Starship Defense

Genre: Tower Defense

Players: 1

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Review:

Starship Defense is a Tower Defense game first released on the Nintendo DSi via the DSiWare service in 2010, which was later grandfathered into the Nintendo 3DS eShop when the Nintendo 3DS released. This game has players installing various turrets and other defensive emplacements to protect a starship from a horde of alien forces.

The presentation here is very simple, using 2D pixel art visuals designed in a way that makes everything look like it’s being rendered on graph paper. While not outright ugly, there’s a lack of color and personality here, and it just doesn’t do much to evoke the game’s “space” theme, though at least on the bright side the lack of color and detail does make it easier to see the game’s tiny enemies and your own small turrets. These visuals are backed by a synthesized militaristic soundtrack that is not at all memorable, but works well enough for the game, I suppose.

When it comes to the gameplay, this game does a good job giving players a good selection of options. You start with just a few kinds of emplacements, but as you proceed through the game’s campaign you’ll get more options, including more passive emplacements that can assist with slowing down enemies or blocking their progress. Individual emplacements can have the angle of their area of effect shifted, they can be powered-up with bonuses earned in the game’s levels, and eventually players will be able to upgrade them as well. Finally, if you’re really hurting for assistance, you can make use of expendable bonus card abilities you earn for completing levels, though you’re incentivized to see these as a last resort – not only are these limited in supply, but using them will reduce your end-of-level bonus.

Starship Defense doesn’t do anything especially revolutionary, but it’s still a solid, well-crafted entry in its genre. What’s more, for $5, this game feels like an absolute steal, with the game’s campaign lasting an estimated 10 hours or so. If you’re a Nintendo 3DS owner who enjoys the Tower Defense genre, this is definitely a game you’ll want to pick up before the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes for good.

tl;dr – Starship Defense is a Tower Defense game that has players installing turrets and other emplacements to defend a starship from alien forces. It’s not much to look at, and doesn’t do anything extraordinary to change up the genre, but this is still a superb entry in the genre, and a fantastic value at only $5. If you have a Nintendo 3DS and enjoy Tower Defense, you should definitely get this game.

Grade: B+

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