Space Junk, for iOS systems, got its first update three days ago, and boy does it do a world of good for the game. If you read my original review, you’ll see that I concluded that despite its gameplay being solid, Space Junk was tremendously held back by a lack of replay value as there were no leaderboards on which to post your highscores as a junk-blasting space-janitor.
Well the update has resolved that issue, and more.
The guys over at Upside Down Games have outdone themselves. There’s a new level in the standard game, which is a tribute to the recently shut down shuttle program, a new survival mode (and those are always fun), and Games Center connectivity.
That last one is the kicker. As much as some people love them, I personally don’t like leaderboards because it’s very hard to feel like you’re making any progress on the tables when you’re playing AAA titles with millions of users, but this is different. Unlike those massive million-user titles, there’s a much smaller community playing Space Junk. From one playthrough to another you’ll actually see yourself move up the tables, get knocked down, and move up again. It actually makes me want to keep playing the game over and over until I can manage getting high up on the tables, a goal that’s not inconceivable.
On top of that, the Games Center connectivity comes with a bunch of fun achievements that are challenging, but completely possible, again giving more reason to go back and play through Space Junk again.
The extra mode is just icing on this very well-made cake.
In my original review I said that fans of old arcade titles should definitely go out and buy the game, and that verdict still stands. However, because of the Game Center addition, I can now definitely recommend the game to those who love to compete in single-player to achieve the best
score possible. With this Space Junk update, you’re no longer a lonely space-janitor, but one of many, all competing for the employee of the month award.
If Upside Down Games keep up their trend listening to community feedback and acting on it, I truly look forward to their next effort at a “Retrovex” game for iOS systems.
