In iCommander,  from Gogo Mobile,  you assume the role of a tank brigade commander and your mission is to blast the invading forces out of the sky. It’s the old “do unto others before they undo you,” side scroller with excellent graphics, sound effects and game play.

It’s easy to learn and not hard to master, but it’s fun anyway.

In iCommander you move your tank barrel by titling the iPhone or iPod touch and pressing a thumb trigger button to fire tank shells. In addition to being able to move your tank left and right, you can also duck by tapping the tank itself.

Shoot down slow-flying helicopters, speedy jets and defenseless parachutists while avoiding air -to-surface missiles. Every guy that makes it to the ground costs you points. You have to be careful which helicopters you choose to shoot down. Some of these “helper helicopters” bring in first-aid supplies, food and ammunition.

iCommander is a classic genre in every way, going back to the days of 8-bit home and arcade machines. Think Galaga, in which you shoot the waves of aliens and avoid their fire and you have the right idea.

It’s a simple-minded, casual game that you can put down and pick up and get right back into the game. Turn the sound off or play with headphones and kill some time and bad guys while you’re waiting in the doctor’s office or on the train to work.

I found that tilting my iPhone at just the right angle, I was easily able to avoid getting hit while still being able to blast away. If there’s anything I’d like to see is harder levels and tilt control adjustability. To move left requires your tilting the iPhone to the right and vice versa. That seems counter-intuitive to me but that may be a personal issue (one of those left-brain right brain kind of things, I guess).

iCommander features Mountain, Snow and Forest views, but the mission is always the same. Kill or be killed.

For the best app reviews, subscribe to the AppCraver RSS feed.

app category: Arcade, Editor's Picks, Games