Victory Day HD ($4.99) is a side-scrolling shooter that gives you the power to defeat wave after wave of Nazi soldiers. With addicting gameplay, top-notch graphics and high-quality sound effects, this game is a success on every level.
The first thing to take notice of is the attention to detail with regards to graphics. Even the main menu looks great. The artwork is cartoonish, but fits the game well. When you start the game, you are immediately thrown into the action of shooting Nazis. Well, at first, you are only given a mallet to do the job. But, as the game progresses, you will collect additional weapons such as pistols, rifles and other fun toys.
The controls are simple. You move your character with a virtual thumb stick on the left side of the screen. On the right side of the screen sits the fire button and secondary weapon button. Aiming is done automatically, so all you have to do is line up your character with the enemy, and hit the fire button. Being a side-scrolling game, the goal is to keep heading right until you’ve defeated all the enemies in that level. There is also depth to each level, so not only can you move left and right, but up and down as well.
As you defeat enemies, they might leave behind special items, such as health or ammo. If you lose all your health, the game is over and you’ll need to restart the level, so health packs are important. You can change weapons by simply tapping on their icon on the bottom of the screen. After you’ve completed a level, the next one will unlock and the game continues until you’ve completed all 12. The game keeps track of your stats, and allows you to replay the game on one of three difficulty levels: easy, normal or crazy.
Victory Day HD is absolutely one of the best arcade titles out there for the iPad. The graphics and sound are immersive, the controls are fluid and precise, and the gameplay is highly addictive. It’s worth every penny.
