Review: MiniSquadron- 2D Dog Fight Shooter at Its Best

Monday, November 23, 2009

Game Name:	MiniSquadron
Publisher(s):	Fung Fung
Genre(s):	2D shooter

Rarely have I played a 2D shooter as refreshing as MiniSquadron (iTunes Link). MiniSquadron isn’t just like any other 2D shooter. This unique game is actually a dog fighting aerial combat game that pits player’s aircraft against computer controlled jets in a limited 2D air space. Players will have to fight against waves of enemy planes. Some waves have only a few enemy planes, but other waves can bring tens of highly advanced aircrafts that will be difficult to defeat.

MiniSquadron has arcade-like game play. Flip 360 degrees, twist, dive, and shoot your way to victory, collecting 1ups and special stars to gain advantage over the enemies. There are also some physics based elements in MiniSquadron as well. Your plane can stall and fall if the plane is flown too high or hit by the enemy. But if you keep your plane’s head down and dive as you fall, you can still regain control and fly upwards to prevent a crash.

There are 8 stages for the single player game. Each stage has 12 waves of enemy aircrafts to defeat. Enemies can range from propeller planes, bombers, jet fighters, to UFO’s. They can equip cannons, homing missiles, spray bombs, and even lasers. As players progress through the various stages, up to 56 aircrafts can be unlocked. These unlockable aircrafts give players more powerful weapons and faster aircrafts. Each unlockable aircraft has to meet certain requirements to be accessible by the player. They can be unlocked when they have achieved a certain score during a wave at a certain stage. Tapping a locked aircraft will display its unlocking requirements.

Mini Squadron’s graphics and music are well done. Although nothing amazing, it brings the classic cartoon-styled 2D shooter to life. The aircrafts have an unique look to them and their animations are fluid. The symphony classical music in the background also seem to fit perfectly to the aerial action in an odd way.

Mini Squadron uses a virtual control pad. The controls are fairly simple and responsive. By default, the plane will fly straight. But by drawing a circle on the virtual control pad, the plane will flip 360 degrees, making it easier to maneuver to the tail of enemy aircrafts.

The aerial combat action can be intense, especially when going against more than 10 enemy aircrafts during a wave. Dodging bullets and missiles and maneuvering to finish those pesky enemy jets can be really fun. And since the game rewards you extra score for defeating enemies without taking a hit, achieving the highest score should be the goal of any seasoned MiniSquadron player.

One of the weakness of MiniSquadron is lack of online high scores and achievements that are present in many other iPhone games. It would be great to see how your top score rank in the world. There is also a multiplayer mode in MiniSquadron, but MiniSquadron only supports local network connection. If MiniSquadron allows global online multi-player, that would make this game perfect. It would be really fun to challenge 10 other players to a fight to the finish.

MiniSquadron is a great 2D shooter. Its intense gameplay will give players a fun aerial combat experience. With over 50 aircrafts to unlock and master, the game has a high replay value. It is a must-own game for any fans of classic 2D shooters.

Review Score: 4.5/5

Available now in the App Store (iTunes Link).