Help Save The Planet In Mech Guardian
Mech Guardian ($1.99) by SunTownship features a world that’s been abandoned by mankind. In this world, the trash left behind on the planet has morphed into terrible, earth-polluting monsters that can only be stopped by one ordinary, but heroic creature. The dustbin.
With his mechanical claw, the dustbin must reach into the depths of the lake to fish out the monsters before they can release their toxins, and it’s your job to help him.
Gameplay is simple. Tilting your device back and forth sends the dustbin floating across the water, and aiming and releasing the claw is done with a lever-like button on the bottom of the screen.
Monsters will swim by in the water, and the goal is to aim the claw and pluck them out before they start flashing red. It’s a lot like playing those claw machines filled with stuffed animals in arcades.
There are several types of monsters, each with unique properties. Some are larger and easier to capture, while others are smaller and swim quickly, making them tough to grab. Three types of special monsters must be dealt with in different ways. An armored monster and an electric monster can only be grabbed by a special claw, while a small exploding monster will stun the dustbin if it isn’t picked up before it reaches him.
Gameplay is based on achieving a high score, which is done by picking up as many monsters as you can before the level ends. Each monster that you don’t pick up will pollute the water, and when the pollution meter is depleted, it’s game over and you must start from the beginning again.
Power ups will help the dustbin on his quest to eliminate the monsters. One makes him float faster so he can move back and forth quickly, one will blow up all the monsters on the screen, and one is a super claw that will allow him to pick up the electric and armored monsters with ease.
You can buy these power ups as in-app purchases, but you’re given a free daily allotment, and you’re also able to grab a few extras from the water.
Though the gameplay is decent, this game is truly notable for its incredible graphics and touching theme. In fact, the steampunk graphics and theme are so impressive that they completely overshadow the rest of the game, and Mech Guardian ends up feeling like an amazing idea that wasn’t quite given the game that it deserves.
Mech Guardian is a fishing game, plain and simple, so the gameplay does tend to get boring after a short period of time, though there are achievements to earn plus leaderboards to top, which spices it up a bit.
Despite the simplistic gameplay, this is a worthwhile purchase if you’re into casual aiming games, and an even more worthwhile purchase if you enjoy games with an appealing visual aesthetic.
