Bloons TD (Bloons Tower Defense), By Digital Goldfish
$2.99, *****
Pros:
Cons:
With all the iPad news going on, I thought I would give the iPhone users something new to read as well!
Back at Christmas, I was at my brother in laws house, and heard what sounded like a balloon popping sound. Heading over to his computer I saw him (and later his son) playing Bloons Tower Defense on the computer. It looks like fun and soon he had me hooked. When I got home, I looked to see if there was an iPhone version. Sure enough there was, and many many hours later I have yet to master the game!
Bloons TD (short for Tower Defense) is a "pathway" tower defense game. Different type of tower defense games exist - a pathway one (as I call it) is one where attackers move along a pre-defined path, and you have to set up towers to block/kill/stop them. In Bloons, the attackers are balloons. Red balloons, blue balloons, white balloons, metal balloons, blimps, etc. Balloons are stopped by "popping" them (although things like the ceramic balloons, metal ballons, and blimps need to have multiple hits and are immune to certain kinds of attacks). Once a balloon is popped, it changes to a one-level weaker color (yellow balloons change to green, green balloons change to blue, blue balloons change to red, etc). When a red balloon is popped, it is destroyed.
But fear not! On your side you are armed with monkeys using various kinds of weapons, as well as some weapon towers. Monkeys throwing darts, boomerangs, spike balls, even super monkeys that shoot plasma are all there to help you. You also have weapon towers like canons, glue guns, and tack towers to help out. Each weapon or monkey can be upgraded in different ways (a total of four upgrades for each). One thing I like to see is that the upgrades are split into two categories - usually range or weapon strength. This mean you can upgrade each individually - there is not one single upgrade path. Need something with a wider range, upgrade the range option. Need something to fire faster, upgrade the firing rate. Different towers upgrade differently (not all have faster rates or fire, for example) but it does add some variability in the game.
When you start playing, you get money for popping balloons, and can spend your money for your weapons. Make sure you place things strategically, because if you need to sell a tower or monkey, you don't get as much money back! There are a total of 5 map "themes", each with 3 different maps on them. Each of the maps can be played at either as easy, medium, or difficult. As you progress round through round, the balloons get regularly more difficult. When you finish a level, you have the option of "continuing" and just seeing how long your survive (the rounds continue to get more and more difficult). I have been playing this for a few months now, and I still haven't beaten some of the levels at the difficult setting!
All in all, this is a great way to pass the time. You may get obsessed, like me, and keep trying the same levels over and over and over - thinking to yourself "if I just had an extra something here, I would beat it!". The game is engrossing, the graphics are fun, and overall it is just a fun game to play. At $2.99 the price is not bad, but if you want to try it first there is a free "lite" version of the game. Having played it, I haven't found anything wrong at all, and give it five out of five stars.
Rating scale:
* = No redeeming qualities or features, probably not worth it even if it is free
** = Few redeeming qualities, or is simply isn't worth the price
*** = Some good features but also some clear flaws.
**** = A solid app, worth the money if interested, a few flaws or problems or slightly overpriced
***** = Top of the line app, no problems or drawbacks.
Price is factored into the ratings. Ratings are lowered if I feel the price of the app outweighs the benefits/enjoyment/features it provides. Likewise, an app that is a good value for the money will have a higher rating.
$2.99, *****
Pros:
- Fun tower defense game
- Easy to play, difficult to master
- Lots of levels and boards
Cons:
- None (!!!)
With all the iPad news going on, I thought I would give the iPhone users something new to read as well!
Back at Christmas, I was at my brother in laws house, and heard what sounded like a balloon popping sound. Heading over to his computer I saw him (and later his son) playing Bloons Tower Defense on the computer. It looks like fun and soon he had me hooked. When I got home, I looked to see if there was an iPhone version. Sure enough there was, and many many hours later I have yet to master the game!
Bloons TD (short for Tower Defense) is a "pathway" tower defense game. Different type of tower defense games exist - a pathway one (as I call it) is one where attackers move along a pre-defined path, and you have to set up towers to block/kill/stop them. In Bloons, the attackers are balloons. Red balloons, blue balloons, white balloons, metal balloons, blimps, etc. Balloons are stopped by "popping" them (although things like the ceramic balloons, metal ballons, and blimps need to have multiple hits and are immune to certain kinds of attacks). Once a balloon is popped, it changes to a one-level weaker color (yellow balloons change to green, green balloons change to blue, blue balloons change to red, etc). When a red balloon is popped, it is destroyed.
But fear not! On your side you are armed with monkeys using various kinds of weapons, as well as some weapon towers. Monkeys throwing darts, boomerangs, spike balls, even super monkeys that shoot plasma are all there to help you. You also have weapon towers like canons, glue guns, and tack towers to help out. Each weapon or monkey can be upgraded in different ways (a total of four upgrades for each). One thing I like to see is that the upgrades are split into two categories - usually range or weapon strength. This mean you can upgrade each individually - there is not one single upgrade path. Need something with a wider range, upgrade the range option. Need something to fire faster, upgrade the firing rate. Different towers upgrade differently (not all have faster rates or fire, for example) but it does add some variability in the game.
When you start playing, you get money for popping balloons, and can spend your money for your weapons. Make sure you place things strategically, because if you need to sell a tower or monkey, you don't get as much money back! There are a total of 5 map "themes", each with 3 different maps on them. Each of the maps can be played at either as easy, medium, or difficult. As you progress round through round, the balloons get regularly more difficult. When you finish a level, you have the option of "continuing" and just seeing how long your survive (the rounds continue to get more and more difficult). I have been playing this for a few months now, and I still haven't beaten some of the levels at the difficult setting!
All in all, this is a great way to pass the time. You may get obsessed, like me, and keep trying the same levels over and over and over - thinking to yourself "if I just had an extra something here, I would beat it!". The game is engrossing, the graphics are fun, and overall it is just a fun game to play. At $2.99 the price is not bad, but if you want to try it first there is a free "lite" version of the game. Having played it, I haven't found anything wrong at all, and give it five out of five stars.
Rating scale:
* = No redeeming qualities or features, probably not worth it even if it is free
** = Few redeeming qualities, or is simply isn't worth the price
*** = Some good features but also some clear flaws.
**** = A solid app, worth the money if interested, a few flaws or problems or slightly overpriced
***** = Top of the line app, no problems or drawbacks.
Price is factored into the ratings. Ratings are lowered if I feel the price of the app outweighs the benefits/enjoyment/features it provides. Likewise, an app that is a good value for the money will have a higher rating.
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