Tower defense game still hasn't graduated

in terms of innovation

Play High School Tower Defense at addictinggames.com.

It is a battle fought, not on the soil of a country an ocean away, but in our backyards and schools. Generations of daughters and sons have lost their dignity and pride in a war that seems to have no end in sight. Countless reputations have been backstabbed, raped, beaten, shot and maimed, left to rot in the parking lot behind the cafeteria as the eternal struggle between the nerds and the jocks rages on.

High School Tower Defense lets the nerds have their day with vengeful balls of saliva and beakers full of stinky fluid. Like all tower defense games the goal is simple; defend a path from wave after wave of enemies with as many towers as you can afford. The gameplay is simple and straightforward and, like all tower defense games, becomes ludicrously repetitive by the 20^th level. Yet HSTD has an unexpected charm with its adorable characters and amusing story that sets it apart from the usual goblins and gold repeat.

Marvin and his “friend with no name” begin the game hanging from a wall by the straps of their underwear. Tired of being pushed around, Marvin forms a plot to retaliate for years of persecution; steal both the football goalpost and championship trophy. Assembling his war council of nerds, Marvin launches his assault like a blitzkrieg aginst the jocks, catching them with their jockstraps at their feet. With their trophies in hand, Marvin and his gang must protect them at all costs if they want to avoid being lynched by their own underwear again.

Rather than use literal towers to defend yourself, you have at your disposal an army of nerds willing to face public humiliation for a grander cause.

Rather than use literal towers to defend yourself, you have at your disposal an army of nerds willing to face public humiliation for a cause grander than they had ever imagined; a chance to kick the jocks right in their jock strapless gonads. From spitball and stinky nerds, to the all powerful war machine N.E.R.D 9000, it’s the characters, not the gameplay, that make HSTD a tower defense different from the rest.

Like the N.E.R.D 9000, higher level nerds must be unlocked before you can use them but each one comes with its very own introduction, showing Marvin recruiting them for his cause. Made with simple Flash animations, these intros are a great touch, using its high school setting to the fullest. The best intro is for the crazy nerd: “I don’t care what your mom says about controlling your spastic behavior, today it’s a great asset!” exclaims Marvin.  

Despite its loveable characters, HSTD suffers from the same plight as many tower defense games; it’s too easy and too repetitive. Defending against waves of the same enemies who mindlessly walk through your tunnel of death is only fun for so long before you too want to be killed by your own towers. To make matters worse, HSTD is unchallenging at best, even for a tower defense game. Making money is relatively easy, allowing you to upgrade or buy new turrets so often that the game becomes a challenge only after wave 76 when the jock’s HP jumps from 8000 to 20,000. Spreading out that jump over the entire game could have gone a long way towards making the game more difficult overall.

If you’ve played one tower defense game then you’ve played them all. There’s nothing incredibly special about them, and with gameplay that’s so simple, it’s surprising that they continue to create new ones. HSTD certainly doesn’t reinvent the gameplay wheel; in fact, its wheel is slightly oblong especially when it comes to difficulty. However, with their childish pranks and vengeful spirits, Marvin and his army of nerds keep the game rolling along, making up for the lack of challenge and innovation.

Review by Smith

score
  out of 5

Art: Adorable characters make game interesting. Decent flash animations. Staring at the same level for too long can cause spastic behavior in us all.

overall
3.3

Gameplay: Another tower defense game? Sweet! Another tower defense game? It’s the same! Another tower defense game? Yes, just another tower defense game.

Design:Good use of backstory and setting. The war between the jocks and the nerds cleverly incorporated. Still, just another tower defense game.