Tractor Beam review

“Your engines are down. Use your tractor beam to move.” Tractor Beam is a novel new game released by Manufacturing Content. The faux-retro game mirrors almost exactly the classic vector graphics and 2D design of Asteroid but the gameplay is very different. Instead of destroying the asteroids, you need to use them to propel you through space. In anti-gravitational space, your tractor beam will allow you to pull your ship towards an asteroid, but be careful, the free-floating asteroid will also now be on a direct collision course towards you. By beaming strategically at the incoming rocks, your goal is earn points by navigating yourself through the deadly asteroid field as far as you can.

Your tractor beam is activated by touching the part asteroid you want to pull with your beam. If you touch a part of the screen where there is no asteroid, the beam is aimed at the closest asteroid in that area. The closer you are to an asteroid, the stronger the pull of your beam, so beware of keeping your tractor beam activated for too long as your ship will gain momentum the closer you are to your asteroid. You can use various strategies when maneuvering your way around the asteroids, from simply “beaming” from one rock to another, to using the multi-touch to develop more complex ways to navigate and control your ship.

While many new games try to raise replay value with more complex content and fluff, Tractor Beam successfully manages to apply the state-of-the-art technology of today while still creating the same allure of the simple but classic games we’ve come to know and love. Tractor Beam is a game that manages to blend just the right amounts of old and new, resulting in a solid and unique game that is strongly reminiscent of its ancestors but can stand firmly on its own.

Here is a video demo of the Tracktor Beam app on the iPhone

AppSafari review of Tractor Beam was written by Aucoeur Ngo on February 20th, 2010 and categorized under App Store, Fun, Games. Page viewed 5307 times, 1 so far today. Need help on using these apps? Please read the Help Page.