ISUD : Bullet Hell Action !!! Review

By , on September 16, 2010


ISUD : Bullet Hell Action !!!
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Abstract shooter gameplay.
  • Impressive hyper-color visuals without too much clutter.
  • Basic control system.

CONS

  • 3rd Gen onwards only compatible for now.

VERDICT

ISUD does a great job of tipping its hat to developers like Kenta Cho and still manages to bust out a few tricks of its own for shmup fans to enjoy.


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Recently an adaption of Kenta Cho's 'rRootage' was released on the App Store and it seems surprising that developer Pencil Logic would choose to release their title ISUD (It Shoots, You Dodge) so soon after. Much like rRootage, ISUD is an abstract shooter, focusing on the gameplay of dodging waves of bullet patterns while destroying enemies that change after each death.

The controls are certainly simple enough and players can move their pixel-sized ship around the screen by swiping the screen and if things get too hot a bomb can be deployed by touching the screen with a second finger. As it is the gameplay is hectic enough without worrying about the controls, so it's good to see things being kept simple like this.

Thankfully ISUD isn't just a hollow clone and Pencil Logic have evolved the gameplay in some neat ways. Each boss features a ring that represents the worst possible danger zone and players are rewarded for sticking in there as long as possible, but if you happen to fail a particular stage the game rewards you with one extra life to make your next attempt more likely to succeed. Final scores do take deaths and multipliers in to account, so for those after high-scores the added-life system doesn't make things 'too easy'.

Also, it's hard not to talk about the game's visuals that are absolutely spectacular, but this doesn't come without a cost and only 3rd gen or higher iDevices are able to play this game currently. Still, ISUD is an excellent abstract shooter and definitely worth picking up for fans of games like rRootage.

Screenshots

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