Start the Rockets! Review

The loading screen of Start the Rockets! (Out Now, $0.99) asks you to blow everything up. That’s basically the object of the game as you launch cute little smiling rockets with big bubbly eyes. Using a golden zippo you aim rockets at other rockets or objects and let one loose. Rockets collide with each other sending them off in all sorts of directions. And that’s all there is to it.

There are several different types of rockets in the game. The standard red rockets fly in a straight line (but can sometimes be rotated) unless they’re on a rail that you can slide up and down into your desired position. There are different colored rockets that have their own unique abilities, like yellow rockets that can be aimed anywhere.

The controls work well, but it’s not like there’s really much to do. You position rockets and carry the lit zippo to the one you want to send flying. I had no problems doing any of it. There is Game Center support for achievement hunters and that familiar three star system that should keep some players going back to levels in order to achieve perfection. Good news is the IAP is at a minimum. You can buy 20 hints for 99 cents after you exhausted your 5 freebies and you can unlock the other two levels by paying 99 cents each and there’s the promise of more coming soon.

The game looks good and sounds good. The objects are bright colors like red and orange and they pop in front of the mostly blue or purple background especially when the fireworks are lit. The chain reaction of rockets flying everywhere looks especially awesome. The rockets make a little squealing noise when you tap on them that does get annoying after several levels and I could see the music driving some people nuts after just a couple of minutes.

There are a ton of puzzle games available in the App Store and Start the Rockets! is just another entry into the genre. After several hours of sending the rockets off I did get quite bored of doing the same thing over and over again. The levels get harder and there are some head scratchers that require planning, but when you’re bored you don’t care to exhaust the brainpower to find those solutions. They do add fireworks and barrels to spice up the levels, but I wasn’t too interested in progressing through all 45 levels across the 3 worlds. Start the Rockets! is fun but too repetitive. I usually love blowing everything up but not so much this time.

iFanzine Verdict: Start the Rockets! does everything right but nothing revolutionary. It looks great and plays well and the IAP is at a minimum. There are better games in the bloated puzzle genre if you have the patience for them.