Ten Second Space Missions is an Android game that channels classic retro space shooters into short challenging missions. There’s constant auto-fire here, all you need to do is move the ship with your finger or thumb whilst destroying enemies and dodging oncoming attacks.
Each mission lasts just 10 seconds, and if you’ve met one of three score targets in those 10 seconds, you will gain stars used to unlock new missions. There are 60 levels (with more in the works), intense boss battles and staged difficulty levels from ‘easy’ to the ill-advised ‘extreme’.
With some great music and 8-bit style graphics to top things off, Ten Second Space Missions seems like a great way of passing the time – but be warned, this is not your typical, easy game for the weak-minded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcot…
To start playing, you’ll need to download Ten Second Space Missions from the Play Store, and then well, press start!
If you want to take a quick look at the options screen, there are some choices for the game’s difficulty as well as the two different control schemes.
Now, you’ll notice in the below shot that more levels are unlocked as you unlock enough stars, this is a great way of giving players a sense of completion, rather than letting them play each level having gotten just one star in the previous levels.
At the beginning of each mission, you’re given a rundown of what score will give you a one, two or three star rating. At the end of the 10 seconds, whatever score you have will be used to get your star rating.
Now you’ll notice that I just got an achievement there, which is a big inclusion in Ten Second Space Missions, and has helped me level up in Google Play Games already. Levels range from fairly simple:
To fairly difficult:
In no time at all, but the fact that these are so short and challenging is why this is such good fun. You could play for five minutes and move forward maybe two or three levels, depending on your chosen difficulty, but get the satisfaction of playing for much longer. Plus, there are some awesomely difficult bosses to try and work past as well.
Ten Second Space Missions is my sort of game on Android, it’s quick, simple and easy to play while also offering players a tough yet satisfying challenge. The ‘extreme’ mode is absolute madness, and I was struggling on medium, so there’s a lot of scope here for those looking for a simple, bite-sized retro game without the slow build-up of more casual titles. This is full-on, full throttle space shooting at its best, anyone that’s played something like R-Type or Galaxian will love this, and as a child of the 90’s, I love these 16-bit graphics and this sort of gameplay, especially as I can play it for a few minutes here and there. With no need to invest too much time, while also getting a lot back from the game, this is well worth trying out.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – The game runs nice and smoothly here, and touch response is excellent as well.
- Features (4/5) – An excellent, quick and easy game that’s fun to play whenever and wherever, Ten Second Space Missions is great fun while also being a tough challenge.
- Theme (4/5) – The retro look might not be for everyone, but those of a certain age or players looking for something a little different should really enjoy this.
- Overall (4/5) – Whether you have an hour or just five minutes to spare, the full-on nature of Ten Second Space Missions is great fun, and it’s a solid challenge that many will find addicting.
Pros
- Doesn’t take long at all to get used to the controls, it works really well right from the get go.
- While challenging at first, there are different difficulty levels for those looking for either more or less of a challenge.
- 60 different levels, as well tough boss battles make this a game that will last for some time.
- Includes full support for Google Play Games, such as achievements and leaderboards.
Cons
- Experienced players might be able to blow through those 60 levels quicker than many.
- An endless wave mode would be a good inclusion for those looking for longer play sessions with the same sort of gameplay
As someone who remembers great games like R-Type and Galaxian, Ten Second Space Missions is a great way to relive some retro fun without the slow pace of play or needed effort. You simply load the game, choose a level and that’s it, full-on space shooter action is delivered to your device with simple controls, there’s not much more to say really, aside from the fact that it’s a great deal of fun as well.