Overview
Blue Defense! puts you at the helm of an incredible planetary defense turret that not only fires bullets the size of Ohio, but can also circumnavigate the entire planet in less than a few seconds (that, or the planet is really small). While not entirely realistic, it does make for some great gameplay. Little enemy shapes move towards the planet, and you must shoot them before they make contact.
Features
Blue Defense! starts you off with what might be the shortest set of complete instructions ever. “Tilt to aim. Bullets shoot straight up.” I said, “that’s it?” The answer was a wall of red death streaming down towards my planet.
While the game is simple, there’s actually room for some higher-level strategic thinking. “Which bad guys do I take down first?” is a question that matters in this game.
- They Came From...Behind...
The first time the camera switched sides and I had to flip my iPhone upside down to be facing the right way, I was surprised. The first time the camera zoomed out and I was defending myself from a 360 degree assault? I was overwhelmed with a sense of impending doom.
Breakdown
The Good:
There’s not much to this game. Not even a title screen. That’s okay though, because the arcade-style gameplay is addictive and exciting enough that I didn’t need 5 different game modes to enjoy it. Sweeping a stream of bullets across waves of bad guys was very, very satisfying. The pace of the game got somewhat frenetic as I got up towards higher levels, but this felt challenging instead of stressful.
I thought the shifting perspectives mechanic was really cool. When the planet was smack-dab in the center of the screen and there were baddies coming from all sides, my tendency was to have an “oh-crap-not-this-again” moment before spinning my phone madly to take out the horde.
Spinning the phone madly worked to a certain point, but turning slowly and purposefully was more effective. I liked that the controls were accurate and steady enough to support this. The game works, it’s fun, and it’s cheap. What’s not to like?
The Bad:
The only real complaint was a lack of sound. A couple explosions or a “pew pew” sound might have been nice. The developers could expand with online high scores, maybe. Other than that, the only thing that could be construed as a negative is its lack of replayability. Just like I probably wouldn’t play Missile Command for more than 20 minutes, I wasn’t able to glue myself to this game. However, for a dollar, I wasn’t expecting Blue Defense! to be much more than a time killer.
Verdict
Blue Defense! is a fun little game that doesn’t clutter up the experience with anything. Those looking for something reminiscent of arcade classics like Space Invaders, Galaga, or other vertical shooters will be pleased. If you don’t like primary colors, silence, or are afraid of your iPhone getting motion sickness, this game is not for you. Personally, I enjoyed it for a day and didn’t open it up again until this review.
