AirAttack HD Lite

Summary

Air Combat Shooters are as popular as ever. The biggest issue with these types of games has always been the controls. A lot of shooters boast awesome graphics, lots of enemy types and levels, as well as a good gameplay… but controls leave a lot to be desired. AirAttack HD Lite comes with four different control modes so here’s hoping that at least one of them is worth its salt. AirAttack HD also claims to have a lot to offer on the graphics front. Read on to find out more!

Test device: HTC Desire HD/Galaxy Tab
Android Version: 2.2/2.2
Root: Yes/Yes
Modifications (CPU changes, etc.): None

App details:
Usable as of: Android 2.0.1
Apps2SD: Yes
Required authorizations: None

FYI: our rating system goes a little something like this:

1 Star (downright terrible)
2 Stars (just about manages to scrape by)
3 Stars (good, but there are a few drawbacks)
4 Stars (great)
5 Stars (exceptional)

Please note: we very rarely award a full 5 star rating! They’re as rare as falling stars in a summer sky. If you we give an app 5 stars (or you feel it deserves such a stellar rating), inform your buddies, colleagues, and neighbors, they’ll love you for it!

AirAttack HD Lite is a classic Air Combat Shooter in the sense that you’re flying around in a combat plane trying to destroy a diverse cast of enemies (planes, tanks, ships, etc.). In order to do so you can use machine guns or flamethrowers as well as bombs.

Even though AirAttack is only a lite version it’s already a blast. This is thanks to two extensive levels, three degrees of difficulty, 16 enemy types, and really solid graphics and gameplay.

Take your pick between two different airplanes. Every time you wipe out enemies or things like enemy bridges or buildings you will be awarded points (in $). You can collect bonus points (that come in the shape of coins or stars) with your plane. You will then be able to use these at some checkpoints in order to pimp up your plane with new weapons or else to buy a bonus life.

Bottom line:
AirAttack HD Lite is “only” a demo version but it is without a doubt the coolest air combat shooter I’ve come across thus far. That being said, I can’t bring myself to award the game more than three stars due to the fact that there are only two levels.
 

I guess there isn’t really much to say about the gameplay. You can see in the (iOS) video that the name of the game is blow ‘em out of the water.

AirAttack HD Lite’s homescreen displays the following options:

Continue
New Game
High Scores
Settings
Help
Full Version Info
Exit Game

Pick a controls mode under Settings:

Touch
Relative Touch
Tilt
Joypad

Aside from excellent visuals and audio what really makes AirAttack HD Lite stand out are the controls. My guess is that there’s something for everyone.

The standard controls (Touch) works out really well. As opposed to most games from this category you do use your finger to move the airplane on the display, but the plane isn’t hidden beneath your finger—it’s just above it. Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before? Do a double click to get your plane to fly towards a given destination and drop a bomb. Do a normal click if you simply want your plane to fly to a certain spot.

Relative Touch also functions very nicely. All you need do is press your finger onto the display just below the plane. You can press anywhere on the screen in order to navigate your plane.

Tilt – as the name suggests – lets you navigate the plane by tilting your device in the desired direction.

There’s also something to be said about the Joypad controls option. Click anywhere on the screen and a joystick will appear on the display. You then twist and turn the stick in order to navigate (don’t wipe your finger across the display, though).

You can always check out your score during a game, as well as keep an eye on how many lives you’ve got left and how much damage has been done to your plane.

Bottom line:
AirAttack HD Lite’s controls and visuals are simply ace and there’s nothing for me to whine about. This game clearly stands out in its category.

I didn’t experience any crashes but AirAttack HD Lite didn’t always run smoothly on the Desire HD or the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

AirAttack HD Lite can be downloaded for free from the Android Market.