Hypership Out Of Control made my Top Ten Xbox Live Indie Games Of 2010 hotlist over at Dealspwn, so naturally I was delighted that Fun Infused Games have made the jump over to Windows Phone 7. Hypership's colourful, slick and mind-meltingly fast action - coupled with its aggressively addictive 'just one more go' dynamic - ought to be a perfect fit for mobile handsets.
And what do you know? It is. And it also happens to be free.
Hypership Lite puts players in control of a runaway spacecraft that continually picks up speed as it careens down an intricate corridor full of asteroids, mines and coins. Your constantly-firing guns will help to obliterate oncoming space junk, but you'll need preternatural reflexes to avoid labyrinthine collection of walls and floating space eyeballs.
Yeah, that's exactly how it sounds.
A selection of powerups provide a way out of a sticky situations, including a phenomenally-useful smart bomb and upgraded firepower. Otherwise, it's just you, the walls and your thumb of destiny. Several game modes (including a hardcore setting that removes lives and increases the speed) grants plenty of replayability - and the global leaderboards are an extremely addictive draw. Not to mention a seriously impressive feature for a free title.
Poor controls can kill a game like this, but luckily Hypership Lite subscribes to the standard 1:1 dragging mechanics as used in several mobile shooters. It's fluid, intuitive and means that you don't need obscure the action with your fingers.
The presentation is also worth a mention. Hypership Lite boasts an attractive 8-Bit retro vibe that serves a double purpose: looking sharp and making sure that the action is visually uncluttered. You'll wipe out because you weren't fast enough - not because you couldn't see an obstacle coming. The in-app adverts are slightly obtrusive, but at least they don't obscure the action. They're a small price to pay for... well... no price at all.
Hypership Lite was dogged by a fair few performance issues at launch, including a stuttering frame rate and sticky controls depending on your particular handset. Luckily, though, Fun Infused Games were quick to hustle out an update that corrects these few faults, resulting in a uniformly smooth ride.
Pros:
- Slick, hectic action
- Global leaderboards and multiple modes
- Eyecatching retro style
- Feels expensive yet costs nothing
Cons:
- In-app advertising
- Occasionally choppy frame rate (to be addressed in future updates)
Summary: Hypership Lite is fast, furious, fun, frantic and free. Global leaderboards and hectic action make this an essential WP7 download.
Developer: Fun Infused Games
Price: Free - Zune
