Games worth discovering

Strike Buster: Prototype is an addictive retro shooter that’s easy to pick up - Pocket Playfest

3K View2023-06-06

Shoot, die, repeat. Strike Buster: Prototype is a retro-style survival shooter that reminds me of classics like Space Invaders and even more recent titles I’ve reviewed, such as ZeroVector. Although previously available on Nintendo Switch and PC, Strike Buster: Prototype is soon coming to Android phones, which is good news if you’re the type that likes highly addictive gameplay loops and beating high scores.

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Welcome to TapTap’s Pocket Playfest - An Indie Celebration! Beginning on June 16 and running through June 28, we will be showcasing demos for ten brand-new, unpublished mobile games. These ten games are all from indie developers and represent some of the most exciting upcoming mobile games on the horizon. You’ll only be able to download those demos for Android right here on TapTap, so stay tuned!

In addition to checking out some exciting new games, you’ll also be able to vote for your favorites. The developers whose games get the most votes will get a big cash prize from TapTap, and that’s not all: You can win too! Just by playing these games and voting for your favorites, you’ll earn points and get entered into a giveaway! You could win a Steam Deck, an Xbox Elite controller, or even a $1000 gift card.

Strike Buster: Prototype is one of the ten games TapTap will be featuring as part of our Pocket Playfest. Enjoy the rest of our thoughts, and be sure to come back on June 16 so you can download it and try it for yourself. Play and vote for your chance to win!

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With the praise out of the way, you should also know that this game is hard as hell. I must have died five times within the first fifteen seconds before I got the hang of the controls. But with its fast gameplay, variety in enemies, and weapon combinations, Strike Buster: Prototype has some real potential to be that game I go to for a quick distraction.

One of the most addictive elements of Strike Buster: Prototype is its fast-paced gameplay. There are no long tutorials, complex controls, or complicated rules here. I was basically thrust into combat after the briefest of explanations to move and shoot. Figuring out what to do was pretty simple. The objective was to stay alive as long as possible while shooting down various enemies to boost my health and acquire weapons upgrades. Each of the three weapons I could select had its own advantages against enemy types, and an overheating mechanic ensured I changed guns frequently.

It sounds simple enough, but I was dying frequently to the many enemies on screen. The touch screen controls also made it awkward to maneuver and aim at the enemies I wanted to hit simultaneously. I’m hoping they’ll add controller support before the full version of Strike Buster: Prototype launches.

The repetitive nature of Strike Buster: Prototype did start to wear on me after a while. While playing through the demo, I was in the same background the entire time, with the music running on a constant loop. To make matters worse, each time I died, I needed to start at the very beginning, so I never felt like I was making much progress. Hopefully there will be more diversity in environments and music in the full version...or maybe I’ll just learn how not to die so much.

Minor complaints aside, come on! Using a laser rifle to blast my way through retro space was fun. Strike Buster: Prototype also includes a system of collectible relics and unlocks that should be making its way over from the Switch and PC version, which will certainly add to the overall appeal. Not to mention more playable characters that come with their own quirks to master.

Though the sheer number of enemies and the number of times I died left me frustrated at moments, I have to appreciate how easy it was to jump right back into Strike Buster: Prototype and attempt to beat my previous score. It’s a solid demo, and with a lot of additions on the horizon for the full version, it’s well worth checking out.