The Galaxy is in your iPhone touting hands. Do you have what it takes to save civilization as we know it? Your everyday sci-fi space shooter storyline is given new breath in Star Rangers, an iPhone and iPod Touch app, through its innovative gameplay and social aspects.

I first came across Star Rangers through an email from, of all people, my father. This isn’t the sort of iPhone app you may expect from a father as this has nothing to do with employment, watching beer, or drinking a football game (Wait a minute…), but I don’t have a normal father. My dad worked for Autodesk through my entire childhood. So he told me that the pioneer of Autodesk’s 3DS Max, Tom Hudson, created an iPhone app that I have to try.

As my familial obligation, I took on this quest to save humanity as we know it.

What’s so Great about Star Rangers?

• Jon A. Bell, Tom Hudson, & Lee H. Pappas
• 4 difficulty levels and (currently) 3 mission scenarios
• Opponent AI
• No load time
• map system

These creators are known in their field for success with (respectively) 3D graphics and visual effects, worldwide 3D programming, and a leading figure in video game design and industry analysis.

This makes complete sense why Star Rangers tops my list of games. The game is so fluid. You don’t need to wait for load time and from the get go you are engaged. Some of the key features I have to point out are the control of your vehicle/weaponry. Normally I’m not for a game that requires motion. Call me old fashioned, but I feel like my grandma trying to play a Super NES. Star Rangers changes this perception for me (in this ONE instance).

The adrenaline pumping as I am alerted enemies are attacking. Constantly switching between my front and back views I search for them while tilting my iPhone to move in space.

I swap to the map viewer and tap my enemy’s location to face them and immediately draw out into the game again before I get shot looking at my map. Enemy fighters shoot at me while I attempt to get them in my cross hairs. You have complete control of your speed and shots via tapping the screen and your direction through your tilt. Every time you come out of warp or the map, the game calibrates the directional tilting system seamlessly which accounts for accurate manual navigation.

Through this system of gameplay, you clear the map of your opponents and successfully save the galaxy while winning medals and awards to be shared on OpenFeint. You can also challenge others to beat your score in an area through the social website/ public leaderboard as well

Normally I have a section on things I’d like to see in the next release; Often this is where bugs come about, but in the case of Star Rangers I only see possibilities. Star Rangers has just released a few add-ons:

In the New Release

• Multiplayer co-op
• New Missions
• More medals

What’s not to love about more of what’s working. Systematically I also like what Star Rangers is doing here. Releasing incentive-creating content that I want to use will only drive me to rediscover my love for this app. Incorporating the social element will only help the popularity spread as well.

Bottom Line

Industry leading game. You have to buy it if you are into iPhone first-person shooter, epic space fighter games. If you’re more into My Little Ponies, maybe hold off?