by Julie Sewell-Schmidt

Created on: February 07, 2009   Last Updated: February 09, 2009

The Adventures of Rick Rocket, by My Game Company Rating 2.5/5

Remember Space Invaders and Asteroids? Welcome to its offspring with a little rework.

The goal of The Adventures of Rick Rocket application is to protect the universe against invaders from outer space and earn medals by earning extra bonus points. The mission at hand is explained in an overview prior to each "chapter", or assignment, and the vision is clear enough. The chapters overall were simple to complete, and the ability with which to complete them was effortless.

A radar screen allows the player to view enemies from another galaxy when they are within range, and the process of guiding your ship in the direction of the invaders, ready to fire, is intuitive. Using the arrow keys and space bar to navigate and fire became a tad laborious, and the "down" arrow key does not guide the player's spaceship in a down direction, but puts on the brakes. This mapping made it more difficult to pilot the ship in the desired direction, particularly when being attacked by enemy vessels.

Power-ups such as heat seeking missiles, concussion bombs, a shield, armor, energy, and a repair function can be acquired after destroying enemy ships. Though these tools assist with the destruction of the alien craft, again, the navigation of the player's ship is hindered somewhat by the "down" arrow key function.

The sound on The Adventures of Rick Rocket was characteristic of other typical outer space mission themes and didn't invoke excitement. The graphics and screen design were satisfactory, and the layout was basic, if not plain. The mission overviews are presented in a comic-book like fashion, which is a plus for this application, but isn't enough to boost the rating higher than 2.5/5 stars.

Overall creativity and innovation leaves something to be desired, and the trial version of the game didn't leave a lasting impression.

Gamers with some time to kill may want to play this to fend off boredom, and pre-teens might find this somewhat entertaining, but judging from what was in the first eight chapters, there isn't enough excitement to hold the interest of experienced gamers that are looking for the opportunity to annihilate another species and defend their planetoid.

The Adventures of Rick Rocket initially brought back memories of childhood, dropping quarters on Asteroids in the local arcade. But, players of The Adventures of Rick Rocket shouldn't be expecting much more stimulating game play than that. Try the demo, but don't be too quick to purchase the game outright.

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