Don’t tell any of my sophisticated friends who spend their time socializing with arty intellectuals who know all about David Cameron’s views on the current price increase of imported, organic tea leaves from China…but I’m addicted to saving the planet. And not only our planet, sometimes others, sometimes it’s just a simple castle, other times I’m fighting off alien creeps from, well, I don’t even know. The point I’m trying to make is that I bloody love Tower Defence games so I’m going to tell you all about my favourite ones, lucky you.
1. Fieldrunners – Developer: Subatomic Studios,Latest release date: Feb 18 2011,Price: $7.99 
Let’s start with something that does exactly what it says on the tin. You’ve got yourself a grand tower, you’ve also got yourself a field (in the first level anyway) and what’s this? A little army are running all over your field? Well it’s a good job you’ve got various towers to place anywhere you like to kill them all. And that’s what is so great about this game, almost complete freedom with tower placements (further levels do provide obstacles but still provide plenty of room to be creative). The controls are simple, the towers are easily distinguishable and there’s nothing quite like blowing up a blimp!
2. Sentinel Series – Developer: Origin 8,Latest release date: Feb 17 2011
There are currently 3 instalments in Sentinel, Mars Defence, Earth Defence and Homeworld and all three come under the category of ‘incredibly engrossing’. Great story lines and fantastic graphics make for exciting game play, all of which include a wide variety of aliens all with their own strengths and weaknesses which makes for a more strategic style of game. The thing that really stands out for me is the shear amount of things you can do, what with resource harvesting, repairing structures, upgrading ship weapons and deploying drones; these really are hard games to put down.
3. Tower Defense® Lost Earth – Developer: Com2uS,L Updated: Jun 14 2011,Price: $4.99
For a game that has a Registered Trademark on a title used god knows how many times I was expecting an awful lot from these guys. So I turned the light off, crawled into bed and listened to the over the top, daunting music playing while I read the introduction telling me all about how the aliens are coming and I have to save the lost earth! So I’m ploughing through the game, which is fairly entertaining, nice and simple and does what you expect (it is the Tower Defence® game after all) then BOOM! Next chapter, THEY’RE COMING ARRGGHH! Then BOOM! Next chapter THEY’RE GETTING CLOSER, NOOO! Conclusion: this game terrifies me.
4. GeoDefense – Developer: Critical Thought Games, Updated: Jan 24 2011,Price:$1.99
There are currently 2 smashing chapters to this game; GeoDefense and GeoDefense Swarm. The differences between them being that one provides a pre-defined path for the ‘creeps’ you are trying to destroy and the other (Swarm) favours more open levels on a grid where you have to be a bit more strategic in your tower placements. Both games have a neon-glow, retro design which looks fantastic and really makes it clear to differentiate between various towers and also various creeps. Both chapters include a large selection of levels and also additional level bundles are available so you’ll be playing these for a long time to come.
5. Space Station Frontier-Developer: Origin 8,Updated: Dec 15 2010,Price: $2.99
This has to be the most unique and impressive looking Tower defense game I’ve ever come across, it takes your defending skills to a whole other level, space. Forget towers and castles, we’re talking about a space station here! While you’re overseeing a deep space mining operation you have to contend with some nasty aliens flying around destroying all the structures you’ve created. It’s a stressful job keeping it all under control considering you’re told that ‘you are humanity’s last chance for survival’, oftentimes I crumble, get blown up by a load of alien scum and weep into a pillow, but yet I keep coming back for more. Maybe I’m just not cut out to be a Hero.
