Posted by Ryan Johnson on 08 18, 2010

Cannon Cadets

Categories: Games, | 0 comments | |

In an otherwise happy-go-lucky galaxy a series of failed experiments has lead to the unravelling of a monkey named Gordo. Intent on making others suffer as much as he’s suffered Gordo creates an army of robotic minions and set out on a mission to kidnap all who are happy and subject them to a lifetime of misery and captivity. It appears all hope is lost as more and more happy people are corralled up and caged. Then, against all odds a brave young boy manages to escape Gordo’s wrath. Armed with a rocket and determined to make things right, Rocket Boy begins building his own army of justice he calls the Cannon Cadets, and sets out on a mission to free all captives and to rid the galaxy of Gordo for good!

Cannon Cadets, created by XMG Studio Inc., is the latest prime-time edition to the already long and popular list of physics based strategy games. In this game you’re armed with a rocket and a variety of ammo and it’s your mission to destroy the army of robotic minions that’re holding all the happy people hostage. As we’ve come to expect from these style of games, you’re provided with a limited amount of ammo to complete each level, and you’ve got to figure out how to destroy all relevant targets with what you’ve got. The best comparison I can think of is a galactic themed version of Angry Birds but with rockets, robots, burps, and farts.

Cannon Cadets doesn’t slouch on playability. It offers 80 levels, each one increasingly more complicated than the next. The more difficult the level the more cool the ammo gets and the more of an emphasis there is on precision. Cooler ammo has multiple effects. After launching your shot you can tap the screen a second time to unleash the ammo’s alter ego. Some ammo speeds up, others spread, you know the routine. If you’re a fan of similar physics based games then you’ll probably fly through the first 20 or so levels fairly easily. I didn’t really get hung up until level 40 or so.

Cannon Cadets delivers on all levels. The graphics are excellent, the game-play is precise, addictive, and smooth, you can play as four different characters, and the shear number of levels and the addictive nature of the game make it well worth the download. This game is by no means unique or revolutionary, but it is however an excellent addition to the already popular genre of physics based games. I can say with certainty that I’ve played physics games that are much harder. As far as difficulty goes I’d say Cannon Cadets is probably middle of the road, which may actually be a good thing for many of you. I’ve seen quite a number of people get stuck on levels in other similar games and eventually give up. I’m currently on level 44 and plan to see how far I can take it. If you’re in the market for a new physics game then you should definitely check out Cannon Cadets.

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