AstroStar for iPhone 4
[rating: 3.5/5]Get ready for some intergalactic action in AstroStar for iPhone. The game combines use of a jetpack, laser gun and the gyroscope from your iPhone to navigate through four levels on different planets. You play as a character that is outfitted with a space suit in a low gravity atmosphere while trying to obtain stars and shoot the asteroids that damage you if you collide.
The game uses a very simple control system that consists of tapping an icon in either bottom corner of the screen or by tapping the asteroids to shoot them with your laser gun. The other aspect of the control system is the gyroscope. It controls the direction you go when you jump and use your jetpack which is very important because you lose life each time you hit an asteroid. The games have a life meter that is lowered by running into asteroids. You can regain health by grabbing hearts that pop up randomly throughout the game. The guide provided at the beginning of the game is very useful in giving you an idea of what everything is and what exactly it does. It is fairly simple to understand what you have to do after seeing this guide.
AstroStar for iPhone 4 Tips
The gameplay is very simple yet addictive. From the beginning you have two weapons at your disposal, bombs and a laser gun. The bomb blows up all of the asteroids on the screen which you get points for. This comes in very handy when the screen starts getting crowded and it gets difficult to move around and avoid the asteroids. The laser gun is pretty cool as it allows you to shoot the asteroids instead of having to always rely on the gyroscope to avoid them. A word to the wise though, you will have to shoot the larger asteroids more than the smaller ones so be sure it explodes before you bump it and it takes your life away.
AstroStar OpenFeint
This game is all about multitasking and making sure you take advantage of what is given to you. Throughout the game you will see different things that will aid in your journey. Fuel for your jetpack will randomly appear which becomes a necessity to stay alive. Bombs will also be floating around up for grabs to aid in the destruction. You can’t overstate the importance of fuel for your jetpack as gravity is one of your biggest enemies in this game.
The visual and audio aspects of AstroStar are impressive. The images look good but are not overdone. It’s got a sort of cartoony feel but it is very suitable for this type of game and actually meshes quite well. The audio is solid. Nothing overly impressive but certainly sufficient to go along with a fun game.
AstroStar Level Cleared
Overall the game has addictive gameplay and plenty of variables that change the experience to keep you coming back for more. It also supports OpenFeint which is a social gaming network that allows for recording your high scores and comparing them with friends and people everywhere. The fast paced gameplay makes for an addictive game experience.
Pros
Cons
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Mar 08, 2011
Current Version: 1.2
1.2 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 21.1 MB
Language: English
Seller: codegent ltd
© codegent ltd.
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later
You control a cyber avatar with the task of capturing targets while avoiding the geometric enemies. You can control the avatar with your finger or the accelerometer in an experience similar to Asteroids (minus the shooting). The combination of a solid game and social experience that is lacking in many games has me coming back to Cyber Dodge continually.
The visual presentation is impressive from the vivid color schema to smooth gameplay that you need to avoid the enemies as they begin to crow your screen. The colors used in this game make it very easy to differentiate between the various elements of the game. The color coded enemies helps in knowing that if you see purple you have a short amount of time to react. The music also does a great job in my mind of fitting in with the style of game. In a game such as this one, cooler heads prevail so the smooth calming rythmic music is very fitting.
The concept of this game is fairly simple, utilize your finger/accelerometer to guide your avatar to targets on the map while avoiding a number of different enemies. With enemies ranging from super fast purple that goes screaming across the map to the blue “heat-seeking” enemy that does a solid job of tracking you down, the enemies all 
present their own challengers. The slower moving enemies seem harmless enough at first but they become a bit of a traffic jam when trying to avoid the two previously mentioned enemies.
There is no difficulty setting as the game gets progressively more difficult with the more targets you are able to capture. I played using both my finger and the accelerometer and I grew to prefer the accelerometer. I found myself able to get more targets with my finger but your finger does seem to get in the way when you find yourself surrounded by enemies. However, I did find that by placing my finger slightly below the avatar you can alleviate that issue for the most part.
The accelerometer seemed to present more of a challenge and seemed to get me more
engaged in the action of the game, similar to when I lean when playing racing games. I really enjoyed playing this game and it became very addictive because every time you play your experience is different.
The OpenFeint social gaming network may be one of my favorite parts. OpenFeint is an open-sourced mobile, social gaming network that provides for ways to interact
with your friends and the games that you are playing. Obviously not all games are on this
network but this one was and I truly enjoyed it. I was able to jump into the OpenFeint network from “Home Screen” of the game and after I signed up I had access to Leaderboards, Forums & Chat, Who’s Playing and even join their fan club.
Replay value in a game is what most gamers look for and many games in the App Store provide a one and done feel. This game provides a different approach to getting your high score each time you start it up. That along with the frequent nudge by a friend to keep improving on your high score via the OpenFeint network was enough to make this game a very fun and competitive experience. You should definitely check this one out, especially if you are a fan of the classic game “Asteroids”. It is easily worth a buck.
Pros
Cons
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Feb 09, 2011
Version: 1.0
1.0
Size: 13.7 MB
Language: English
Seller: Yi-Lun Lin
© 2011 Spica
Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later