iPlutoid

This game is totally awesome! I love the idea of exaggerating the blue marble we're on with the retro graphics. It reminds me of Scramble or some of the old arcade spaceship shooter games. It's a bit difficult to get used to however it's pretty smooth when you do. The enemies are well done and saving the people again is just like the old arcade games. This is definitely in my Top 10 list for games on the iTunes App Store and highly underrated. If you want some retro action with eye candy that's a new challenge instead of rehashed games like Pac Man then this is the game for you! :D

It's a change of pace from the other shooters in the store. The controls are easy to handle. The only downside would be the difficulty in the aiming, but i think it can be overlooked because of all its features and the pick up and play nature of the game. Think meteor blitz in 3d but with a slower pace<br/><br/>I would a few different weapons, maybe some rockets and make the aiming just a little easier, just a little.

Most of us probably had our first exposure to Lazrhog Games with its port of Kenta Cho’s rRootage. If you enjoyed the visual eye candy of that game, you’ll definitely want to check out its latest 3D shooter iPlutoid. Combining a 3D retro look, highly responsive controls, and innovative orbital gameplay, iPlutoid is a fantastic shooter that may just be different enough from other shooters to lure you in. Playing the role of Lt. Starfighter, your task to is to battle and destroy waves of Noki aliens intent on capturing humanoid residents and conquering the planet Plutoid. iPlutoid is different from your typical shooter since part of the challenge is learning to navigate and shoot your way out of trouble while in orbit. This adds a twist to how you approach targeting, shooting and dodging enemy ships. Visually, the 3D graphics are some of the best you’ll see…when it comes to polygons. Most of us probably prefer smooth graphics, but the use of jagged edges and corners, flat and shaded surfaces, and overall old school look work extremely well in iPlutoid. From the palm trees and buildings to mountains and hills, you’ll probably wish you could leisurely fly around a little more. Since this game is accelerometer controlled, I was initially worried about responsiveness, but the animation and movement are done equally well. The controls work perfectly, although they do require some practice. To move left or right, simply tilt in the appropriate direction, and tilt forward to adjust the pitch. Thrusters are controlled by tapping the left side of the screen, while tapping the right side fire weapons. Auto/fixed calibration and tilt sensitivity options are also available. The most difficult part of the controls for most will be adjusting the pitch since this is relevant for both shooting accuracy and navigation. A targeting scanner appears when an alien ship is in firing range. Because the game is played in orbit and enemy ships appear above and below your ship, effectively adjusting pitch is essential if you’re to hit targets. In addition to enemy fire and mines, your ship will be destroyed by objects on the ground such as trees, windmills and light houses to name a few if you fly too low. While your ship has radar to detect enemies, you are limited to a dual turret weapon and no shields. To keep things interesting, the Noki have a variety of different vessels at their disposal. Lunars are the most abundant and the primary ships for capturing humanoids. They do this via tractor beam and if you manage to shoot them down before they reach orbit, you’ll be able to save the humanoid. Humanoids that are unfortunate enough to be captured are turned into Mutoids who in turn become yet another enemy for you. Other Noki weapons include: Miners—leave mines in your ship’s path Spikers—fewer in number but harder to destroy M-Ships—a vessel that splits into mini-ships when hit Something to keep in mind is that Plutoid is a living planet, and this is really where the 3D graphics come alive. In general, the objective is to prevent the capture of all the humanoids. During the battles, homes and windmills are destroyed, but gradually rebuilt over time. Once all the humanoids have been captured, your most important task is to save the lighthouse from being destroyed. Apparently, the Noki don’t like light, and once the lighthouse is destroyed, Plutoid will be lost. Having played with a good number of shooters on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform, iPlutoid is quite different from the typical shooter. The controls make steering around weapons fire possible, although that becomes more difficult as you progress through the attack waves. A number of times, I’ve flown into objects on the planet avoiding Noki ships that tend to adopt a kamikaze approach. As simple as it sounds, steering a ship can at times be an exercise in futility with some shooters. In iPlutoid, even turning a ship around and reversing course is a breeze. The art of shooting is one of the best parts of the gameplay because often a straight shot is not a straight shot. The target scanner will flash red when locked on an enemy, but on occasion, it can be difficult to pick up on the dark background. What iPlutoid could use is perks or power ups since there aren’t any at this time, although this may be considered part of the challenge. While it doesn’t offer difficulty levels, the game seems balanced, although the difficulty ratchets up quickly. But, even in your frustration, you’re likely to fall for the addictive gameplay. The game has local and online scoring as well as auto save, which only make iPlutoid an easy to pick-up-and-play game. Overall, iPlutoid is fun and different kind of shooter that offers enough innovative elements to make it worthy for fans of the genre. For others, the funky landscapes and smooth controls make this an easy decision.

great app. side note : would like an option to be a character running and jumping around the sphere instead of just hovering in a plane

Looking for a different style of shooter, look no further.

iPlutoid delivers exactly what it promises: an awesome 3D shooting game with an incredible retro environment, theme and music. More than just a fancy shooting game, iPlutoid provides a pretty novel experience: I am horrible at space shooting games where you have to move all sorts of directions to find the enemy, in iPlutoid however, aiming and navigation is so much better since you always travel on the planet's surface. The controls do get a little while of getting used to, but once you know how it works, it actually helps make aiming more comfortable and make the game really very addictive. It's very enjoyable to rush to a kidnapping scene and fire away at a flying saucer only to rush to the next scene!! I'm giving the game 4.5 stars only because i wish there were powerups in the game. With powerups, it's a solid 5 star shooting game.

My only qualm, as large as it is, is the controls. It seems like this should have a more starpagga style movement. <br/><br/>Circling around the planet becomes just ever so discouraging and confusing after the first round about old boy. Ay what. <br/><br/>Odd unfunny English accents aside, it is time to change to a more intuitive movement design. As is, I can hardly figure out how to move.<br/><br/>I'm giving 4 stars for graphics and concept, the last star must be earned.

This game is great. The only qualm I have about this game that really makes it unplayable is the fact that there is no crosshairs for where ship is pointed. I have a hard time shooting the enemies. The controls are really good and smooth. The graphic are awesome. Concept is fun and I really want to play but I can't bc I keep dying