Space games have been the all
the rage since the early days of Video Games in the late 70s. The longevity of
the genre is due to there always being a new take on the space theme. Joomeez
Nova for iOS and Android from Virapps, a newcomer, does things a bit
differently. Rather than fight some enemy and protect earth from annihilation,
you are instead going TO earth and picking up cool colored stars to make your
spaceship move faster, all while avoiding obstacles and gaining power ups to
make your trip even smoother.
Opening Theme
We highly recommend checking out the online game trailer for
Joomeez Nove on YouTube. Aside from being very insightful and entertaining, you
get the full jist of what do without having to crack open the info icon in the
app. You get the full storyline with awesome animation, instruction and a cool
and inviting voiceover to boot.
The startup screen features several icons, among them icons which
link to their Twitter and Facebook pages. The app is free and does include ads.
Thankfully, these ads are only present in the startup screen and is not visible
during game play. The settings icon will reveal toggles for Background Music,
Sound Effects, a Tutorial Reset and a game reset. Of course, we recommend
checking out the tutorial to guide your first couple of game attempts.
The "Extras" icon leads to icons which allow for Email
shares, SMS shares, Leader Boards and to rate the app. Clicking "Play
Now" on the main screen obviously gets you to start playing the game.
The Game Itself
Game play is pretty fun. To maneuver the spacecraft, you need to
swipe up or down on your screen to avoid hitting obstacles and more importantly
to collect stars called "Novas" to help advance your spacecraft. You
have to collect like-colored stars to advance. Collecting stars of a different
color will slow your spacecraft down. That said, if you do decide to switch
colors, make it a point to continue on with that same color.
Power-ups include things like a magnet which will attract stars.
Others will let you break through obstacles for a short amount of time. There
are 100 levels and over 10 worlds.
Conclusion
The fun and cute factor in Joomez Nova is a clear 10. It is an
enjoyable game, tough to maneuver and get around in the beginning, but quickly
becomes addicting. A lot of thought went into the storyline and gameplay and
players will appreciate it. We give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, or ahem,
"Novas". A big thanks goes to the developer for not just putting up a
trailer, but a tutorial video also!
