it is running low.

  • Twin Pulse Cannons — fast and always on, upgrading to a four-shot spread
  • Plasma Cannon — a large, slow bolt that hits hard, good against bosses
  • Heavy Cannon — alternating rounds from the wings, the strongest conventional gun
  • Laser Beam — a column of energy to the top of the screen for a few seconds
Laser Beam
Twin Pulse Cannons
Enemies

Learn what is coming, then dodge it

Each enemy type moves and fires in its own way, and a glow warns you just before an enemy shoots, so a good player can read the screen rather than just react to it.

  • Straight Fighters and agile Omni Fighters with rotating bursts
  • Ray Gunners that track you and fire an aimed beam
  • Tanks that hold the edges and fire in two phases
  • Gnat swarms that orbit unpredictably and are deadly in numbers
  • Bosses: the Heavy Cruiser, and the Carrier, which launches Gnats at you
A Ray Gunner firing its beam among other enemies
Survival

Shields first, then the hull

Shields soak up most of the damage. Once they are gone, the hull takes it all. Power-ups fall from destroyed enemies, and grabbing the right one at the right moment is most of the game.

  • Shield Restore, Super Shields and Repair
  • Pulse, Plasma and Heavy ammo, plus the Laser Beam
  • Start with 4 lives (up to 9), with an extra life every 50,000 points
  • Lose a life and you respawn with an automatic super bomb
Shield impact
Energy glow around the fighter
iPad

Ten levels of scrolling circuitry

Each level runs for about four to five minutes. The terrain cycles through three themes, Standard Metal, Variant Metal and an animated Core that breathes beneath you, while the enemies get denser and more aggressive.

Level 1 on iPad: dark metal terrain with cyan lights
Level 1 Launch
The Laser Beam on iPad with the fighter's shield glowing
Level 1 Laser Beam
Level 2 on iPad: copper circuitry and streams of enemy fire
Level 2 Crossfire
Level 2 on iPad: the fighter shielded among enemies
Level 2 Shields up
Level 3 on iPad: green circuit board with bullet patterns and an explosion
Level 3 Bullet storm
Level 3 on iPad: the fighter surrounded by enemies with a glowing aura
Level 3 Surrounded
Difficulty

Five skill levels, any starting level

Skill changes enemy health, fire rate, spawn density and how close the bosses come. Start on any of the ten levels from the main menu. On narrower iPhone screens the game tightens spawn and fire zones so it stays fair.

Rookie

Weaker enemies that fire less often.

Easy

A moderate challenge, and a good place to learn.

Normal

Balanced: the intended experience.

Hard

Enemies hit harder and fire more often. Bosses are brutal.

Insane

Maximum challenge, for experts only.

Under the hood

No game engine. Just Metal.

Chroma Vector draws everything with a custom Metal renderer written from scratch in Objective-C, and runs natively on iPhone, iPad, Mac (AppKit) and Apple TV.

7

Blend pipeline states

Standard alpha, additive glow and premultiplied alpha, layered for rich light and colour.

19

Explosion types

Varied in colour, size and speed, from small pops to multi-stage boss deaths.

4

Engine nozzles

Animated thrusters with layered purple flame, plus muzzle flashes on every shot.

3

Laser glow layers

A core, mid and outer layer with flickering side glows for the Laser Beam.

FX

Particles

Electric arcs, glitter sparks, shield impacts and bursts when you collect a power-up.

OST

Original music

An original soundtrack, with separate music and sound effects volumes.

Platforms & controls

Native on four Apple platforms

Auto-fire is on by default, so you can concentrate on flying. Turn it off from the main menu if you prefer to pull the trigger yourself.

  • iPhone & iPad — touch and drag to move the ship anywhere on screen, with auto-fire
  • Mac — mouse and keyboard, in a native window or full screen
  • Apple TV — Siri Remote and game controllers
The Chroma Vector fighter, lit in neon purple and blue
At a glance

The details

Devices
iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV
Requires
iOS / iPadOS 26.2 or later
Price
$1.99
Age rating
4+
Released
25 March 2026
Content
10 levels, 2 boss types, 5 skill levels
Business model
No ads, no in-app purchases
Developer
MW Design
On the App Store

Launch when ready

iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV for $1.99. No ads. No in-app purchases.

Download on the App Store Get in touch