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Category: Strategy game
Developer: Artificial Life
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 34.2MB

What is it?

An unfortunately named version of Battleship, but with less emphases on luck and more on strategy and adjustments.

How does it work?

iSink U (seriously…if you can’t come up with a good name for your game, hire someone else to do it) plays mostly like the classic game of Battleship, in which you place your fleet of ships on a grid and then randomly call out attacks on your enemy. If you hit, fire again in that same row or column on your next turn. Miss, and try again elsewhere. The first player to sink his opponent’s fleet is the winner. But the gameplay/strategy of iSink U (it pains me to type that…so I think I’ll just call it “The Game” for the rest of this article) goes much deeper.

To begin with, you have multiple methods of attack, assigned by a point system. Some actions take more points than others, so you can, for example, launch a single all-out attack, or you launch a smaller attack and use the remaining points to move your ships. Yes, you can move your ships around after the battle has begun, but only within reason. Obviously, you can’t just pick them up and drop them on the other side of the grid, but you can pull one far enough away to thwart your opponent’s targeted attacks. Use up all your points on movement, though, and your opponent will know that your fleet has been shifted.

The Game makes use of the familiar iPhone controls: pan the camera with one finger, rotate with two, and use the standard pinch for zooming in and out. They’re a bit clunky at first (especially when it comes to placing ships and attacking a specific spot), but you’ll need to figure them out because the game grid is quite expansive, with multiple maps available. Yes, there are multiple maps and locations that keep the game feeling fresh after a few rounds. And, of course, there is an option for head-to-head play, so you’re not just fighting the computer all the time. Unfortunately, there’s no support for multiple phone play; you’re stuck staring at and touching the same screen.

Features

• Enhanced spin on classic Battleship offers greater depth and strategy.
• Head-to-head option for multiplayer gaming.
• Multiple maps and locations help to keep the game fresh.
• Graphics and animations are too cartoony, but highly detailed and well implemented.
• Option to play the game without music.

App it Up, Sum it Up

Fans of Battleship, Stratego, Risk, etc. are likely to enjoy this game. If classic Battleship is as far as your strategy game skills go, however, you’ll want to stay away; there’s plenty more to consider/plan here in order to claim victory. The somewhat clunky controls and annoying music will put off some people, but the gameplay is worth coming back for. If a future update should offer Bluetooth or WiFi compatibility for multiplayer sessions, then it would be a must for all iDevice military strategy gamers.

Cost - $0.99
Worth the Money? - Yes, as it offers a more satisfying strategy gaming experience than you’d expect from a Battleship knockoff.
Availability - Now, at the iTunes App Store