The newest game from developer John Kooistra and Cat in a Box Games, Blue Defense: Second Wave! [99�], has just been released to the US App Store. Blue Defense: Second Wave! is the sequel to the 2008 game Blue Defense! [$1.99] that was one of the earliest success stories in the fledgling days of the App Store. Blue Defense! became popular by offering a challenging game with simple mechanics, clean graphics, and smart use of the unique strengths of the platform. Blue Defense: Second Wave! retains these core beliefs, and expands on them in a number of ways to provide a game that feels both fresh and familiar. Here is an excerpt from�our hands-on preview that explains some of the gameplay found in Blue Defense: Second Wave!:

The basics of Second Wave remain the same. You'll fight off waves of enemies with a perpetually shooting cannon firing from the center of the planet which you're trying to protect. A population of about 7 billion people act as the life of your planet, with that number dwindling with every enemy that penetrates your defense. If the population hits zero, the planet is lost and it's game over.

One of the biggest changes this time around is the ability to fire multiple cannons at once. Touching the screen at any time brings up an aiming reticule and a new stream of fire, with multitouch support for adding up to five additional streams along with the first cannon. A quick double tap on the screen locks an aiming reticule in place at that point on the screen, which can be dragged around and set anywhere you want to direct more firepower.

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Besides the ability to add streams of fire, you also get a new weapon in the form of the planet cannon. Touching your planet and swiping in the direction you want to fire launches a humongous beam of destruction that's as wide as the planet itself. The planet cannon vaporizes anything in it's path, but comes with limited uses.

If you were a fan of the first Blue Defense! then you will most certainly enjoy this new sequel. If you somehow missed out on the first game, then Blue Defense: Second Wave! offers a stimulating shooter experience with unique mechanics that have evolved and been refined in the nearly two years since the first release. Best of all, Blue Defense: Second Wave! is launching at a special introductory price of just 99� through this weekend. It's also a universal app that will run on all iOS devices and has graphics that support the Retina Display. With 64 levels to play, more than 200 medals to earn, multiple modes of play, online leaderboards, and more, there is a ton of content for the price and Blue Defense: Second Wave! is a game that's not to be missed.