There is no shortage of unique and creative games available on Apple’s App Store, so a game with a unique design like Shot Shot Shoot may have some trouble getting noticed. Add to that an extremely minimalist approach and it’s easy to get completely overlooked. Shot Shot Shoot, available for the iPad for $1.99, is a one or two person shooter game that is simple in concept, but complex to master.
The concept behind Shot Shot Shoot is to shoot small blocks across the screen towards your opponent’s five targets.
The more blocks you shoot at once, the slower they go. There’s a limited amount of ammo for each side, with more being added by hitting smaller blocks half way to your target. Good so far? Bullets are fired from the center block and can be controlled after launch by swiping left or right on the iPad. Bullets hitting each other cancel out making them both offensive and defensive. Destroy your opponents 5 targets before they destroy yours and you win the round. Simple enough.
What’s Macgasmic:
Any game that makes you think quickly and strategically is great in my books. In Shot Shot Shoot, you need to balance between offense and defense, volume vs. speed, and ammo vs. attack. Depending on your opponent, you can find yourself in a chaotic mess with bullets flying all over the screen, or a slow and strategic chess match with each opponent carefully thinking through their next shot. From a design standpoint, you’ll either love it or hate it. The design is clean, simple and does a great job of not distracting from the gameplay.
What’s Not:
Playing against the computer, even on the easier of the two settings, is absolutely overwhelming at the start. Shot Shot Shoot is trial by fire with the computer opponent absolutely demolishing me in the first 10+ games. Just to be sure, I had a few others give it a try and they experienced the same results. There’s a very good chance you’ll walk away from this game before you win your first game. Not good with so many game choices available under $2.
Final Thoughts:
If you’re looking for strategic challenge, or want a casual two-player experience, you will probably enjoy Shot Shot Shoot. If you’re impatient, or need stunning visuals to enjoy a game, then there are much better options. Adding a tutorial, or making gameplay easier for beginners could go a long way in helping this game become more accessible.
