Let The Madness Begin With TowerMadness HD For iPad [Review]

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TowerMadness is one of the most popular tower defense games on the iPhone, and now makers, Limbic Software, have released a high-definition version for the iPad which boasts stunning 3D graphics, split-screen multiplayer and eight new maps. But how does this version compare to its smaller predecessor?

The story line is the same – evil aliens are invading your farm with the cruel intention of stealing your sheep and turning them in to scarves. Your job is to plant as much weaponry as you can afford to gun down the extraterrestrials before they get to your flock.

The transition to high-definition hasn’t been a pretty one for TowerMadness. Although good-looking on the small iPhone display, the 3D graphics on its bigger brother aren’t as “stunning” as the description would lead you to expect, and the close-up gameplay really emphasizes the blocky, motionless characters.

It’s not all bad news, though. TowerMadness is still as instense and as addictive as before, and after a few minutes of play, you quickly get sucked in and the disappointment you felt for those poor visuals falls away. With 16 different invaders to take care of and 9 upgradeable weapons to assist you, the exciting tactical gameplay makes it near impossible to become bored. There are also 28 maps to choose from, and apparently more to come, so you’re guaranteed plenty of game for your money.

As well as new maps, the HD version of TowerMadness introduces split-screen multiplayer which gives you and a friend the opportunity to compete against each other for the highest score on any of the maps you’ve unlocked in single player. As well as splashing your cash on weaponry, within multiplayer you can also use it to send your opponent’s ‘wave’ of aliens early, speed up the aliens attacking your opponent or steal their sheep to add to your own flock.

Multiplayer is a really nice improvement to TowerMadness, however I don’t believe it’s as good as it could be – the option to compete against players online would be nice, and having the option to play over bluetooth/wifi so that your screen space isn’t cut in half would also improve the multiplayer experience.

Overall TowerMadness HD is a really great game, but I expected nothing less following the success of the iPhone version. It’s just a shame the visuals aren’t what they could be on the iPad. If you haven’t got an iPhone, $7.99 is a great price for this game, but if you have, it’s a little expensive when the same experience and excitement can be had for less on the smaller screen.

You can find TowerMadness HD for the iPad in the App Store here, or TowerMadness for iPhone here.

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