Here’s yet another retro-style arcade shooter you might want to check out.
Category: iOS Games
Works With: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
Hectic Space is as pared down as you can get. It’s just your ship, a bunch of nasty enemies, and one simple control. You can only move up and down, so you can just drag anywhere on the screen to line up your shots, avoid the bad guys, and grab power-ups. But it’s not so bare-bones that the screen isn’t always full of … just … stuff.
Crazy stuff. All the stuff, basically. It’s nuts.
I’ve hit all the finer points already, but let me also point out that while you can plunk your thumb down anywhere on the screen to move or fire, Hectic Space also realizes that a lot of stuff is going on, so it doesn’t put your ship all the way on the left. Like a considerate barista, the game leaves you some room.
So it’s possible to both maneuver your ship and see everything that’s going on in the game. And that’s super nice because this is, indeed, the most hectic of spaces.
Like a considerate barista, the game leaves you some room.
Hectic Space‘s graphics are suitably retro, the music is amazing and frantic, and the desire to keep playing to beat your high score is very real. You only have one “life,” but your ship can take three hits from either enemies or their superheated plasma before your game is over. Destroying foes without taking damage raises your combo.
The special weapons are all useful and add variety to your movement strategies, and they’re spaced just far enough apart that you can grab the next one just as the one you’re using wears off.
This game is really polite and thoughtful, basically.
Game Name: : Hectic Space
The Good: It’s retro-fun as can be, and it leaves some space for your thumb.
The Bad: It could use a pause button.
The Verdict: Hectic Space is a charming little game that captures the craziness and fun of old arcade titles, but it’s not so retro that it confuses cheapness for challenge.
Buy from: App Store – Hectic Space – James Swiney
[rating=game5]
