Comparison

Phoenix 2 vs Nova Blaster

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Phoenix 2

Blast through waves of alien invaders in this classic arcade space shooter. Collect and upgrade over 100 unique ships, complete exciting missions, and compete on global leaderboards. Enjoy short game sessions or an action-packed campaign with stunning graphics.

Highlights
  • Over 100 unique ships
  • Ship collection and upgrades
  • Action-packed campaign
  • Special abilities
  • Daily missions
  • Global leaderboards
  • Cross-platform play
Features
Read full description

Save the galaxy in this classic arcade shooter that everyone can enjoy! Blast wave after wave of menacing invaders in exciting missions to achieve glorious victory. Start playing Phoenix 2 right now with all these great features. * Blast invaders with over 100 unique ships. * Build your own ship collection and upgrade your favorites. * Experience an action packed campaign with 30 exciting story missions. * Discover special abilities like Mega Laser, Missile Swarm and Personal Shield. * Short game sessions: Launch whenever you have a minute to play. * Complete daily missions of different skill levels, from casual to bullet hell. * Get the high score on global leaderboards and show you are the best of the best. * Engage with an active community to help each other and discuss ship tactics. * New missions are generated every day. * Stunning and smooth 120FPS graphics powered by our custom game engine. * Create a group for your friends and play your own unique missions. * Cross-platform saving and cross-platform play. Phoenix 2 is developed by a passionate indie studio in The Netherlands and delivers the handcrafted experience of a retro space shoot’em up with modern gameplay. Phoenix 2 is your new daily visit to the arcade! Internet connection required to play.

About

Nova Blaster

Features
Read full description

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?

Screenshots

Phoenix 24 screens
Nova Blaster4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Nova Blaster at none against Phoenix 2's shown. Phoenix 2's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Phoenix 2 sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Nova Blaster sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phoenix 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Nova Blaster every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Phoenix 2 versus Nova Blaster: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhoenix 2Nova Blaster
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (26K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings26K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size295 MB26 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFiri GamesJoe Hillman

Bugs and requests

Phoenix 2

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Warp gate charge time bug
  • Occasional crashes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add haptic feedback
  • Implement an endless mode
  • Allow players to customize ships
  • Add a level creator
  • Provide an offline mode
Show 2 more
  • Improve ship ability descriptions
  • Add a replay feature

Nova Blaster

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Phoenix 2

One-time11
  • 800 Credits$0.99
  • 5000 Credits$4.99
  • Special Offer$4.99
Show 8 more
  • VIP$4.99
  • 12000 Credits$9.99
  • Special Offer$9.99
  • 25000 Credits$19.99
  • Special Offer$19.99
  • 65000 Credits$49.99
  • Special Offer$49.99
  • 140K Credits$99.99
5 purchases

Nova Blaster

One-time5
  • BOMB CRATE$0.99
  • PLASMA TRAILS$1.99
  • NEON SQUADRON$2.99
Show 2 more
  • PRISM WEAPONS$2.99
  • FOUNDERS PACK$4.99

Questions

Is Phoenix 2 free?
Phoenix 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nova Blaster free?
Nova Blaster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Phoenix 2 or Nova Blaster have ads?
Phoenix 2 shows ads; Nova Blaster does not.
Which is updated more often, Phoenix 2 or Nova Blaster?
Phoenix 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Nova Blaster every 2 months. Most recently, Phoenix 2 was updated on October 23, 2026 and Nova Blaster on October 12, 2026.

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