Do you like old-school shooters? If so, Dodonpachi Resurrection is the game for you! Cave has brought out another awesome shooter on the iPhone (the first being Espgaluda II).
There are two game modes in DoDonPachi. The first is iPhone mode which is a great way to jump in and play. It uses a hit variable to determine the strength of your weapons (the slider is indicated in the top right) and has an interactive hypermode to unleash the ultimate destruction on your enemies. The other mode is Arcade. This mode has you pick the fighter style you want and requires a bit more strategy while playing since you don't have the freedom you have in iPhone mode. You can also configure how much screen is displayed while playing (I am partial to large so I see as much of the screen as I can) as well as button placement for attacking enemy ships.
You start the game as you do in any shooter of this type as a lonesome ship against an onslaught enemy armada bent on destruction. Fortunately, you have technology on your side and you are packing enough firepower to send the enemy back where they came from. One of the things I like about iPhone mode is that when you die, you automatically drop a bomb and become invincible for a short while. Little details like this make the game more accessible to the casual shooter fan. However, Arcade mode is where it's at if you need a true challenge. Of course the OpenFeint integration keeps it old school allowing you to compete with friends and strangers for the highest score possible.
I was looking forward to this game's release and especially having the sharp graphics that are in on the iPhone 4's retina display. Sadly, this is not the case. So as awesome as this game is, it ends up being a tad fuzzy on the iPhone 4 but looks great on the latest generation of iPod Touch devices and iPhone 3GS. Make no mistake that the graphics are great and there is no slowdown. All of the ships and terrain have tons of detail and move effortlessly around the screen.
I can't recommend this game enough for shooter fans. It is hands down the best offering in the App Store. I am hopeful that Cave will create iPad specific versions of their games for the masses to take advantage of the full screen real estate that device has to offer. For now, you can't go wrong with this title. I am still giddy about it.
[$8.99- iTunes Link]
Pros
- More bullets than you can shake a stick at!
- OpenFient leaderboards and achievements
- Works great on iPad. Looks awesome!
- Fun and frantic
- No noticeable slow-down
Cons
- No retina support
- Only works well on current-gen devices
- Larger file size (around 500MB)
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Reader comments
Dodonpachi Resurrection for iPhone - app review
ya mmmm its not on sale lol its freaking $8.99!!!! looks cool, but not paying that much! Maybe pay 2.99 but thats even pushing it.
@RJ: Well, I was going to eat at Taco Bell today, but not if they are paying you $8.99 an hour to take my order. That's insane! $8.99 for your just to take a junk food order! Screw that.
My point is, you don't have to be a software developer to want to get paid for your work. I don't understand why people complain about the price of apps in the AppStore. Most of the .99 cent apps get slammed for not having enough game play. It's also strange that you have a set price in your head of what this app should cost even though you have no idea of the costs by the developer to produce it. These aren't pumped out in an hour by some script kiddie.
I was JUST about to say how that game looks good until I saw you wrote "NO RETINA SUPPORT". That is a complete deal breaker for me. I can't stand looking at pixelated icons and gameplay, I used to do a lot in graphic design so I think that made me very sensitive to things like this. But I mean, seriously, for anyone, it's about time for the apps to start coming retina display ready, it just seems lazy on their part to not support it (new apps), and old apps should go for it too (ANGRY BIRDS!!!). And especially for 8.99, the game should come with 3D glasses and a popcorn..
However I liked your review Chad, it was just that one factor that made me dislike the game..
@EvilHomer
Well I think I agree with you. however people judge prices based on what other things are priced at. So because MOST other apps are usually 4 dollars or less, to be comparatively priced AND more importantly priced competitively, people expect a more reasonable price. Sure, a lot of work has gone into the game, no doubt, but they didn't even make it ready for retina. And I mean, the examples of real life scenarios have shift it either way. For instance, an author can spend years writing a book that turns out to be only 5 dollars. I see where you're coming from, but I think although the dev can ask for whatever they want for their product, it seems justifiable to be annoyed by a high price for a game.
This game is freakin' sweet! Bought it on sale for $4.99. Totally worth it considering how many times I play it. It has the typical Japanese game music, very animated and intense, with lots of sound effects.
The boss battles are a blast. They're HUGE! Bullets flying ALL OVER THE PLACE. The ships' guns are all different, and you can power them up until they literally cover the whole screen. Each time you get hit, though, your gun loses one power-up.
This game rocks.
@jasonphil: The icon is made for the retina display. The game graphics aren't. The game still looks great. You're missing out on an awesome game - my favorite on the iphone thus far - for a silly reason.
@Rhit
Oh really? That ain't too bad I spose. I may check it out. But man, I can't imagine how cool it would look if it was all in retina.
@jasonphil: I don't disagree with what you are saying either. However, as a dev, I know that Apple is responsible for making cost of the apps in the App Store very undervalued. The reason that many of these games are $3 or less is pressure from Apple to keep them low. I don't think it's unreasonable for a dev to try and get a little more money if he thinks the app is worthy, regardless of what Apple or the General Public think. Apple has done a great job in spoiling the GP on thinking that .99 cent apps should be the standard price for just about any app. We forget that those DS and PSP games run $20 to $30. Although they may have more gameplay, they are also many times more the cost of your average iPhone game.
I think the devs have the right to ask what they like for their wares. The market will decide if the application is worth the price paid. That will either force the dev to lower the price or enhance the application to match it's price tag. It's good old fashion capitalism.
RJ was already devaluing the product even though he obviously has not bought it and tried it out. Trials for the game would be a good option, but then consider that DS or PSP, XBox or PS3 will not allow you try out those games either.
@EvilHomer and @jasonphil- a "Lite" FREE version should be available soon to check out. I don't have a specific date. This way you can test it out befor you buy.
@EvilHomer Really? I had no idea about the pressure factor, but yea, in the end, the quality of the application will definitely determine if the asking price is proper.
@ Chad Ohh dude, that's awesome, I think I'll give it a shot
@Chad Garrett: That's great news. Thanks.
@Jasonphil: Don't get me wrong. You can still ask what you like for the application price wise, but I work with a few devs who've received suggestions from the App Store that an application be listed at x price.