Star Wars Tiny Death Star iOS Game

Last week NimbleBit and LucasArts, in a partnership with Disney Mobile, released Tiny Death Star. It's the latest in a line of freemium games to get some Star Wars flavoring. 

I played Tiny Tower a long time ago and thought it was a fun diversion. I put it in the uber-casual category of game. When you get right down to it, there's not a whole lot to do but check into the app every so often and keep restocking your stores and building new floors when you can. There's a good review on Touch Arcade that pretty much sums up the game.

But how is the new Star Warsified version?

 The Empire isn't quite as menacing in 8-bit bodies.

It's not too different. What sets it apart from the original is the re-theming. The basic game play is the same: build floors for your Death Star, get Bitizens to move in and put them to work. One of the big differences is that you can build Imperial sub-levels like Interrogation and Tractor Beam. These levels require a Supply Officer to build their special item. You'll get assignments from the Emperor that require the items made in the sub-levels. I can't say whether it actually has any pay off beyond coins and being a different type of task.

Do they know they're helping to fund the construction of a planet destroying weapon?

As you build, you'll find lots of familiar things from the Star Wars galaxy and even a few nods to the Expanded Universe. The Bitizens that aren't serving the Empire directly have random names, hairstyles, clothes and accessories to make them feel like they just arrived from Tatooine or Cloud City. You can put them through a randomizer to try and get a better look, if you're the type of Empire that really cares about employees. Or you can spend Imperial Bux (the premium currency) to outfit them in different Imperial troop uniforms if you can't stand the thought of alien scum walking around your shiny hallways.

The Residential floors all take names from Star Wars locations. The businesses are directly influenced from the films too. Once in awhile, characters from the movies will sneak aboard your battle station and you can earn  Imperial Bux for nabbing them. But the one thing I love above all of this is the 8-bit Star Wars elevator music in the game.
Give me those as separate tracks, I'll buy them!

Ugnaughts build your new levels

Whether you've played Tiny Tower before or not, if you're a Star Wars fan, I say check out the game. It's free and at worst you lose a little time. Actually, at worst you end up liking it and even though you don't need to babysit the game, you'll find yourself doing just that.

Even when your stores are fully stocked, you'll keep watching your Tiny Death Star like Galactus eying his next meal (sorry for cross pollinating the geek references) and anticipating the next little 8-bit being needing an elevator ride somewhere.