In late December German mobile developer Liquid Air Lab released the free, ad-supported, 5-level Rick Rocketson (Free) [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch. This 2D “jump ‘n’ run" platformer, done in the retro style, was meant to invoke the classic days of Amiga platform gaming and to serve as a preview to the full 14-level Rick Rocketson Pro. Today the paid app Rick Rocketson Pro [link] appeared in the iTunes App Store.
The space hero and all around good guy Rick Rocketson was rocketing home from the nefarious planet Omicron Nebula. Then, suddenly the evil and vicious space pirates of the asteroid Blob 5 shot him down! Rick Rocketson must escape or the entire galaxy is doomed!
Fight the furious space hedgehogs by throwing acidogefilus-grenades to them and shoot evil space pirates of the asteroid Blob 5 with laserblaster to survive complex level design loaded with traps, lava and other hazards! Don’t forget to pick up some health and ammunition packages!
Those familiar with those late ’80s / early ’90s days of Amiga gaming will indeed find this title to capture much of the essence of platformers of the era. Not only does the gameplay harken back to that period, the original Amiga-style soundtrack–composed by Amiga MOD composers Tempest and Reed–plays a large part in the overall experience, as well.
Some features as listed by the developer:
- Different types of opponents
- Laser & Grenades as weapons
- Health, bonus and ammunition collectibles
- Environmental hazards, lava and traps
- Controller / screen tapping modes
- Portrait and landscape modes supported
- Levels will be stored as you solve them
The game features onscreen controls that work rather well. Rather than a D-pad, the developers chose to place a Left/Right touch control at the left edge of the screen and an Up/Down control at the right, with laser and grenade buttons between them. Players may find this arrangement superior to the more standard control rose featured in various other platformers available in the App Store.
As a particular retro fan, I find Rick Rocketson Pro to offer enjoyable gameplay, and would certainly call it one of the more solid 2D platformer experiences available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Retro fans in particular will likely find the title worth its $1.99 [link] App Store price tag.
See the developer’s gameplay video for a closer look.
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