Deep Space Lander : Outer Space Chronicles

This here app we got for review today is Deep Space Lander . It's a new app on Google Play. Fly and navigate a spaceship to collect the purple orbs needed to unlock the landing pad. You have limited fuel and using your shield uses up some fuel. The shield is used to protect you from meteors/asteroids and is temporary. You will have to wait 20 seconds before using the shield again. A warning will come up when an asteroid is close (sometimes the warning comes too late or I'm just too slow to react and press the shield). Once in a while there is no hope as the commit hits your ship right after the warning signal. This occurs more often when you are towards the top of the screen and don't have a great view above you to see that a rock is coming. I guess that's how to play and an introduction up in one besides the thruster button. The graphics and user interface/menu are really well done. Details are pixel smooth, no pixels apparent.

Unlike older  retro styled games, the thruster mechanics here work a little differently. The thrusters are a little weaker and it's harder to change your momentum. This makes it very challenging (even on stage one). The ship is very delicate, but parts of your landing legs may touch the earth/ground. I doubt the shield my aid you in coming in contact with the land. I don't know who opens the landing areas, or why you need to collect the glowing purple things. Perhaps they can be explained in future updates. Although they aren't important for the suspense of dodging terrain.

 

One suggestion I would have for the smartphone app would be to have a "Retry" or "Replay" button so that I don't have to go back to the menu, then scroll all the way to level 20 to play again. On one occasion, my first test, I was flying a little horizontally when I landed on the landing zone. It gave me a "good landing" sign and then I crashed. I forgot what happened exactly after that, but I know that it restarted that level (minus one spacecraft/life) wasn't continuing or wouldn't start. Nothing of the sort ever happened again. No errors, no glitchy effects.

 Deep Space Lander is brought to you by the developer(s) at Hot Mustard Studios. Too bad NASA isn't here anymore, but you may still sort of experience a space like simulation game. There are free versions of this smartphone application available on Google Play and iTunes. Then there are also paid versions here for Android OS and here for Apple OS. I am unsure what the differences are. Give those links a few clicks and be on your journey through space. Not sure what planet they're on but enjoy it while you get addicted.