Velocispider Review

By , on June 3, 2011


Velocispider
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • Classic shooter gameplay.
  • Pick-up and play controls; tilt to win.
  • Interesting creatures and unique boss fights.
  • Charming retro pixel-art style.
  • Catchy background music.

CONS

  • Easy to finish in one sitting.
  • Replay limited to seeing how far you can go in one life.

VERDICT

Just because a game is a time-waster, it doesn't mean it can't be filled to the brim with fun; sadly its relatively rigid levels focus' on high-score junkies for replay value.


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If there's even the slightest possibility that there could be a future in which roboticized aquatic animals fight with dinosaur-arachnid hybrids, then I want to do everything in my power to ensure it happens. I mean, maybe humanity might suffer in the process, but you'd also have something like Velocispider by Retro Dreamer happening 'for reals'.

Your job as a half-spider, half-raptor, half-robot creature (that's 150% of awesome right there) is to protect your clutch of eggs from being consumed by a CEO and his personal army of cyborg sea-creatures. Many players will recognize the classic Space Invaders / Galaxian shooter for what it is as enemies make their way back and forth across the screen in set patterns, only to be blasted by your auto-firing cannon.

Tilting will move your Velocispider left and right, with your speed being modified by how far you tilt. At first this can be awkward to master as you instinctively move too far to dodge one bullet only to hit another, but it's not long before you're dispatching enemies like it was second nature. Power-ups can help to make short work of some stages, though players can bust out a 'charged' attack by touching and holding on to the screen.

There are 20 levels to conquer and the occasional 'boss' stage forces you to snap out of a zen-like 'kill everything' mode in order to work out the best way to tackle the uber-creature(s) above you. While it's great to get a change of pace, making your way through the content isn't too difficult, leaving players with the challenge of attempting to conquer as many waves as possible without dying for an online high-score position.

Velocispider is great fun for a little while, but coming back for more isn't quite so easy as the challenge never really evolves. For now, grab Velocispider if you're after a great looking shooter to eat up some time, but don't expect to keep coming back to it without more updates.

Screenshots

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