The sound track and sound effects were great on the iPod/iPhone version and with the larger speaker on the iPad it sounds even better even without the use of head phones which still offers the best results for sound.When Roswell Fighter was released for the iPhone/iPod touch in November 2009 we reviewed it and commented that it had great atmosphere, simple controls and was full of adrenalin pumping fun, the only down side was it’s short number of levels and the fact that there was no online leader boards. Both those features were addressed in a future update with the introduction of a couple of new levels and integration with OpenFeint. Now it’s been brought to the iPad with an HD moniker, so how is it’s in its HD glory?
Well, to put it bluntly, not a lot. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but an opportunity has been missed to make a great game even better by taking advantage of the larger more powerful iPad. The game does look better on the larger screen with the stream after stream of alien craft shining clearer and brighter as they attack you from all directions and and the larger screen works better for the control as you have a bigger area to work with.
The sound track and sound effects were great on the iPod/iPhone version and with the larger speaker on the iPad it sounds even better even without the use of head phones which still offers the best results for sound.
So if you haven’t played the game before what does it have to offer? Roswell Fighter HD is a classic 2D shoot-em up based in 1950’s America which is under attack from aliens. These aliens come in many different shapes and sizes from groups of small of fast space ships to larger structures with multiple turrets and everything in between and that variety adds to the fun and excitement.
Over the 11 levels the action comes thick and fast with a great sound-track accompanying it’s easy to bang through the levels very quickly even with the end of level bosses that can prove pretty stubborn at times. While this is great that it provides a can’t put down shooter that just keeps you wanting more you will find that you will have it completed in a little under an hour. There are three difficulty levels and cranking it up to the highest of the three will take you a little while longer but not much!
What does add extra value is the addition of OpenFeint which while lacking any achievements does add online leader boards which encourages you to come back and improve on your previous scores.
Ultimately Roswell Fighter HD is still as good as it’s little brother but equally it’s not particularly better. If you’ve already got Roswell Fighter then you may want to stick with it as even at 2x on the iPad it’s still a great shooter but if you haven’t played it before then the $2 is money well spent on a quality shooter.
Pros
Cons
Price: $1.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Released: May 08, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0
Size: 77.8 MB
Language: English
Seller: GameLab Centrum Innowacji Sp. z o.o.
© 2010 GameLab Innovation Center
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
Com2us have already produced some of the App Store’s big successes especially with Homerun Battle 3D (our review) and Sniper Vs Sniper Online which show how iPhone/iPod touch gaming should be done. So when they bring out a new game there is always going to be a buzz. Their latest title which is currently in closed beta testing is Heavy Gunner, a 3D inter-galactic shoot-em up.
As we’ve come to expect with Com2us games the graphics of the navigation menu’s and in game are gorgeous and navigating through the menu’s is a breeze with the slick military style screens.
The controls have been well implemented, controlling your movement and aim is done via the accelerometer which can be re-calibrated at anytime making it easy to play as you move around and change position without having to have the neck of a contortionist! During the game itself your two weapons are controlled via two large buttons in the bottom right and left hand corner of the screen. You’re aim can be controlled simply by using the accelerometer itself, however for increased accuracy you can also move your thumbs on the fire buttons to move your aim too.
The are two different game modes to choose from, the first is Campaign mode where your task is to make your way through 35 levels of intense action as you defend yourself and humanity against a seemingly never-ending supply of alien craft. Challenge mode meanwhile sets you different challenges where you can compare your best scores to other players via the online leader-boards.
As you complete each level you will be rewarded with points that you can use to not only upgrade your existing weapon which is a pretty affective gattling gun but also purchase new weapons including plasma guns, an EMP shockwave and a Avenger heavy machine gun. In total there are 8 guns to work you way through and upgrade while you can also upgrade your Integrated Combat Platform, which is your combat machine in which are are based.
As mentioned previously the game-play comes thick and fast, however while this is great it also leads to the games biggest problem, namely a slow-down in the frame rate when the action gets particularly fraught and unfortunately the action packed pace of the game is one of it’s selling points so for it to suffer slow-down is a major disappointment. However, with each beta release this has been greatly improved and if this continues before the full version is released the problem should be all but gone.
If you are a fan of shoot-em ups you are not going to be disappointed with Heavy Gunner, there is plenty of content, online leader boards, social networking integration and 3 levels of difficulty to keep you going for a longtime.
Previewed by: Craig Willis
Heavy Gunner Beta Build Screenshots
