Android Game of the week – SimpleRockets
SimpleRockets is a 2D space-flight simulations that has you building and piloting Saturn styled rockets.
There is a whole lot of fun to be had by jumping straight in and strapping the largest rocket to a fuselage that simply isn’t rigid enough to contain the forces applied, but with that attitude you’ll never leave the earths atmosphere. So it’s It’s strongly recommended to check out the tutorials available. The tutorial will set you on a firm path to building a rocket that has the ability to orbit the moon. If however you get bored of the serious challenges, in sandbox mode you can build a rocket so heavy you’ll have no chance leaving earth’s atmosphere, if that is what you want.
The game isn’t just a few tutorials and a sandbox full of fun. There is a fleshed out range of challenges. Fundamentals learnt from the tutorials will factor into each challenge, but it is in the continual trial and error of building, refining and perfecting rocket to suit each challenge where in lays the fun.
Surprisingly SimpleRockets leans heavily into real orbital mechanics. Optimum trajectory, astrodynamics, tangential velocity and the ability to use celestial bodies “lasso” are all touched upon.
What the Sm
The solar system in the game is 10% the size of the actual solar system. To avoid confusing and not wanting to lead players into believing that dimensions were the same the game uses odd names to help remind players that the solar system isn’t quite the same. So be prepared to pilot rockets from ‘Smearth’ to the ‘Smoon’ and onwards to ‘Smars’.
Reluctantly I must report SimpleRockets is devoid of the character that kerbal space program oozed, SimpleRockets has a more clinical feel that, in itself, has a charm but isn’t what will keep you coming back to SimpleRockets. Wanting to improve and refine your rocket design, squeezing more thrust out of a rocket, exceed previous maximum meters per second or just challenging yourself to design a rocket capable of landing on mars with the capability of returning safely will drive repetitive plays.
The game can be picked up for just over 50p on the google play store and also available on the app store, windows phone as well as PC. Prices vary.
