From Metroid on up, the gaming community never gets tired of shoot ‘em up games. As long as the game play is different, the graphics are cool and the score is charming, you will have plenty of takers. RetroShips from TLD Games attempts to take some classic nods from the genre and intertwine them with some modern challenges. The result is a shooter game that can be quite the test.
Enter RetroShips
The premise is simple. You have a spaceship that fires rounds. You need to obliterate your enemies by shooting them to pieces. You use your finger to maneuver the spacecraft left, right, up or down. Enemies typically fly from the top of the screen downwards, but can make trips in the opposite direction. Likewise, enemies can sometimes appear from any part of the screen. Your opponents range from small green discs to large craft that are harder to take down.
The game is broken down in to three main boards, each containing eight sublevels. The last sublevel reveals that board’s boss. Each sublevel must be unlocked to advance to the next stage.
Graphics and Sound
One stand out is the less obvious. RetroShips attempts to recapture the 4 and 8 bit era with pixel art graphics and does so nicely. Anyone gaming mileage extending to that 70s and 80s era will remember that earlier consoles had at most 16 colors. The modern touch is use of many colors, including lots of pastels which make for a nice soft and modern appearance.
The music score is also noteworthy. Absent are the blips and bleeps of the early gaming era. You can awesome movie like backing track with lots of strings, brass and percussion giving a true military and suspense feel. While not a part of the actual game play, it does make for a much nicer overall experience.
Conclusion
RetroShips is both fun and challenging. If you love classic shooter games, then this will be right up your alley. This free install is worth the try. We’re sure you will enjoy it.
GMA