Pixel Kindgom
by Smash Games

Some info: Pixel Kindgom was created by Smash Games, a small indie gaming company, and was originally started on Kickstarter. With a $5,000 pledge goal, some people were immediately interested and paid. It was released on the Google Play Store March 6 and it's been a HUGE success! The Play Store says it's gotten somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 downloads. It is the latest game by Smash Games.

Gameplay/First Impressions: (played on a Galaxy S3)
When I downloaded the game, I expected nothing but a fun, cool and easy to play experience. It turns out that I underestimated this app. The music has a nice style which really sets the mood for the era. The main menu is also easy to navigate with a smooth and clutter free UI. The truly "infinite" levels are smooth and lag free. It's just a great game overall.
The battles are set up in a tower defense way. You select units from the bottom of the screen and then select which lane they take to into battle. They each cost a certain amount of mana which builds up over time and you can upgrade to produce more.

Winning means crossing into the enemies "kingdom" and bringing down their life in the top right. Yours is the in the top left. Their life goes down depending on how much mana a unit cost. Yours decreases by number of enemy units cross. When you when you get gold which can be spent at the in-game shop to buy more units, or extra items for them. After winning a level there's a slight chance of getting a gem which are sort of rare and can be used to upgrade the units' stats. It's a nice customizable game with a lot to offer.

Music: The music is something that takes me back to the glorious 8-bit days. Okay, they weren't that great, but the 8-bit style soundtrack sets the mood for whats to come. Reminds me of the Fire Emblem songs. It's great but eventually, I'm sure it will become annoying and unnecessary.

Graphics: Yes, it a PIXELated game. So what? The pixel look almost HD and they add a simplistic feel to the battles because they themselves are simple as well! The look is just great, and fighting the random spawned dragons really show off the details!

Dislikes: Hm, dislikes? Oh, I have some... I don't really like how it's INFINITE levels. Yeah, I mean unlimited gameplay but I'm at level 47 and it still seems "Easy". As in the enemy units dont get tougher, they just spawn more frequently and makes me frustrated rather than challenged. The reviews in the Play Store can back up my statement. Also, some of the more powerful units cost a LOT of gold.

Overall: I think this game has great potential and with it's small fan community the developer really taks suggests and uses them to improve the game. It needs only SOME adjustments (of MY liking) for it to suit ME. It definitely deserves way more downloads because it's just great. You guys will love the simple, 8-bit, tower-defense, app/game that SmashGames has created. (9/10)

Sources:
http://www.indiedb.com/games/pixel-kingdom/news/pixel-kingdom-overview-and-unit-abilities

http://tcrn.ch/Lmt7dg

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/293140109/pixel-kingdom-for-pc-android-and-ios

[a=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SmashGames.PixelKingdom&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5TbWFzaEdhbWVzLlBpeGVsS2luZ2RvbSJd][/a]