Wikipedia

Bloons TD 6

Bloons TD 6 is a 2018 tower defense game developed and published by Ninja Kiwi, where various monkeys pop "bloons". The sixth entry in the Bloons Tower Defense series, it first released on June 13, 2018, for iOS and Android.[2] It was later released on Microsoft Windows in December 2018, and macOS in March 2020 via Steam. It was later released in Epic Games Store on June 19, 2022. In February 2022, Bloons TD 6+ was released for Apple Arcade.[3][4][5][6] On June 12, 2023, Bloons TD 6 Netflix was released on iOS and Android for Netflix members only.[7][8] On September 5, 2023, it was released on Xbox One/Xbox Series X, with a PlayStation 4/5 release planned for a later date.

Bloons TD 6
Bloons TD 6 banner
Developer(s)Ninja Kiwi
Publisher(s)Ninja Kiwi[a]
SeriesBloons TD
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)
Release
  • Android, iOS
  • June 13, 2018
  • Windows
  • December 17, 2018
  • macOS
  • March 13, 2020
  • Apple Arcade
  • February 11, 2022
  • Xbox One and Series X/S
  • September 5, 2023
  • visionOS
  • February 2, 2024
  • PlayStation 4/5
  • TBA
Genre(s)Tower defense
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay edit

See also: Gameplay of Bloons Tower Defense
 
As a tower defense game, Bloons TD 6 sees the player using monkeys and other defenses to defend against incoming Bloons

Bloons TD 6 is a tower defense game played from a 2.5D perspective, as opposed to the 2D perspective of previous Bloons Tower Defense games,[9] and utilizes 3D computer graphics.[10]

In the game, the player—who is able to team up with up to three other players in a co-op mode[4][6]—creates a defense consisting of several variants of skilled monkeys, structures, and traps, in order to prevent balloon-like objects known as "Bloons" from reaching an exit.[11][12] Bloons TD 6 introduces a new category of monkeys, known as "heroes", which level up and become stronger either over time, or through the player using in-game currency to increase their level.[9][10] Monkeys each play a different role, and can affect Bloons in several ways, including popping them, slowing them down, or boosting the power of other monkeys.[13][14][15] When destroyed, Bloons grant the player money, which can be used to purchase additional defenses or upgrade existing ones[12][9][14]—upgraded monkeys gain access to new abilities.[16] As the player pops more Bloons each round, the player and all active towers gradually earn XP every round, which help unlock new upgrades and other features as the player continues to play the game.[17]

Bloons spawn in several waves, and travel along a predetermined path.[18][19] Sets of waves are separated into rounds, each of which consists of a set amount of Bloons, which over time become stronger and may have properties resistant to certain effects,[18][19] such as explosions, ice, or fire, with some being immune to more than one. The largest bloons are referred to as "MOAB class" bloons, which are designed as blimps and zeppelins, are harder to defeat than other bloons due to having more health than most other bloons. If a bloon gets through the player's defenses, the player loses lives, stronger bloons taking away more lives. If the player loses all their lives, the game ends. If the player can complete all the required rounds without losing all their lives, the player will win. After winning, the player has the option to exit directly back to the home screen, or go into an endless Freeplay mode, which doesn't end until the player loses. Each round is played on a specific map, and can be played on several difficulty options.[11][19][20][10] Some maps contain obstacles that will prevent monkeys from shooting at bloons in front of the offending area (some of which can be removed for a set amount of cash).

The player can earn several in-game currencies through gameplay: "Monkey Money" is rewarded for winning rounds or completed challenges and allows for additional features to be unlocked in the game,[9] "Monkey Knowledge Points" are granted throughout gameplay and can be used to permanently upgrade monkeys via a skill tree,[13] and "Trophies" are a rare type of currency only obtainable through weekly events,[19] used to unlock cosmetics.[21][16]

Boss Bloons are a type of special event in the game, first introduced in Bloons TD 5. In these events, players must prepare for a Boss Bloon, a very powerful MOAB class bloon with large amounts of health. The boss will appear first at round 40, and appears every 20 rounds after that, its health increasing each time. These bosses have special abilities, such as summoning recently popped bloons, speeding up regular bloons, or become immune to certain monkey types. There are 5 boss bloons: Bloonarius,[22] Lych,[23] Vortex,[24] Dreadbloon,[25] and Phayze.[26]

Paragons, the first of which being introduced in the same update as bosses, were built as their counter. Being some of the most expensive tower upgrades, they combine each of the tower's 3 paths into one much more powerful upgrade. They are some of the most powerful towers in the games, and especially excel against bosses due to a damage buff against them. There are currently 8 Paragons: the Apex Plasma Master (Dart Monkey), Glaive Dominus (Boomerang Monkey),[22] Ascended Shadow (Ninja Monkey),[23] Navarch of the Seas (Monkey Buccaneer),[27] Master Builder (Engineer Monkey),[28] Goliath Doomship (Monkey Ace),[29] Magus Perfectus (Wizard Monkey),[30][31] Nautic Siege Core (Monkey Sub),[32]

History edit

Bloons TD 6 was first announced on PRLog on March 28, 2017, and it was initially aimed to be released in 2017.[33] According to the same article posted on PRLog, an "extensive balance and test period" was required due to the "immense scale and strategic depth of the game".[34]

The game was released on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store on June 14, 2018. A Microsoft Windows version was released through Steam on December 17, 2018.[35] Unlike earlier games of the series, Bloons TD 6 is the first game in the Bloons TD series that does not have a Flash counterpart.[36]

On February 11, 2022, Bloons TD 6 was released on Apple Arcade as Bloons TD 6+.[37] Bloons TD 6 was released on the Epic Store on December 2022.[38] Netflix has announced a third-party version of Bloons TD 6, releasing for June 21, 2023 for iOS and Android.[39] An Xbox One/Series X port released on September 5, 2023.

Mixed reality features for visionOS became available through Apple Arcade with the release of the Apple Vision Pro headset on February 2, 2024.[40]

Reception edit

Bloons TD 6 received mostly positive reviews from critics. New Zealand Game Developers Association secretary Stephen Knightly praised the depth of the gameplay in Bloons TD 6, specifically the visual appeal to a general audience and the level of complexity for more experienced players: "It's fun and friendly, so it's accessible, but under the surface it's quite complicated".[41] Although praise was given for its extended gameplay variety, it was also criticized for its lack of replayability.[42] Because Bloons TD 6 is a paid app featuring in-app purchases that may be used to unlock certain features in the game faster, some critics argue that the game feels like it runs on a freemium model.[42][9]

Harry Slater from Pocket Gamer describes the core gameplay as being too reliant on the mechanics of older games in the series, which he claims doesn't provide enough impact for players wanting to play the game long-term.[12] On the other hand, Dennis Zirkler from GameStar believes there is a sufficient amount of content in the game to sustain a variety of different playstyles while still keeping the diversity of the core gameplay, and says the presence of in-app purchases in a paid game are completely optional for this game and make little impact on the overall enjoyment of the entire game.[13] Although he criticizes the need to play the game repeatedly to access unlockable features, he praises the inclusion of "CHIMPS", a game mode where most unlockable features are restricted and subsequently limits players to focus on the underlying concept of creating the optimal tower combinations in each stage of the game.[13] Nathan Snow from The Spectrum said that while being repetitive after a while, the game sticks to a proven concept of the Bloons series.[18]

The cartoonish visuals used in the game were praised for its appeal for a wider audience,[15][41] particularly through combination of playability and complexity.[15] Critics have noted the use of characterization of towers[15] and long-term success of the predecessor Bloons TD games[41] as factors to the success of Bloons TD 6. Note was taken about the complexity of the game and the game mechanics accompanied with the game;[15] PCGamesN describes the complexity of Bloons TD 6 to be given a "whole new plane of addiction" when it comes to integrating the highlighted focus of interacting monkey characters with the main gameplay, while other critics state that the implementation of such features may feel too childish[15] or otherwise make the game appear too generic[15][12] or dependent on microtransactions.[15]

The business model for Bloons TD 6 has received mixed reviews. Simon Hill from Wired perceives the business model of the game to take into account both the premium market and the freemium market: "It’s a premium game that fully justifies the price of entry, but it also offers a wide range of microtransactions that includes the usual cosmetic upgrades, gameplay boosts, and unlimited access to special events."[19] He also praises the balance of replayability with complexity, mainly through the deepened progression and development of strategy in a tower defense context. Further attention has been pointed towards the conventional mobile market, which generally relies on the freemium model as the primary source of income, and pointed out that Bloons TD 6 lacks third-party advertisements but varies use of optional in-app purchases in the game.[19] Others are more critical and negative on the business model for Bloons TD 6. One critic from MetaCritic argues that the game has an overwhelming amount of content that lack sufficient replayability and uses a dubious mix of premium and freemium marketing styles.[42]

Sales edit

BTD6 topped as the best-selling app within the first week of release. It now receives over 10,000 constant players on average for any given moment on steam, being the largest Bloons game in the franchise by far. [41] According to Catherine Harris from Stuff.co.nz,[43] the game Bloons TD 6 consistently reaches among the top-selling paid apps in the world,[43][44] including the "world's most-bought paid app" in 2018.[45] She argues that the success of this game among other Ninja Kiwi apps has helped shaped the success of New Zealand's gaming industry.[45] Dustin Bailey from PCGamesN noted the increased popularity of the Steam version of Bloons TD 6 and the greater appearance of the game on Twitch.[36] He attributed further success of the game by both the discounted US$1 price on the Steam version and its nostalgic factor for players who had previously played the older Flash games in the Bloons TD series.[46][36]

Kotaku noted that New Zealand's gaming industry revenue surpassed that of Australia's gaming industry in 2019, with one of the main sources being from Bloons TD 6, the others being Path of Exile by Grinding Gear Games and Valleys Between by Little Lost Fox.[47]

Legacy edit

The game regularly receives updates that include constant balance changes and additional content. As of April 2024, there has been 42 major updates added to the game. [48][49][37] Ben "RidiculousHat" Goodman from PC Gamer praises the continuous development of Bloons TD 6, which regularly refines the balance in the game through updates to promote a variety of gameplay.[48]

The success of the Bloons TD franchise had been given praise by digital investment company Modern Times Group, with special note on Ninja Kiwi's continuous work to "pioneer" the tower defense genre in an economically viable but quality format.[45]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Netflix Games version published by Netflix.

References edit

  1. ^ "What's Up At Ninja Kiwi ? - 1st April, 2021". Ninja Kiwi. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2021. "We use Unity for Bloons TD 6."
  2. ^ "Bloons TD 6". TouchArcade.
  3. ^ Brown, Shelby. "Bloons TD 6 brings balloon-popping strategy fun to Apple Arcade". CNET.
  4. ^ a b "'Bloons TD 6+' Is Out Now As This Week's Apple Arcade Release Alongside Major Updates for Castlevania, Speed Demons, and More – TouchArcade". February 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "Apple Arcade has four new games in store for its users". www.telegraphindia.com.
  6. ^ a b "Apple Arcade monthly update: Wylde Flowers, Gibbon: Beyond Trees, Bloons TD 6, and more". February 2, 2022.
  7. ^ "Bloons TD 6 NETFLIX - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  8. ^ "Bloons TD 6 NETFLIX". App Store. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e "'Bloons TD 6' Review - The Game Where Everything Happens So Much". June 15, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c staff, Pocket Gamer (June 7, 2023). "Bloons TD 6 tier list - The best heroes ranked". www.pocketgamer.com.
  11. ^ a b Rennie, Alex (June 16, 2018). "Bloons TD 6 Review – a slick tower defense for kids and adults alike". Archived from the original on March 28, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d Slater, Harry (June 14, 2018). "Bloons TD 6 review - A tower defence series that's starting to show its age". www.pocketgamer.com.
  13. ^ a b c d Zirkler, Dennis (March 4, 2021). "Bloons TD 6: Wieso ich seit Wochen nicht von diesem Spiel loskomme". www.gamestar.de.
  14. ^ a b "The 10 best party video games to play with friends". Red Bull. December 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h "The best tower defense games on PC". PCGamesN. May 16, 2023.
  16. ^ a b "New games set to join Apple Arcade club this month". Deccan Herald. February 3, 2022.
  17. ^ "All the New Mobile Games Joining Netflix in June". Netflix. Retrieved June 29, 2023. "As you pop, more new abilities and heroes unlock. Join millions of other players and enjoy our massive and ever-expanding features — including new upgrades, heroes and abilities — that deliver endless hours of fun tower defense strategy."
  18. ^ a b c Snow, Nathan (September 25, 2018). "'Bloons TD6': A popping good time despite familiarity". The Spectrum (Utah).
  19. ^ a b c d e f Hill, Simon. "'Bloons TD 6' Might be the Best $5 I've Ever Spent". Wired.
  20. ^ Hadley, Jupiter (September 7, 2022). "Mobile Charts: Top 10 paid games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)". www.pocketgamer.com.
  21. ^ "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Hay Day', 'Bloons TD 6', 'The Elder Scrolls: Blades', 'Another Eden', and More". April 26, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Bloons TD 6 Update 27.0 - PARAGONS, BOSS BLOONS & more!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  23. ^ a b Bloons TD 6 28.0 Update - NEW BOSS, PARAGON TOWER & more!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  24. ^ Bloons TD 6 31.0 Update - NEW SHOPKEEPER HERO, VORTEX BOSS & more!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  25. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 34.0 - Dreadbloon is coming to town!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  26. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 38 Coming Soon - New Boss Bloon, Map, Hero Skin & more!, retrieved July 26, 2023
  27. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 29.0 - NEW PARAGON, HERO SKIN & MORE!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  28. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 32.0 Coming Soon - CONTESTED TERRITORIES, ENGINEER PARAGON & MORE!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  29. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 33.0 Coming Soon - MONKEY ACE PARAGON, NEW MAPS & more!, retrieved May 27, 2023
  30. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 37 - New Wizard Paragon, Hero Skin & much more!, retrieved June 3, 2023
  31. ^ "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Honkai Star Rail', 'Bloons TD 6', 'Marvel Snap', 'Kimono Cats', and More – TouchArcade". June 12, 2023.
  32. ^ Bloons TD 6 Update 41 Coming Soon - Monkey Sub Paragon!, retrieved February 13, 2024
  33. ^ "Bloons TD 6 is on the Way This Year". April 5, 2017.
  34. ^ Kiwi, Ninja. "Ninja Kiwi Announces Bloons TD 6 in Development". PRLog. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  35. ^ "Bloons TD 6 on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  36. ^ a b c "Bloons TD 6 becomes $2, hits an even more ridiculous player count record". PCGamesN. March 22, 2021.
  37. ^ a b Fabian (February 11, 2022). "Bloons TD 6+: Tower-Defense-Spiel auf Apple Arcade veröffentlicht".
  38. ^ Gubert, Jéssica (December 15, 2022). "Bloons TD 6 is today's free game on Epic Games Store". Dot Esports. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  39. ^ Madnani, Mikhail (June 21, 2023). "'Bloons TD 6' Netflix Edition Now Available on iOS and Android, Third Version on the App Store". TouchArcade. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  40. ^ "Apple announces more than 600 new apps built for Apple Vision Pro". Apple Inc. February 1, 2024.
  41. ^ a b c d Harrowell, Chris (June 15, 2018). "Kiwi-designed online game 'Bloons TD6' tops the worldwide paid app charts". Stuff.
  42. ^ a b c "Bloons TD 6". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  43. ^ a b "Kiwi developer tops Apple 2019 app chart". NZ Herald. June 18, 2023.
  44. ^ Webster, Andrew (December 2, 2020). "Zoom and Among Us dominate Apple's most downloaded charts in 2020". The Verge.
  45. ^ a b c "Game developer Ninja Kiwi snapped up for $203m". Stuff. March 25, 2021.
  46. ^ "Steam's latest hit is… Bloons TD 6?". PCGamesN. January 5, 2021.
  47. ^ "New Zealand's Games Industry Is Making More Money Than Australia". Kotaku Australia. February 7, 2020.
  48. ^ a b Goodman, Ben "RidiculousHat" (February 18, 2021). "Our favorite low-click PC games". PC Gamer.
  49. ^ "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Mario Kart Tour', 'Tetris', 'LEGO Brawls', 'Real Racing 3', and More". February 22, 2021.

External links edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bloons_TD_6&oldid=1220778694"