Comparison

Neon Beats vs Wavecade

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

Head to head
About

Neon Beats

Experience a vibrant 2D platformer where your movements are synchronized with a catchy soundtrack. Navigate challenging levels filled with neon lights and abstract environments, aiming to beat your high scores and uncover hidden collectibles. The game offers responsive controls and an escalating difficulty that tests your reflexes and rhythm.

Highlights
  • Rhythm-based gameplay
  • 9 unique levels with distinct music
  • Smooth and responsive character controls
  • Challenging level elements
  • Hidden collectibles that alter music
  • Score system based on time, collectibles, and deaths
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Beat your best scores in Neon Beats, a 2D platformer game with rhythm based levels! You just entered an abstract world and embody a cube moving on a white line. A relaxing and catchy music starts to play along with colourful shining neon lights all around. Your first jump, not so difficult, is followed by a swing above sharp spikes and a slide down to the depth. Deeper you progress in the levels, harder the challenges become. Quickly, the rhythm is accelerating. Your superlanding on the ground triggers an exciting music drop, and a killing wall starts chasing you. The only way to survive is to run. A boost makes your speed increase drastically and the finish line is only a few jumps away. You dodge a first spike, get bumped over a second, and perform the perfect jump to the end. The trajectory seems to be ideal, until you fall down into killing spikes... Now, you can restart. And restart again. Until you get the world record! In Neon Beats, you will find: • 9 different levels with its own music • Rhythm based gameplay • A character with smooth and responsive controls • Simple and elegant neon ambiance • Several challenging level elements • Hidden collectibles adding instruments to the music • A score system based on your time, collectibles and deaths

About

Wavecade

Experience classic arcade shooter nostalgia with a modern twist. Manipulate time, collect powerups, and utilize unique abilities to overcome challenging waves, hazards, and epic bosses. Customize your ship and compete with friends in various game modes.

Highlights
  • Time manipulation mechanics
  • Upgradeable powerups
  • Player abilities for survival
  • Block shooting and destruction
  • Hazard avoidance and strategic use
  • Epic boss battles
  • Local and online multiplayer
  • Multiple game modes
  • Ship and visual customization
Features
Read full description

Inspired by classic arcade shooters such as 'Space Invaders' and 'Galaga', Wavecade brings back the original nostalgia feeling to players from arcades, using sleek retro 80's and sci-fi aesthetic. TIME MANIPULATION: Bend time at your will by moving up and down the screen. After each wave, the game speeds up a small amount. making the game more challenging on each new wave. POWERUPS: You can accumulate multiple powerups at the same time. Collecting the same powerup upgrades it and increases your time with them active. ABILITIES: Activate your ability when you are facing near certain destruction to turn the tables of the game. It might be the one thing that saves you from a GAME OVER. BLOCKS: Blocks spawn at the top of the playfield and move down the screen. Line up your shots and shoot them for points. They can come in a variety of types: Blocks can spawn randomly, in rows, in a single stream, or in a pattern spanning the playfield HAZARDS: Hazards can appear at any time and can lose you a life if you happen to hit any of them. They can help destroy blocks if you're agile enough, could be a blessing in disguise. BOSSES: Get far enough in Wavecade and you will find yourself in epic encounters with bosses. They will have an arsenal of abilities to GAME OVER you. Learn their patterns and overcome them. MULTIPLAYER: Invite or join a friend on Steam and destroy waves of blocks. Your scores are saved to the leader boards with your names. How long can you stay #1? VARIETY OF GAME MODES: Competitive Relaxed One-hit KO No blocks shall pass Chaos Quick Game CUSTOMIZATION: Personalize your player choose from a selection of ships, colors, skins and your propulsion effect.

Screenshots

Neon Beats4 screens
Wavecade4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Neon Beats at 85% against Wavecade's 30%. Neon Beats also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 12). Wavecade's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99). On ratings volume and ads 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

Wavecade is free to download; Neon Beats costs $2.99 up front. Wavecade sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Neon Beats asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Neon Beats holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 70 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Neon Beats's written reviews are positive against 30% of Wavecade's.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Neon Beats versus Wavecade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeon BeatsWavecade
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (39 ratings) — better3.7 (70 ratings)
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews — better29.6% of reviews
Number of ratings3970 — better
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#46 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size231 MB312 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperPlug In DigitalAndrew Spalato

Customer experience

Neon Beats

All ratings39 ratings
Positive87.2%
Neutral5.1%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%

Wavecade

All ratings69 ratings
Positive60.9%
Neutral8.7%
Negative30.4%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive29.6%
Neutral20.4%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Neon Beats

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Invisible walls causing falls
  • Controls sometimes send player in opposite direction
  • Mechanics are a little buggy
  • Tap doesn't always register jump
  • Cannons sometimes don't work until level restart
Show 1 more
  • Bug where dragging too far sends player opposite direction

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add more levels
  • Level editor like Geometry Dash
  • Difficulty rating for levels
  • Level creator and download system
  • 3D version of the game
Show 4 more
  • Cloud saves
  • Switch jump from right to left
  • Level progress tracking and update announcements
  • Darker electronic music option

Wavecade

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Neon Beats

No in-app purchases

12 purchases

Wavecade

One-time12
  • 100K XP$0.79
  • Double XP$0.99
  • Wavecade - Ships Pack$1.49
Show 9 more
  • Wavecade - 500K XP$1.49
  • Wavecade - Propulsions Pack$2.99
  • Small Brilliants Pack$2.99
  • Wavecade - 5 Million XP Pack$4.99
  • Wavecade - Designs Pack$5.99
  • Medium Brilliants Pack$5.99
  • Wavecade - Ultimate Pack$9.99
  • Large Brilliants Pack$19.99
  • Mega Brilliants Pack$59.99

Questions

Is Neon Beats free?
Neon Beats costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wavecade free?
Wavecade is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Neon Beats or Wavecade?
Neon Beats is rated higher. Neon Beats averages 4.3 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Wavecade averages 3.7 from 70 ratings.
Do Neon Beats or Wavecade have ads?
Neither Neon Beats nor Wavecade shows ads.

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