I’m a fan of arcade shooters from way back. It all started with popping a 20 cent piece into the local fish and chips Space Invaders cabinet (back when you could bring a modified coin or coathanger to get free plays like some nerdy criminal). I graduated to Galaga, gained experience with 1943 and Silkworm and sought refuge in R-Type I got wowed by Thunderblade and Raystorm was my sanctuary from puberty blues. To say that I’m addicted to shooters is an understatement. What defined those moments in time was never the graphics in a game (I mean yes, they evolved over time – adding atmosphere and visual tang) but rather, the gameplay. This gameplay factor somehow got lost over the many seasons of change. As a definitive requirement, gameplay could mean the difference between utter perfection and a mindless button mash.
The following titles, I believe, contribute to that great gaming legacy. They stand out from the crowded app store in one way or another. Their gameplay keeps you coming back for more, with brilliant and responsive controls that are easy to pick up and rewarding to master and they set the bar in terms of visuals and sound. Above all else, they satisfy your inner child, making you beg for more.
Here’s the five best iPhone shooter games. BRING IT ON!
5: Blue Attack by John Kooistra [App Store]
If you don’t have this game by now, unshackle yourself from reality and immerse into what is one of the most amazing experiences to grace the iPhone. The core of the game is pure shooter – pilot a ship which is based on a carrier, protect the carrier, upgrade your wingmen, provide a clear and safe path to the enemy Red Planet and eventually, destroy the Red Planet. There are heaps of upgrades, plenty of on screen carnage, and yes… online leaderboards to seperate the men from the boys. With a very retro feel, decent explosions and a rocking soundtrack, this game has it all. Tough game to master, touch or accelerometer controls with re-playability to keep you coming back for more every time.
4: Skyforce Reloaded by Infinite Dreams [App Store]
This game has been around the mobile gaming scene since the dawn of, well, mobile gaming! Paying homage to the Raiden series of vertical shooters, it is one of the better iterations of this hardcore genre. Choose one of three ships at the start, grab plenty of powerups through the stages, rescue people and generally blow stuff up. Finally end the stage with a monster boss battle. Touching and sliding gestures work a treat and are not intrusive on gameplay. It looks fantastic with plenty of action going on around the screen. Very little slowdown (a common side effect of having many sprites on screen at once) and plenty of replay value for a quick session or a solid grind. A definite must have!
3: Isotope: A Space Shooter by iDrinkApp [App Store]
An arena styled shooter with RPG upgrade elements? Surely that would never work… but it did! Take on the mammoth campaign spanning over 30 missions. Earn credits from missions and spend it in designated stores to expand your arsenal of ships, modules, ablilities and satellites. Move how you want with five options for control configuration (very rarely on the iPhone for some reason). Survival mode includes an online leaderboard. Beautifully retro.
2: Space Invaders Infinity Gene by Taito [App Store]
Standard Space Invaders? Hah! The more you play, the more the game evolves. This legendary space shooter starts as a classic, with its (or your) own thumping sountrack, and evolves as you progress in to a modern marvel. There are plenty of unlockable stages and system features and the mix of retro and new-age graphics is a treat to the eye. So great, I got it for my PSP as well! It does suffer from a bit of slowdown on anything but a 3Gs, but that just adds to its retro roots!
One of the best! Buy it now!
1: Meteor Blitz by Ally Labs [App Store]
Meteor Blitz has hurtled into the App Store to claim its place atop the mountain of dual-thumb shooters. With responsive controls that are unparalleled in the App Store, Meteor Blitz may well rival its progenitors, Super Stardust HD and Geometry Wars. This game keeps me coming back for more and more every time. I need to pass this level, I need a 10x multiplier, I need to collect to upgrade my puny peashooter into an uber poloarising death weapon to conquer the planet.
Graphically, nothing comes close to Meteor Blitz. It is insanely gorgeous with a rotating 3D planet behind you and gloriously detailed sprites in front. Gas and cloud effects are only toppled by explosions and bullets. The super responsive controls open up some lightning fast gameplay. Realtime, global online leaderboards show you EXACTLY where you sit on our planet in the long list of players. There are plenty of upgrades, six planets to overcome and boss enemies to keep you occupied.
It’s no surprise that I gave Meteor Blitz 5 stars in our review. Buy this game.
Be sure to check out our Top 5 Tower Defense Games article!
