Triphids is a decent throw back to the classic Vector Blaster arcade game. It involves a spaceship that you can rotate around the center of the screen, constantly shooting into the center and you fly through space. There are some nice weapon power ups, and the sprite graphics work well. The sound is also extremely well done. Honestly, the only thing going against this game is the difficulty. And by difficulty, I mean the fact there are enemies you cannot dodge. Seriously.
Because you can’t move up or down, but rather can only rotate left or right (Vector Blaster style), you are limited to dodging bullets and other objects moving from the center of the screen to the edge in a straight line. Unfortunately, in Triphids, there are enemies that rotate along the outside of the invisible “movement ring” with you! In other words, you’re boned. There’s no way to dodge these enemies, as they just rotate around with you until you get hit. I don’t understand this. This game would be pretty awesome if it weren’t for the fact that you can only advance a few levels before you reach these enemies and lose all your lives in the course of about a minute.
Presentation & Graphics
A very nice “modern retro” feel. Nice sprite graphics, and good effects.
Sound
Great music and digital sounds! Brings back the nostalgia of playing these kinds of games in an arcade.
Gameplay
The controls are good, and I like the heat meter for the weapon along with the upgrades. What’s up with enemies that can’t be dodged? Seems like a cheap trick unless I am completely missing something. The game can get very frustrating because of this, and you won’t get very far. There are also some enemies that are so dark it’s extremely hard to see them on the iPhone screen. Once again, could be intentional, but it doesn’t bode well for enjoying the game.
Gamelife
Only 2 game modes. Includes a leader board. I would imagine this game would provide a lot of gameplay, but for frustrating reasons rather than good ones.
Game Rating
Other than the bizarre enemy issue, the game controls well, looks great, sound awesome, and is an excellent remake of an arcade classic. Perhaps there is a way to get around these enemies that I missed? If not, I can’t recommend this game, but if I am wrong, and there’s some secret way to move forwards or backwards (or something else to dodge enemies that are on your same path, Triphids is a good buy for classic arcade fans.
