The art of the duel has always been an engaging one, so why not bring the fun on the road? I’m referring to Little Guy Games and their appropriately-named Battle Blasters, which turns the classic shootout a futuristic arcade-style blaster experience that hearkens back to when digital combat was more direct, with the goal to simply eliminate the competition by any means necessary. Of course, there's no quarters required for this galactic showdown, and while a small 'entry fee' may be required at the iTunes Store, its a small price to pay to engage in some fiercely competitive bouts where space marines and cyborg convicts rule.

The perspective is a top-down affair, with opponents (human, alien, or robot) on opposite sides of the screen. The game is played entirely with strategic swiping and touches, with your character simply moving either left or right, evading or blocking volleyball-like enemy attacks, and countering in the same fashion. You've got a variety of different attacks at your disposal, with standard quick shot (fast swipe forward), power shot (short swipe), or unique character attacks (touching your character directly). Certain attacks can block or deflect incoming attacks, and while much of the action is playing offensively, you can deflect attacks with your energy bubble shield by swiping downward behind your character.

Overall you shouldn’t have any real issues getting the hang of the fundamentals, only when things start to actually pick up do you notice how fast and frantic things can get. The game quickly get difficult but never unfair, this is especially true in the later levels where the strategy of keeping on the move and alternating between patterns of attacks becomes required. Not only is timing your attacks important, but you’ll also have to counter to continually keep the opposition off-guard, or at least keep the playing field even.

If you've got a friend you can battle each other on the same iPhone (or iPod Touch), each grabbing a side and hoping for the best. Its a shame the developers didn't include online multiplayer as well, but being able to blast your buddy face-to-face does have its charms.

Most players will get by simply playing through the minimalist campaign or quickplay mode, and the game encourages you to keep blasting away by having virtually everything locked at the outset. Facebook leaderboards are also included for those into that sort of thing, so get ready to share your battle blasting' heroics with your online friends (and possible future targets).

The game looks good, with a nice hybrid of hand-drawn sprites and particle effects, with brightly colorful characters and clean, open arenas that give the game an early 90s Capcom arcade-style look and feel. It's always nice to see original artwork in today's games, even if it is only on a tiny screen. The sound effects are remarkably clear and sound great, with appropriate plasma bursts and yelps from the various characters, although the ultra-cheesy metal soundtrack is largely forgettable.

Battle Blasters for the iPhone/iPod Touch is an intense, arcade-style shootout that works surprisingly well on the smaller screen, yet manages to provide more than enough thrills to keep dedicated fans coming back for more. And with plenty of new characters and options to unlock, they'll have to, and the possibility of some intense same-console multiplayer action could be fun to watch (even if you're not the one playing). There's strategic blasting and inspired touch gameplay in your hands, and even if the entire package is limited there is much to like here.