Neon Commander Review

Combining elements of Arkanoid with line drawing is a smart move for Neon Commander. It's a fun if sometimes frantic arcade style game that uses touch screen controls well.

The premise is simple enough to understand. Earth is being attacked by alien invaders, and the player must deflect missiles away from the ground - hitting the enemies instead. This is done through drawing or tapping on the screen. At its simplest, missiles can be cast back towards the aliens by drawing a line to form a barrier of sorts, bouncing the projectile back towards the sky. Drawing a line at a slight angle can cause it to bounce elsewhere, adding a tactical element to the experience. Only one line can be drawn at any time and can only be used once, before it must be redrawn. It's a simple concept but one that can keep players busy during particularly frantic moments on screen.

Some levels involve tapping on the screen to form a circle creating a kind of force field that gradually sends the missiles back to the sky, albeit at a different pace than the lines. These feel a little more random and less focused than the line-based stages, occasionally frustrating when the action gets heated.

Interspersed between each level is a story of sorts, attempting to offer humor but not always hitting the spot. Such skits are easily skipped past, though.

Neon Commander is a mostly fun mix of elements though. While repetition occasionally occurs when facing up against the waves of enemies, the boss battles make things a little more interesting. With a little more imagination, Neon Commander could have been something very special. As it stands, it's still a fun way to pass the time.