Consolation Prize

Rounding off looking at a couple of iPhone games that I recently purchased, today for your perusal we have Galcon by Phil Hassey; an incredibly fast paced real time strategy game of galactic domination. Imagine playing something similar to Risk, which has been given a dose of amphetamines, and is based upon the conquest of planets rather than countries - then in a nutshell you have Galcon.

The primary aim in Galcon, for the majority of the game modes at least, is to obliterate the other player by conquering their planets. Starting with just the one planet you can attack another simply by selecting your world, and then selecting the target. An invasion fleet comprising of a definable percentage (in 25% increments) of the planet’s forces will then blast across the stars on an attack vector. If your force is large enough then the opposing planet’s defences will be annihilated and it will then become a part of your expanding galactic empire.

Each galaxy map in Galcon comprises of a number of planets, some of which are grey neutral worlds, and all of varying sizes which indicates the production rate. The larger the planet the faster it will expand and thus strategically speaking it’s wise to look for neutral planets with a low defence to conquer before tackling your opponent.

Galcon offers a number of different modes to vary the core “One versus One” game mechanics. Stealth is really just a variant of the core Classic mode, but where the enemy’s fleets are unsurprisingly invisible. Vacuum removes the enemy altogether and instead sets a time limit within which to conquer all available planets, and 3-Way introduces two enemy AI’s to battle against instead of just the one. Beast is perhaps the best variant, and probably the most challenging, as it starts the enemy off in possession of numerous worlds. And finally, if you fancy a human adversary then that facility is also on offer via the Net Game mode.

The beauty of Galcon is really in its simplicity. The bare bones approach keeps the gameplay fast, but fluid, and games can be over in as little as 30 seconds - which is ideal for those moments when you want a brief diversion. The strategy behind Galcon is perfectly balanced, and although you’ll definitely need to think on your toes you won’t ever feel like you’re in training for Mastermind.

Great game mechanics can easily become tedious and unplayable if the controls aren’t also well designed, and again Galcon has kept things nice and simple to suit the environment and the game – an attribute to be applauded. The touch screen is used to great effect with no superfluous features, and it really is a breeze to select your planets and attack opponents sending multiple forces to converge on a destination, or even to reinforce your own beleaguered planet(s) if that’s your will.

Although Galcon doesn’t look like it’s pushing the iPhone to the limit everything is well presented with clinical graphics, and the backgrounds for each map are pleasantly pretty. It’s strange though that the game doesn’t seem to have any sound effects, even when the music is switched off and the SFX option (within iPhone settings) is enabled.

I’ve enjoyed playing Galcon, and I tend to find that whenever I’ve the odd five minutes or so to spare it’s a great way to fill the void. Galcon is available from the iTunes App Store, priced at £2.99 and it is certainly worth checking out if you’re in the market for a fast paced strategy game to take with you whilst on the move.

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