 |
| OVERALL RATING |
3.5 |
| Presentation |
 |
3.5 |
| Control |
 |
4.0 |
| Gameplay |
|
4.0 |
| Fun factor |
|
4.0 |
| User Rating |
 |
3.0 |
 |
Posted: March 03, 2008
Atlantis Sky Patrol is next in the line of mobile games like Zuma and Luxor that have you shooting multi-colored marbles at a moving chain to match and remove them from the board. Its theme is that of destroying Doomsday Devices around the globe, and while it is similar in play to those two other titles, it adds a few features that may be of interest.
Again, the theme deals with destroying devices created by a madman and it’s your goal to knock them out before they do any damage. To destroy the devices, there are two things to take into account: The Defense Mechanism and the Control Mechanism. The Defense Mechanism is essentially at the head of the marble train moving along the rails. If it reaches the exit, you’re done for. The Control Mechanism is what continuously spits out new trains of marbles to continue moving forward.
So while you must eliminate the marbles on the train, you must also shoot out other stationary marbles located in strategic areas to stop the Control Mechanism from releasing more waves. This makes it twice as difficult to clear a level, but you’re not without any help, and this is on top of the usual assortment of power-ups like bombs, multi-balls and lasers.
As a train is destroyed or the entire level is cleared, coins are released that allow you to purchase upgrades. These affect accuracy, speed, reverse of the Defense Mechanism, and a few others. There are different levels of effectiveness to them, and they get more costly as you upgrade. It’ll be tough to earn money for higher upgrades, but at certain points an extra mini-game is available to earn some quick cash.
This is played out almost like a game of Asteroids where you maneuver your ship left or right as you shoot spheres that break up into smaller pieces. When the smallest of pieces is shot down, coins rain down.
There are over 100 levels to clear in Atlantis Sky Patrol and each of them is unique and tough in its own way. Some will alter the position of your shot, others include ball deflectors, and still others include both. The game gets hideous at times but remains fun and intense to the point where you just can’t put it down. It’s just as true of other similar games but with so many levels to clear and the addition of purchasing upgrades to customize your ship, it proves to be a bit more enticing.
