Ah, cool. Yeah, some people assume 2D is a "worse" form of video game, but generally that's not true. My favorite kind of genre is 2D platformers like Super Metroid. I'm sad these days that people rarely ever at least do 2.5D, where they have 3D graphics but 2D gameplay.
Um... to be honest, I'm not too familiar with those beams. :xd: I think Spazer just increases your power. Like a lot of beams, it changes the way your shots look. Each of them has a modification effect on the appearance of your beam, and if you have them all active you'll see all those qualities at once. Spazer's is the three-shot appearance, but I don't think that does anything other than make it a little wider. Spazer's real advantage is the additional power, allowing you to hurt stronger enemies.
You know you can turn your power-ups off, right?