Blue Defense [Updated]

Our Review by Jeff Scott on February 4th, 2009
Rating: starstarstarstarstar :: 99 CENT GEM
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What a great game, perfectly simple and very fun.

Developer: John Kooistra
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.1

Graphics / Sound [rating:5/5]
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Re-use / Replay Value [rating:5/5]

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar

Update 2008-02-03 :: Whoa, I'm busy playing Blue Attack! and Blue Defense has gotten a major update. My favorite iPhone game gets even better!

Version 2.0 of Blue Defense was just released and it adds some fantastic features. The author also adds the only feature I said the game really needed, population growth. Here's the full list of the new features from the app description:

Two New Game Modes:
-quickstart mode (lets you start at any difficulty setting up to level 100)
-level select mode with individual records and achievements

More Features:
-added 7 new levels - and I assure you, with practice, they can all be beaten!
-global high scores and ranking
-No more annoyingly high default high scores
-The earth's population goes up slowly due to births (only if you have 2 or more people left though)
-increased high score count to 50
-added daily high scores, both global and local

Better Look And Feel:
-revamped, consistent and smooth UI design just like "Blue Attack"

If you haven't tried this game yet, you have no reason not to. But, if you don't believe me, you can try the free, lite version (iTunes Link).

Excuse me, I have 6.7 billion people to save.


This game reminds me of oh so many rainy Sundays when I was a kid. Sitting in front of the TV playing some Atari game or another and loving every minute of it. One thing about this game is for sure, the developer put a lot of work into it. To get a game this perfect takes a lot of work. Smooth animation, great gameplay, no dropped frames, great fun to play for short amounts of time or hours. And it's only $0.99.

The idea of this game is that you are defending a planet which is represented by the blue circle on the screen. The controls are simple -- just tilt the phone. Your constant stream of bullets hurls straight up -- you direct them at the attacking forces by tilting the phone toward them. The attacking forces start out simple and evolve into larger and larger craft spitting out more and more ships.

[youtube eLPwlAu0wkc]

Each level is a little different from the previous. I like the way the developer is simulating attacks coming from different directions by moving your home base -- you have to adjust by turning the phone. In some levels you are in the center of the screen -- requiring you to spin the phone all the way around to get to all of the attacking ships.

The only thing I would like to see changed in this app is your remaining lives. You start out with 6.4 billion, the population of the planet you are defending and it doesn't go up. Even under attack a planet that large there are people reproducing. Would add a nice touch to see the population go up.

Fantastic, simple, fun, wonderful game. Very unexpected but very much appreciated. Easily one of my favorite games thus far for the iPhone.

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