Galcon Fusion goes HD for iPad

I've had the 32GB iPad for almost two weeks now and I'm really happy with my purchase. There are not as many apps available at this early stage as I had hoped, but I suspect that there are many developers working furiously to make their app ready for the new device.

So far, most of the apps I've tried for iPad are fine-tuned, HD versions of their iPhone counterparts. While it can be a little hit or miss as far as whether they are worth the extra cash (especially if you already paid for them on iPhone), many have been a joy to use on the iPad with better features, smoother graphics, and an excellent use of the extra screen real estate.

Galcon Fusion ($7.99) is the HD iPad version of Galcon, a game I already owned on the iPhone. This strategy game challenges you to conquer planets in a small section of space, while another player or the computer AI tries to do the same. Playing the standard game type, you start out with two inhabited planets; one for your fleet and one for your opponent's fleet, with several other unclaimed planets on the board. From there, you try to conquer other planets by touching and dragging from your populated planet to the planet you wish to attack. Win the game by conquering all your opponents planets.

The core game mechanic of attacking and conquering planets is very simple, but with eight game types and 10 difficulty levels, Galcon Fusion offers a lot of variation and proves to be a very challenging strategy game. Playing any of the game types on some of the higher difficulty levels can be extremely challenging. My only issue with this game is that it doesn't have a progressive single player campaign to draw you through the various game types. But with so many game variations and skill levels, it's pretty easy to ignore.

Once you believe you've mastered the game, you can try your luck against other players online in multiplayer matches with up to 12 players. Online, you can see how many people are playing or search by game type if you want to take on human opponents in a specific setting. Be warned: the players online definitely know their stuff--I still have yet to win an online game. Though there are not a lot of games going at any given time, every time I signed on for multiplayer there were enough games going to get my multiplayer fix. Galcon Fusion also offers online chat with other players and everyone I came across were both polite and helpful.

Overall, Galcon Fusion is a great example of an iPhone game that translates extremely well to the iPad. With HD graphics, easy to learn touch-screen controls, multiple game types, and multiplayer online matches, this game is great for any iPad owner who likes challenging strategy games.