Skies of Glory (Android Review)

RATING:
5 out of 5

PRICE:
$4.99

TASTY:
Shoot down friends and family with this cross-platform iPhone and Android gem, featuring live WW II-era dogfighting via local wifi, Bluetooth, or 3G. Includes co-op missions to defend or destroy bases in two theatres of the war.

BUMMER:
Current version requires Android OS 2.0 or newer; won’t run on Eris or Hero handsets.

COOL:
One of the few games (Toon Warz, Armageddon Squardon, Homerun Battle 3D, Raging Thunder 2, etc.) that let DROID and iPhone fanboys and girls take each other out online. Gaming companies, more of these kinds of titles, please! (Mario Kart-style racing, anyone?)

REVIEW:
I’m a sucker for WW II-era dogfighting games, and Skies of Glory ($4.99) is a welcome addition to any amateur flyer’s collection. After doing the tutorial, I felt comfortable enough with the controls to venture online and take the fight to DROID and iPhone users alike.

The graphics are top-quality, the controls are in easily-accessed portions of your screen, and I found the size of my phone’s screen to actually enhance the game play. Using my DROID’s accelerometer, I can easily steer the plane, do barrel rolls, make turns, and all the rest. Increasing and decreasing the speed of my plane, firing rounds, and tracking the position of the enemy is a snap.

With a little practice, and a serious urge to down your friends wielding DROIDs or iPhones, you’ll likely come back to this title again and again. Add terrain models from the European and Pacific theatres, numerous weather conditions, and the ability to team up to take out supply bases and compounds, and you’ve got yourself a well-rounded experience for very little cash.

The sound effects are top-notch, the 8-player combat is silky smooth, setting up local matches is a breeze (again with up to 8 players), and additional planes are available for purchase. Don’t miss the bombing run missions, where you can take off from carriers and land bases to strafe bridges, ships at sea, and ground targets.

The future of cross-platform mobile gaming is here today, and if Skies of Glory is a barometer of things to come, gamers everywhere have many reasons to be excited.

And the next time you’re itching for a fight, look up Tarquin. I’ll be waiting.