It all started more than 20 years ago, when my best friend and I would sit down in front of a 21″ CRT TV and an Amiga computer, pop the Battle Squadron 3.5″ disk in the drive and look forward to hours of fantastic two-player shoot ‘em up action.  The game has remained a firm favorite of mine, despite not having played it since selling my Amiga many years ago.

Fast forward to the 31st March 2010, when I wrote a top ten list of Amiga titles I’d love to see adapted for iOS, one of which was Battle Squadron.  A few months afterwards, I was contacted by Cope-com, the developers of the game, who said they were just starting work on an iOS edition!  Since then I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in the beta-testing – you may have seen our videos – and have watched the game evolve from beginning to end.

Yesterday, after almost a year in development, the game went live inside the App Store as a universal app for the iPhone and the iPad.  The concept is simple, you must blast your way through several levels of aliens, weapons turrets and attack craft until the enemy has been defeated.  It’s the subterranean levels which are the hardest – and the key to beating the game – and where you’ll face some tough bosses.  You’ve got four lives, an upgradeable weapon and three smart bombs at your disposal.

You main weapon is upgraded every time you destroy a particular enemy ship, which drops a flashing cube you need to collect.  Each color represents a different weapon, and each has six levels of power.  Bombs can also be replenished by destroying certain waves of enemies.

There are three levels of difficulty – with the hardest ‘Squadron Leader’ setting being the equivalent to the Amiga – and three control options.  The touch system is by far the best, although the tilt remains the best I’ve used in an iOS shoot ‘em up.  The joypad option is less successful for me personally, however I’ve been told there are gamers who prefer it; so make sure you give them all a try.

Battle Squadron is one of the most fluid, playable, addictive and challenging shooters available for iOS, and the conversion is absolutely 100% faithful to the Amiga original.  Playing it through ranks up there with the most satisfying mobile gaming experiences I’ve ever had, and proves once more that games which were great ‘back then’ can be great today provided they’ve had some love, care and attention lavished on them.  Believe me when I say that Battle Squadron is no retro cash-in, but a fantastic shooter which beats the vast majority of its modern day equivalents hands-down!

It takes the best parts of two other superb iOS shooters – R-Type and Espgaluda II – and rolls them into one.  For instance, R-Type is a spot-on conversion, but lacks Espgaluda’s replayability, however Battle Squadron manages to incorporate both these elements and more.  The urge to beat your previous high score is there – as is Game Center – along with the joy of blowing stuff up with a really powerful gun!  The excellent soundtrack enhances the excitement too.

Even if you’ve never played the original, but have enjoyed CAVE’s manic bullet-hell games, then you’ll love the challenge presented by Battle Squadron.  It’s not all just dumb shooting either, as there is a degree of strategic planning involved, as using the right weapon at the right time is the key to beating the underground levels with the minimum amount of lives lost.

During beta-testing, the difficulty level was an oft-discussed subject, and it has been set just about right in the final version.  It’s also interesting to see just how much easier games have become, as playing Cadet – a fair representation of modern shoot ‘em up gaming – and then going to Squadron Leader can be quite a shock!  But the game is never frustrating, and when you die you get the feeling it’s because you weren’t quite quick enough, rather than the game being unfairly difficult.  It’s an important distinction and can make-or-break shoot ‘em ups.

For me, Battle Squadron is very nearly gaming perfection.  It doesn’t matter that I played it on the Amiga all those years ago, as even if I’d have been introduced to it today, I’d still feel the same way.  No matter whether you’re nostalgic for the original, a shoot ‘em up fan or a newcomer to the world of retro gaming, Battle Squadron should be considered an essential purchase.

Positives:

• A visually and sonically perfect conversion of the Amiga classic.
• Exciting, addictive gameplay.
• Powerful upgradeable weapons, varied enemies.
• It’s universal for the iPhone and iPad, plus it has Game Center support.

Negatives:

• Very occasionally, you can set off a smart bomb by accident using the touch control systems.

Overall: 5/5.

Download Battle Squadron for $1.99/£1.19 here.