Friday, April 4, 2014

Game Review: Salvo A Throwback To Arcade Perfection

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If there is one thing that I love about Windows Phone developers it would have to be that they remember what real video games are and what they should be. Not that I’m against games like Grand Theft Auto or Halo, but those things are a serious pain for old folks like me to master. I want my Asteroids, Space Invaders and Pole Position games from yester year. I want arcade action without all the fluff. I want Salvo!

Salvo from Caleb Khazoyan is simply arcade classic fun with a minimal learning curve. It takes only minutes to figure out and, if my first few games are any indication, quite some time to master. Just a quick press of the New Game button and a selection of opponents will have you ready to engage the enemy fighters in space.

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Game play couldn’t be easier to figure out. First you select the direction by dragging inner circle to the edge of the white circle. This will move your ship to the location where your next turn will start. Next, you move the target circle where you think your phaser or torpedo will do the most damage to your opponent. If you are a bit too close to losing the battle, you can use the shield generator to recoup some of your shield’s power. This will help you outlast those pesky opponents that just won’t let you win.

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After a few rounds of torturous combat, the controls will become second nature. I found out quickly how and when to switch weapons for the most damage and the highest experience gain. I have a feeling that as I advance in levels that there will be more weapons and harder opponents awaiting my phasers, but I’ll see about that later.

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When you reach the pinnacle of performance, you are met with the screen of victory. This, of course, is the sign of a true Salvo warrior and is never that easy to achieve. Well, maybe it is, but I sure loved the first time I saw it. Of course, one crank up of the opponent level and I was right back to seeing…

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Yes, it can be a challenging game. If you fail to blast your nemesis before they destroy you, then you are met with the screen that greeted me a few times before I figured out the game completely.

Salvo is a classic arcade, turn-by-turn space shooter that is well worth the 37MB installed size. Game play is quick and easy. The soundtrack is well done and the fully unlocked version of the game is only $2.99. The only thing missing is a multiplayer mode. I still give this a solid 5 star rating, but with multiplayer added in, this game would be worth $5 easy. You can snag a free download of Salvo by clicking the link below.

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/salvo/0c29bcb8-47ea-4080-9eb6-208487c4ecdb

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