Thunderdogs 9+

Originally I went into this not expecting too much, but this is probably the most fun I’ve ever had with a mobile game. I honestly think if they built just a bit more on what they have here it would even be a great fit on console. The controls are super polished and feel great, the combat is fast-paced and chaotic, and the artstyle has a ton of charm- I especially love the portraits of each dog and how they pop up on the screen whenever you get a kill. All the weapons apart from the missile feel great (the missile is just a bit useless since it’s so easy to avoid) and the shotgun, minigun,and laser are especially satisfying. It’s got some microtransactions and gacha elements but they’re not a big deal at all, mostly just cosmetic stuff, plus it’s a free game so I get why they’re there. The one thing I really wish they would add is a stats screen where you can see your total kills and deaths- other than that this game is incredible. I’ve downloaded and deleted so many mobile games because I just get bored of them so fast but this has stayed on my phone for about 3 years now and I always end up coming back to it.

This game is just all around fun and well done. The control on the game feels very polished and tight. Never have I have once felt that controlling my dogfighter was too difficult. Along with that the controls aren’t complicated as well as there are only three control options you can do, shoot, move, and dash. The play style is also very simple, you just shoot people, collect there “remains” and win by being the best, nothing complicated! The game does require skill as the gameplay is never based off of luck and rng but by strategy and maneuvering. There are many characters to choose from, each having there own benefits, for example, fast speed. I can’t express how much I love the art style and sound in the game. The dogs that you can play are just adorable, and the sound design is very well done, what with entering the game to somebody saying “Thunderdogs!” then followed up by a very catchy, cute, and almost retro soundtrack! I love this game, it’s good fun, especially when you have time to kill as you can fit in a lot of games. Good work developers, keep it up!

Thunderdogs is described by Lucky Kat Studios as a “Luftrausers meets Starfox” multiplayer .io-styled game where you pit yourself against other players in quick online death matches where you try to out-fly other players while also shooting them down and collecting the golden bones of your fallen opponents. The twin-stick controls take a bit getting used to but they are simple enough, though you’ll probably find yourself aimless bouncing off objects and missing items until you get hang of the floatiness of the different unlockable planes, each with their own upgradable stats and unique pilots which drop short witty dialogue at each other in text boxes as you take down other planes. The music is fantastic and the pixel art style is cute and the art of the various dog pilots reminds me heavily of Starfox.

The game seems to never force you to spend money to progress but it does have forced ads. I’ve rated the game 4/5 because of the IAP. While, the lowest IAP I see is 1.99 (which is alright) the game does offer a ‘VIP Membership’ for 6.99 a WEEK, for exclusive VIP planes, daily in-game currency, and other exclusive content. If this were altered to maybe a monthly payment it would be a little more realistic but 6.99 a week is a pretty steep payment for any game.