Many of you who have iPhones and are fans of the old top-down shooters will be eagerly awaiting an iPhone version of the classic Raiden franchise. While we wait, there are a few shooters in the App Store that are on the right path. Which one is the best for your buck? Lets take a look.
First up we have Sky Force &- Sky Force Reloaded by Infinite Dreams Inc for $2.49. The length of the campaign is almost double that of other shooters in the App Store and the addition of picking up civilians gives it a little more edge. This game was one of the best mobile shooters in the past however its origins are obvious on the iPhone’s much higher resolution display. The sound effects are closer to that of an Atari 2600, falling short on trying to impress us with arcade-like audio. Gameplay is relatively boring and power-ups are dull.
Next we have iFighter by EpicForce and SkySmash 1918 by Richard Wilson. Both have short campaigns however the presentation in these titles is outstanding with exceptional 2D graphics and sound effects particularly in SkySmash. iFighter has got more variety in enemy types and boss battles. Both lack in power-ups compared to the over the top selection found in Raiden (probably due to the World War setting.) If Capcoms 1942 is more up your alley you have to try out both of these games. For all their merits the short campaign and no multiplayer make them feel incomplete.
Finally there is Gameloft’s Siberian Strike. Though I’m slightly disappointed in the 3D visuals, here is a shooter that finally contains a decent length in its campaign with a well scripted storyline that is actually funny. Combine this with multiplayer over Wi-Fi, decent power-ups, excellent audio and special levels that switch to a 3D third person perspective, Siberian Strike definitely feels complete. Not as nostalgic as iFighter or SkySmash, Siberian Strike is definitely the closest we can get to Raiden until (or if ever) it’s released.
An honorable mention goes to iBomber by Cobra Mobile ($3.99). This shooter will have you dropping bombs on your enemies relying on precision timing rather than the traditional “shoot everything” Raiden-style game. Although gamers main complaint was the controls, it’s definitely worth checking out at least the Lite version. Screenshots look great and reviews are positive. May be worth a look.
– From gamerzink
This looks like a pretty tiny taste of the top down shooters available on the store….