# Nova Blaster: Space Shooter — Retro Arcade Bullet Hell Shmup

> Retro Arcade Bullet Hell Shmup (iPhone/iPad app by Joe Hillman.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-blaster-space-shooter/id6774366319 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Joe Hillman](https://appshunter.io/developer/303752164)
- Category: Games, Action, Casual
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 26 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-13
- Data updated: 2026-10-12

## What is Nova Blaster?

NOVA BLASTER is a retro arcade space shooter for players who miss real coin-op shoot 'em ups. Blast through waves of alien fighters, weave through bullet hell patterns, and take down screen-filling bosses. It plays fully offline, with no ads, no energy timers and no loot boxes.

NEW: THE HANGAR
Every run earns Salvage. Spend it in the Hangar on permanent ship upgrades: hull plating, shield capacitors, a stronger reactor, extra starting bombs, a rescue beacon and more. Each run makes your starfighter tougher for the next alien invasion.

PICK A PERK AFTER EVERY BOSS
Beat a boss or mini-boss and choose 1 of 3 run perks: spread shot, rapid fire, piercing rounds, missile swarm, graze battery and more. Stack them into a different build every run, roguelite shmup style.

DAILY MISSIONS AND DAILY CHALLENGE
Three new missions every day, plus a Daily Challenge with a fresh modifier of the day. Clear them to earn Salvage and unlock rewards.

PURE ARCADE MODE
Want the classic space shooter experience? Pure Arcade turns every upgrade off. Only upgrade-free runs post to the global Game Center leaderboard, so every high score is earned with skill alone.

THREE WEAPONS, ONE SHIP
• BLASTER: rapid-fire spread shot; hold to charge a heavy blast
• LASER: a sustained beam that melts armor
• MISSILES: homing shots that hunt down priority targets
Switch weapons instantly, mid-fight.

BOSSES THAT FIGHT BACK
Named alien bosses with multi-phase attack patterns, curtain-fire telegraphs and an enrage phase when they're nearly dead. Elite enemies arrive with extra armor, and a Wingman ally can join your side of the fight.

ARCADE SCORE CHASING
All the scoring depth of a classic arcade shooter:
• Graze: fly close to enemy bullets to build your combo multiplier
• Kill streaks and combo callouts
• Smart bombs that clear the screen with lightning
• Bonus stages every 10 waves
• Seven power-up types, from shields to an orbiting pod

THE LOCKER
Earn ship paints, engine trails and weapon colors by playing: beat bosses, graze bullets, clear daily missions. Optional cosmetic packs in the Supply Depot change how your ship looks and never change your power or score.

RETRO LOOK AND SOUND
A 3-layer parallax galaxy starfield, CRT scanlines, procedural explosions, 100+ arcade sound effects and a new procedural soundtrack. It runs at 60fps on phones and tablets.

PLAY ANYWHERE, OFFLINE
No internet required and no ads interrupting a run. Play this space shooter for one wave on the bus or chase a new high score for an hour.

If you grew up on classic galaxy shooters and vertical shmups, NOVA BLASTER is your next favorite arcade shooter. The swarm is waiting. How high can you score?

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FOUNDERS PACK | $4.99 | one-time |
| NEON SQUADRON | $2.99 | one-time |
| PLASMA TRAILS | $1.99 | one-time |
| PRISM WEAPONS | $2.99 | one-time |
| BOMB CRATE | $0.99 | one-time |


## Is Nova Blaster safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Nova Blaster.

## Is Nova Blaster legit?

Nova Blaster: Space Shooter appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Nova Blaster is 75 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.


## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 1.1.0 — 2026-10-06

The biggest Nova Blaster update yet.

THE HANGAR
Every run now earns Salvage. Spend it in the Hangar on permanent ship upgrades: hull plating, shield capacitors, a stronger reactor, extra starting bombs, a rescue beacon and more.

PURE ARCADE MODE
Prefer the classic game? Pure Arcade turns every upgrade off. Only upgrade-free runs post to the Game Center leaderboard, so every high score is earned with skill alone.

PICK A PERK AFTER EVERY BOSS
Beat a boss or mini-boss and choose 1 of 3 run perks, like spread shot, rapid fire, piercing rounds or missile swarm. Stack them into a new build every run.

DAILY MISSIONS AND DAILY CHALLENGE
Three new missions every day, plus a Daily Challenge with a fresh modifier of the day.

THE LOCKER
Earn ship paints, engine trails and weapon colors by playing, then equip them in the Locker.

TOUGHER FIGHTS
Named bosses with enrage phases, elite enemies, and a Wingman ally that joins your side.

ALSO NEW
• Pause menu
• New procedural soundtrack
• Supply Depot: tap any pack to see exactly what's inside. The Bomb Crate is retired, so nothing you can buy ever raises your score.

### 1.0 — 2026-08-13

No release notes.

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## More apps by Joe Hillman

- [Capture](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capture/id303752161)
- [Meteor Mission III](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meteor-mission-iii/id312252538)
- [Cube Frenzy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cube-frenzy/id375658081)
- [Da Monsters](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/da-monsters/id415171273)
- [Missile Dodge](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/missile-dodge/id420395490)
- [Room Organizer AI - Neat Pilot](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/room-organizer-ai-neat-pilot/id6772761405)

All apps by Joe Hillman: https://appshunter.io/developer/303752164

## Related topics

[blaster space](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/blaster-space)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-12.*