Review: FlipShip (iPhone/iPod Touch)

FlipShip is an iPhone game that surprised me. It is basically Schizoid meets Tilt to Live, so if you've played both games, you know exactly what FlipShip is like; however, seeing as that is highly unlikely, I may actually take the time to explain things. Before I do that, I will simply say I found the game rather enjoyable and fairly accessible with a decent selection of difficulties, granting anyone the ability to pick up and play and enjoy themselves.

As previously alluded to, the gameplay involves tilting the device in order to move the ship to and fro. There are three different ships available and each ship controls differently, as well as having unique weapons and special abilities. Tilting has never been my preferred way of controlling any game, but FlipShip does a respectable job with an easy way to set orientation and both vertical and horizontal sensitivity. There is an option to set tilt automatically at different points—such as always, on launch, on resume, or not at all—but I never found this function to be accurate enough. The other essential part of gameplay involves "flipping" the ship between one of two colors. Changing colors is done by tapping the screen and is the hook making the game stand out.

Like Schizoid, changing colors is crucial to survival in FlipShip. Enemies of the same color go down in flames while the opposing color will chase relentlessly as they cause instant death upon first touch. What makes this component intense is that the multiplier grows as the ship stays one color without change. The number of times I died or almost died because I wanted to keep pushing the multiplier were many and made every game much more exciting. It's a simple choice, but the tie between color changing and the multiplier is exactly what makes FlipShip something more than just another "okay" game I play here or there.

As someone who avoids most tilt-based games, I had fun with FlipShip and found the controls more than adequate. Would I rather have direct control? Sure, but on a touch-only device, taking any screen real-estate for such a purpose would be detrimental. If you're someone who enjoys tilt-based games, FlipShip is a very solid addition to any collection. If you're hot and cold when it comes to tilt controls, there will be a lite version of the game, allowing a try before you buy approach. And adding to the bullet points are leaderboards, achievements, and power-ups for those hectic moments.

FlipShip launched today, September 27th, at a special launch price of $0.99 for the first week. After the launch promotion is over, the game will raise in price to its normal price of $1.99.

FlipShip (iPhone/iPod Touch -- $0.99)

FlipShip Lite (iPhone/iPod Touch -- Free)