Sometimes you just want to wander around a room and slash things with a sword. While listening to great 8-bit tunes. And squishing adorable baddies like bees and slimes. And collecting spell cards that poison or freeze or incinerate your opponents in glorious violent fashion.
Spellsword's got you covered.
Spellsword, a new arena battle RPG for iOS, puts you in the smudgy shoes of a sword-wielding hero, trapped on a battlefield and forced to fight off waves of enemies by jumping and slicing across a single screen. There are two modes: Mission and Endless. In Mission mode, you complete... well, missions, with goals like "collect 50 spell cards" or "defeat 30 slimes." In Endless mode, you defeat as many giant eyeballs and creepy bats as possible before you croak.
You can also collect money (Zelda-like rupees). You use it to boost your spell cards' stats and buy equipment like rings, amulets, and party hats.
Battling is addictive and more fun than it probably should be, thanks to the satisfying animations and infectious music that populate Spellsword's mob-filled stages. The iPad's touch controls could be a little more pleasant, and this is a game that would feel significantly better with a controller or keyboard, but hey, it works, and it's a blast.
Spellsword [$0.99, iTunes]