Developer 'The Binary Mill' aren't kidding when they say they're out to redefine bullet-hell shooters for the App Store with their latest release 'Assault Squadron'. It won't take long till all of your continues melt away, but that won't stop shmup fans from diving right back in.
Assault Squadron gives players several options for controlling their fighters, allowing you to choose between two touch options, a virtual stick and even tilt based movement. The tilt-precision is responsive, but this can work against you as you accidentally dive in to another set of bullets. The one-to-one touch controls are recommended for perfect control. There's a limited area of movement to get used to as well, which can end your game quickly while you're learning each level. Liberal use of your special weapons will be needed early on, but you'll find the bombs to be more useful for saving yourself from an untimely death.
The presentation is outstanding, with detailed artwork and a perfectly matched energetic soundtrack full of grinding beats. There are only six short levels to play your way through, but completing the game is a challenge in itself and thankfully levels can be practiced in the Arcade mode. Each ship has its own distinct feel for the game and a fourth is unlockable after completing the game.
Assault Squadron's rapidly increasing difficulty won't appeal to everyone, but the arcade quality level of presentation is an absolute treat for shmup fans.
Description
Welcome to Assault Squadron, an explosive and fast-moving sci-fi shoot-‘em-up. The Binary Mill and Chillingo redefine bullet-hell blasters in the iPhone's hottest arcade shmup extravaganza.
The Global Defense Force reports that Earth is under attack by a hostile, unidentified vessel containing thousands of enemy craft. Striking with unwavering precision, the invasion destroys key defensive facilities to leave Earth and its inhabitants at the mercy of fearsome alien attackers.
You are a part of the Assault Squadron; an elite tactical space combat force dispatched by the Federal Alliance to defeat the alien enemy. Assault Squadron’s explosive sci-fi missions and in-depth storyline will thrill shoot-‘em-up fans and casual players alike as they battle to save the Earth.
PRESS QUOTES
SlideToPlay: Perfect 4/4 Rating - “Assault Squadron is one of the best-looking and best-playing shooters on the App Store!”
TouchArcade: “Assault Squadron is a "bullet hell" shooter that's particularly striking for the insane frame rate at which it runs - a solid 60 FPS!”
Geek.com: “Assault Squadron, a visually stunning iPhone shooter”
Appmodo: “Assault Squadron can easily be considered as the best top-down shooter. It has tons of shooting, 2 game modes that provides hours of gameplay, an amazing frame-rate that makes animations first class, and cinematics that will throw you straight into the scene.”
NEW FEATURES
- Added Relative Touch Controls
- Increased ship movement speed
- Increased point bonus for completing a level without dying or being hit
FEATURES
FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE, UPGRADABLE SHIPS
Each ship has its own stats and unique abilities with fully upgradable weapon systems ranging from Vulcan Cannons and Spiral Grenades to Torpedo Missiles and Tri-Vortex Bombs.
ADRENALINE-POWERED SPECIAL ABILITIES AND EXPLOSIVE COMBOS
Discover special abilities to unleash devastating chain combo attacks and achieve world-beating high-scores.
JAW-DROPPING PRESENTATION
Experience shoot-‘em-up gameplay the way it’s meant to be played with a custom-built graphics engine enabling seamless 60 frames-per-second action, presented in both top-down and side-scrolling perspectives with epic cinematics.
NON-STOP ACTION AND DISCOVERY
Battle armadas of unique alien invaders in the story-based Campaign Mode and unlock Arcade Mode to jump right into the action anytime! And don't forget to power up your ship ready for the action-packed boss battles!
VIBRATION SUPPORT
Feel every hit and enjoy every explosion via the vibration function as you are fully immersed in bullet-hell battle, and take to the war-torn skies using touch, tilt, or virtual joystick controls.
CRYSTAL LEADERBOARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Players can see how they compare to other fearless commanders around the world via a comprehensive scoring system, online leaderboards and achievements through Crystal!
LICENSED SOUNDTRACK
By psychedelic trance artist, Psygone.
What's New in Version 1.2.3
Update 1.2.3
- Fixed vibration bug
- Fixed minor control bug
- Fixed vibration option incorrectly appearing on iPad
- Optimized video playback on older devices
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