o.o
07-16-2009, 12:33 PM
Earth vs. Moon
Link: http://itunes.com/app/earthvsmoon
Developer: Low Five Games
Price: $3.99/£2.39
Lite: Nosiree
Played On: iPod 2G
I never played the original Missile Command, and infact, I'd never heard of it until the amusingly named Earth vs. Moon thread caught my eye. Making assumptions about a game I have never played is not something I like doing, as I find myself often at the throats of people who shun titles that they won't buy for whatever reason. Fine, don't buy it, but don't diss it. However, I made the assumption that Missile Command was some kind of Arcade Classic, potential survival type game. Upon doing some research, I found I was fairly close in my guesses.
Out of all of the games Earth vs. Moon (fingerquotes) parodies, Missile Command was the only one I hadn't heard of or played. I've played the obvious, like Space Invaders or Pong, as well as the more obscure references like Sinistar. I wouldn't have got this game if it wasn't for the incredible tidal wave of humour that came crashing down on me from the epic trailer. It was like being punched in the face with the golden fist of awesome.
After paying my £2.39, like the Englishman I am, I was met with the strangest icon I've seen on the App Store yet. Not that I don't like it, as I think it portrays the feel of the game almost perfectly.
Oh silly me, I almost forgot to mention the awesome newspapers that occasionally pop up. The amount of effort that goes into the paper is suprising. It's front page is full of humerous news relating to the impending doom of the Earth about to be invaded by Emperor Noom and his comrade's fleet of destruction. Never in my life has a game so superbly passed off humour, not even the Lego Games which try ever so hard.
Okay, back to whatever it was I was saying before. Ah yes, the polish. The game is polished with the best polish available from the shops, and then used the brush of silliness to rub it over. The game is lighthearted and fun, but saying that, its not as easy as you might think. It isn't 'Throw your Wii Remote at the Wall' frustrating, but its certainly annoying when the dreaded 'EPIC FAIL' stamp appears after trying your very best on the level you've been stuck on for so long. It's hard to make a game that has a good difficulty curve without the game getting frustrating. A difficulty curve is where Earth vs. Moon falls down, having some very hard levels followed by levels you can toast and wrap around cheese, making a nice sandwich. Wait! I mean a sandwich that isn't difficult to eat! Oh nevermind. My point is that the hardest level is level 16, and after beating it, the remaining levels have little challenge. This kind of pattern doesn't just happen once either. If you aren't the kind of gamer that particularly cares about a smoothly rising challenge, then most of this paragraph just got tasered by the laser of casual gaming.
Gameplay-wise, the levels require you to be fast-fingered and ready to do whatever it takes to get the Earth approved (which the developers recognize by placing in a level called 'Think Fast'). There are three gameplay modes, the Story Missions, the Never-Ending Survival Score Attack Mode and the Boss Attack Mode. The latter two are unlocked every 8 levels in Story, which I assure you will enjoy :p It also lasted me longer than Doom Ressurection, but then again that was so short you'd feel uncomfortable sitting on it.
I've never played Missile Command, and I don't want to. Not as long as I have Earth vs. Moon on my iPod.
Link: http://itunes.com/app/earthvsmoon
Developer: Low Five Games
Price: $3.99/£2.39
Lite: Nosiree
Played On: iPod 2G
I never played the original Missile Command, and infact, I'd never heard of it until the amusingly named Earth vs. Moon thread caught my eye. Making assumptions about a game I have never played is not something I like doing, as I find myself often at the throats of people who shun titles that they won't buy for whatever reason. Fine, don't buy it, but don't diss it. However, I made the assumption that Missile Command was some kind of Arcade Classic, potential survival type game. Upon doing some research, I found I was fairly close in my guesses.
Out of all of the games Earth vs. Moon (fingerquotes) parodies, Missile Command was the only one I hadn't heard of or played. I've played the obvious, like Space Invaders or Pong, as well as the more obscure references like Sinistar. I wouldn't have got this game if it wasn't for the incredible tidal wave of humour that came crashing down on me from the epic trailer. It was like being punched in the face with the golden fist of awesome.
After paying my £2.39, like the Englishman I am, I was met with the strangest icon I've seen on the App Store yet. Not that I don't like it, as I think it portrays the feel of the game almost perfectly.
Oh silly me, I almost forgot to mention the awesome newspapers that occasionally pop up. The amount of effort that goes into the paper is suprising. It's front page is full of humerous news relating to the impending doom of the Earth about to be invaded by Emperor Noom and his comrade's fleet of destruction. Never in my life has a game so superbly passed off humour, not even the Lego Games which try ever so hard.
Okay, back to whatever it was I was saying before. Ah yes, the polish. The game is polished with the best polish available from the shops, and then used the brush of silliness to rub it over. The game is lighthearted and fun, but saying that, its not as easy as you might think. It isn't 'Throw your Wii Remote at the Wall' frustrating, but its certainly annoying when the dreaded 'EPIC FAIL' stamp appears after trying your very best on the level you've been stuck on for so long. It's hard to make a game that has a good difficulty curve without the game getting frustrating. A difficulty curve is where Earth vs. Moon falls down, having some very hard levels followed by levels you can toast and wrap around cheese, making a nice sandwich. Wait! I mean a sandwich that isn't difficult to eat! Oh nevermind. My point is that the hardest level is level 16, and after beating it, the remaining levels have little challenge. This kind of pattern doesn't just happen once either. If you aren't the kind of gamer that particularly cares about a smoothly rising challenge, then most of this paragraph just got tasered by the laser of casual gaming.
Gameplay-wise, the levels require you to be fast-fingered and ready to do whatever it takes to get the Earth approved (which the developers recognize by placing in a level called 'Think Fast'). There are three gameplay modes, the Story Missions, the Never-Ending Survival Score Attack Mode and the Boss Attack Mode. The latter two are unlocked every 8 levels in Story, which I assure you will enjoy :p It also lasted me longer than Doom Ressurection, but then again that was so short you'd feel uncomfortable sitting on it.
I've never played Missile Command, and I don't want to. Not as long as I have Earth vs. Moon on my iPod.