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This thread has been linked to the game 'iSpace Retro'.
The best thing about copying a classic game from the past from a developer's perspective is that it can be very difficult for reviewers like myself to write a bad word about it. After all, it's just like trying to bring classic history into the present. Maybe Space Invaders did need a facelift 33 years after it's original release. No, I'm not convinced either.
I will progress with disecting what attempts have been made to improve the king of retro games. The concept is still to control a gun at the bottom of the screen which can move left and right as well as fire. The task is to make your way through waves of descending aliens that will fire back. As well as dodging, you have several bunkers to shield you should you wish to protect yourself. Watch out for the famous big ship which will occasionally travel across the top of the screen, deploying more aliens.
So nothing new on the concept front. No power-ups or different weaponry. Creativity hasn't reared it's head yet. What about graphically? Well as mentioned before, the game has a slightly improved feel, with cleaner cut aliens, and funky space backgrounds. Graphically, that's all you will find different.
Sadly, things have gone backwards in some departments. The controls for example are almost useless. There are 3 different control methods to move your gun, either by tilting your device (with responsiveness being an issue), sliding the gun with your finger (meaning you can't see half the screen all the time) or pressing a left or right button on screen (which is the most sensible method, although gameplay still goes on behind your fingers). The fire button is always on the right of the screen.
The only thing I can say is at all good about the game is the concept, which despite being entirely unoriginal, is still loads of fun. It is the only redeeming factor which makes this game playable. The idea of lives in this game seems very confusing. You get 3 lives at the start of the game. As you complete a level, that level become unlocked within the game. Run out of lives and it's game over. But, you can just go to level select, and start at that level again with a score of 0, which seems pointless. It would be far simpler to just have start game, and you play until you run out of lives.
I am a fan any games with original concepts and not a lover of games that have been essentially copy and pasted from the late 70's. I am therefore not a big fan of iSpace Retro. It's not bland or bad, it's just that the developer has done very little work to regurgitate this game back into the world. Arguably the hardest part of creating a game is coming up with the concept in the first place, an idea which won't be found here. No, if you enjoy iSpace Retro, most of your thanks should be going to Tomohiro Nishikado.
I will progress with disecting what attempts have been made to improve the king of retro games. The concept is still to control a gun at the bottom of the screen which can move left and right as well as fire. The task is to make your way through waves of descending aliens that will fire back. As well as dodging, you have several bunkers to shield you should you wish to protect yourself. Watch out for the famous big ship which will occasionally travel across the top of the screen, deploying more aliens.
So nothing new on the concept front. No power-ups or different weaponry. Creativity hasn't reared it's head yet. What about graphically? Well as mentioned before, the game has a slightly improved feel, with cleaner cut aliens, and funky space backgrounds. Graphically, that's all you will find different.
Sadly, things have gone backwards in some departments. The controls for example are almost useless. There are 3 different control methods to move your gun, either by tilting your device (with responsiveness being an issue), sliding the gun with your finger (meaning you can't see half the screen all the time) or pressing a left or right button on screen (which is the most sensible method, although gameplay still goes on behind your fingers). The fire button is always on the right of the screen.
The only thing I can say is at all good about the game is the concept, which despite being entirely unoriginal, is still loads of fun. It is the only redeeming factor which makes this game playable. The idea of lives in this game seems very confusing. You get 3 lives at the start of the game. As you complete a level, that level become unlocked within the game. Run out of lives and it's game over. But, you can just go to level select, and start at that level again with a score of 0, which seems pointless. It would be far simpler to just have start game, and you play until you run out of lives.
I am a fan any games with original concepts and not a lover of games that have been essentially copy and pasted from the late 70's. I am therefore not a big fan of iSpace Retro. It's not bland or bad, it's just that the developer has done very little work to regurgitate this game back into the world. Arguably the hardest part of creating a game is coming up with the concept in the first place, an idea which won't be found here. No, if you enjoy iSpace Retro, most of your thanks should be going to Tomohiro Nishikado.
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The best thing about copying a classic game from the past from a developer's perspective is that it can be very difficult for reviewers like myself to write a bad word about it. After all, it's just like trying to bring classic history into the present. Maybe Space Invaders did need a facelift 33 years after it's original release. No, I'm not convinced either.
I will progress with disecting what attempts have been made to improve the king of retro games. The concept is still to control a gun at the bottom of the screen which can move left and right as well as fire. The task is to make your way through waves of descending aliens that will fire back. As well as dodging, you have several bunkers to shield you should you wish to protect yourself. Watch out for the famous big ship which will occasionally travel across the top of the screen, deploying more aliens.
So nothing new on the concept front. No power-ups or different weaponry. Creativity hasn't reared it's head yet. What about graphically? Well as mentioned before, the game has a slightly improved feel, with cleaner cut aliens, and funky space backgrounds. Graphically, that's all you will find different.
Sadly, things have gone backwards in some departments. The controls for example are almost useless. There are 3 different control methods to move your gun, either by tilting your device (with responsiveness being an issue), sliding the gun with your finger (meaning you can't see half the screen all the time) or pressing a left or right button on screen (which is the most sensible method, although gameplay still goes on behind your fingers). The fire button is always on the right of the screen.
The only thing I can say is at all good about the game is the concept, which despite being entirely unoriginal, is still loads of fun. It is the only redeeming factor which makes this game playable. The idea of lives in this game seems very confusing. You get 3 lives at the start of the game. As you complete a level, that level become unlocked within the game. Run out of lives and it's game over. But, you can just go to level select, and start at that level again with a score of 0, which seems pointless. It would be far simpler to just have start game, and you play until you run out of lives.
I am a fan any games with original concepts and not a lover of games that have been essentially copy and pasted from the late 70's. I am therefore not a big fan of iSpace Retro. It's not bland or bad, it's just that the developer has done very little work to regurgitate this game back into the world. Arguably the hardest part of creating a game is coming up with the concept in the first place, an idea which won't be found here. No, if you enjoy iSpace Retro, most of your thanks should be going to Tomohiro Nishikado.
I will progress with disecting what attempts have been made to improve the king of retro games. The concept is still to control a gun at the bottom of the screen which can move left and right as well as fire. The task is to make your way through waves of descending aliens that will fire back. As well as dodging, you have several bunkers to shield you should you wish to protect yourself. Watch out for the famous big ship which will occasionally travel across the top of the screen, deploying more aliens.
So nothing new on the concept front. No power-ups or different weaponry. Creativity hasn't reared it's head yet. What about graphically? Well as mentioned before, the game has a slightly improved feel, with cleaner cut aliens, and funky space backgrounds. Graphically, that's all you will find different.
Sadly, things have gone backwards in some departments. The controls for example are almost useless. There are 3 different control methods to move your gun, either by tilting your device (with responsiveness being an issue), sliding the gun with your finger (meaning you can't see half the screen all the time) or pressing a left or right button on screen (which is the most sensible method, although gameplay still goes on behind your fingers). The fire button is always on the right of the screen.
The only thing I can say is at all good about the game is the concept, which despite being entirely unoriginal, is still loads of fun. It is the only redeeming factor which makes this game playable. The idea of lives in this game seems very confusing. You get 3 lives at the start of the game. As you complete a level, that level become unlocked within the game. Run out of lives and it's game over. But, you can just go to level select, and start at that level again with a score of 0, which seems pointless. It would be far simpler to just have start game, and you play until you run out of lives.
I am a fan any games with original concepts and not a lover of games that have been essentially copy and pasted from the late 70's. I am therefore not a big fan of iSpace Retro. It's not bland or bad, it's just that the developer has done very little work to regurgitate this game back into the world. Arguably the hardest part of creating a game is coming up with the concept in the first place, an idea which won't be found here. No, if you enjoy iSpace Retro, most of your thanks should be going to Tomohiro Nishikado.