Kallithea, Greece – Quill Games today is pleased to introduce Blow ’em Up 1.1 for iOS, their new game where players launch and guide ground-based, ballistic missiles to kill zombies perched on 3D wooden scaffolds. Three types of warheads, standard, high-explosive, and nuclear, each produce a different blast radius. More challenging than Angry Birds, players must discover the structural weaknesses of the 3D scaffolds to destroy the squat, animated zombies. Scaffolds sway and collapse realistically, and explosive debris emanates outward in an omnidirectional pattern. With the latest graphic effects, camera tracking, and game-physics engine, Blow ’em Up offers a panoramic gamespace and the ability to control the direction and flightpath of missiles that can approach targets from any direction and at any angle.
Feature Highlights:
* Launch and guide ground-based missiles to kill zombies
* Missiles can have one of three types of warhead
* Zombies are on, in, under, or beside wooden scaffolds
* Zombies can be killed by a direct hit or by the collapsing structure
* 50 levels of play, Achievements, and Leaderboards
If Angry Birds, one of the most successful iOS games ever, is the benchmark for dynamically controlled shooters, played against live targets situated on multi-level, open structures, then Blow ’em Up must be acknowledged as having set a new and higher standard. In every measure of gameplay, Blow ’em Up has succeeded in besting the best.
What is immediately apparent is that the zoomable gamespace in Blow ’em Up is huge. Set in a grassy field, with forests and mountains in the background, players follow their rocket as it ascends and they then guide it to the target. At its maximum altitude, the views are spectacular, with sunlight breaking through the clouds and detailed mountains, trees, and grass below. Prior to a launch, players can zoom in/out and swipe up/down and left/right to view the launch pad and target in perspective.
Missiles are launched one at a time, and another launch cannot be made until the present warhead has exploded (by hitting something or by self-destructing in flight). The launch pad is approximately 100 meters to the left of the zombie targets, and once launched, the missile maintains a constant velocity. Players guide the rocket with a wheel controller that resembles the helm of a large, sail-powered vessel. While the rocket is locked in the z-axis (it cannot move forward or backward), players can guide the rocket’s nose accurately, producing graceful arcs or unwavering linear flight.
Each of the game’s 50 levels contains 4 to 10 zombies, and all of them must be destroyed to move on to the next level. The animated zombies are skulls with tiny hands where one would expect to see ears. Identical in size and appearance, their jaws open and close, and their eyeballs roll around in their sockets. Zombies do not change position, and all sit on the same z-axis as the missile. The elaborate scaffolds are constructed of wooden planks and small triangular overhangs that provide the zombies some cover from angled aerial attacks. Zombies may be fully exposed at the top level of the wooden structure, protected at lower levels of a structure, or completely vulnerable on the ground beside the scaffolding. Direct hits by a missile always destroy a zombie, and most debris (exploding or collapsing) will also crack the zombie’s skull apart.
Various strategic factors are found at different levels. Will players prefer more missiles, or fewer missiles equipped with more powerful warheads? Should players target individual zombies, or aim at multiple targets, attempting to weaken the foundations of the scaffold? Guiding the missile so that it flies parallel to the ground is dangerous and difficult. Should players attempt this effective, though risky, maneuver, or should they attack from more traditional vertical angles? Attacking the left side of the scaffold is easier than reversing course and attacking the right side. Should players try to attack from both sides?
Players will appreciate the attention to detail in the game. Mountainous terrain, forests, and plains appear realistic from the air and close up. The rocket exhaust does not fade out, it remains onscreen but dissipates into a formless cloud. Explosive debris can fill the screen as it flies toward the viewer. Small pieces of explosive debris may be blown so high that bits and pieces are still falling while the next missile is in flight. The camera view automatically zooms out as the rocket ascends and zooms in as it descends, offering detail, perspective, and dramatic viewing angles. Blow ’em Up offers Angry Birds action, but adds 3D effects and sophisticated user control after launch.
“We have spent many months developing Blow ’em Up with the help of the Unity 3D Game Engine,” commented Eleftheria Oikonomidi of Quill Games. “We are proud to introduce this challenging new app to gamers everywhere, and we wish them good luck in mastering its unique challenges.”
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iOS 6 tested)
* 40 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Blow ’em Up 1.1 is $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Review copies are available on request.
Quill Games
Blow ’em Up 1.1
Purchase and Download
Screenshot
App Icon
Press Kit (zip)
Based in Athens, Greece, Quill Games was founded by Eleftheria Oikonomidi in 2012. The company has no mission statement, but a mantra: “Make cool games.” Copyright (C) 2012 Quill Games. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.
