Comparison

Mars Quest vs River Raiders

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

Head to head
About

Mars Quest

Embark on a challenging retro adventure guiding an astronaut through alien-infested Martian levels. Experience nostalgic 8-bit graphics and music while avoiding obstacles and increasing speed. Compete with friends via Game Center.

Highlights
  • 8-bit retro music
  • Guide astronaut through levels
  • Avoid aliens and obstacles
  • Smart level progression
  • Increasing speed challenges
  • Game Center scores and achievements
Features
Read full description

A must-have if you grew up in the eighties or if you are a C64, Atari, arcade or 8-bit lover. Nostalgic feelings guaranteed! *** REVIEWS *** - SlideToPlay.com: "Mars Quest is a good choice if you need to get your nostalgia on" - AppsOnTapp.com: "a fun and addicting retro game" - AppFavour.com: "Today's Best Apps August 18th 2012" *** WHAT PLAYERS SAY *** - "Super fun game that can be played over and over again. I'm ultra picky about games I let take up valuable space on my iPhone, but this one is a must!" - "A great little arcade game that I enjoy playing" - "Fun game, addictive" - "Once you start, you dont want to stop playing :)" *** FEATURES *** - Game Center scores and achievements - 8-bit retro music - Guide the astronaut safely through all levels - Avoid all aliens and obstacles on Mars - Think smart to advance to the next level - Be careful when the speed level increases!

About

River Raiders

Experience a modern take on classic arcade shooters. Navigate treacherous rivers, engage enemy forces, and manage fuel to survive increasingly challenging levels. Master precision flying and quick reactions to achieve the highest scores.

Highlights
  • Classic top-down jet combat
  • Responsive touchscreen controls
  • Fuel management for strategic gameplay
  • Progressive difficulty and unpredictable challenges
  • Offline play
  • Handcrafted maps inspired by classic era
Features
Read full description

The River Raid you remember, rebuilt for your phone. River Raiders is a modern tribute to one of the most iconic top-down shooters of the Atari 2600 era. No ads. No in-app purchases. Fully unlocked from the first second. Just you, the river, and everything trying to shoot you down. Fly fast. Shoot straight. Stay alive. Enemy tankers, helicopters, jets, and fortified bridges crowd every stretch of the River of No Return. Tight channels, scarce fuel, and increasingly aggressive formations make every run unpredictable. As you push deeper, the river narrows and the pressure climbs. Only the sharpest pilots survive. FEATURES - Premium and complete: fully unlocked, no ads, no in-app purchases - Endless arcade action with handcrafted maps inspired by the original era - Classic top-down jet combat rebuilt for modern touchscreen play - Fuel management adds real stakes to every run: slow down to refuel or push forward and risk it - Responsive controls with customizable layout for quick dodges and accurate shots - Progressive difficulty as the river narrows and enemy formations tighten - Universal: plays great on both iPhone and iPad - Full offline play, no internet required HOW IT PLAYS Bank left and right through twisting river paths. Time your shots to destroy enemy aircraft and blast bridges for high-value points. Fuel drains constantly. When the gauge runs low, finding a depot becomes a race against time. Study the river. Learn its patterns. Refine your route. Go farther than you did last run. How deep into enemy territory can you make it? Prove your skill. Become a River Raider.

Screenshots

Mars Quest4 screens
River Raiders4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mars Quest at Free against River Raiders's $1.99. Mars Quest also leads on review sentiment (68% vs 50%) and ratings volume (91 vs 5). River Raiders's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On 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

Mars Quest is free to download; River Raiders costs $1.99 up front. Mars Quest sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. River Raiders asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

River Raiders holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Quest has 91 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Mars Quest's written reviews are positive against 50% of River Raiders's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, River Raiders every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 9, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Mars Quest versus River Raiders: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMars QuestRiver Raiders
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.0 (91 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.5% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings91 — better5
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB92 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFirst Class Media B.V.Lost Leaf Studio

Customer experience

Mars Quest

All ratings91 ratings
Positive74.7%
Neutral7.7%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral8.7%
Negative22.8%

River Raiders

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Mars Quest

One-time5
  • Remove advertising$0.99
  • 1 extra life$0.99
  • 5 extra lives$1.99
Show 2 more
  • 10 extra lives$2.99
  • 25 extra lives$4.99
None

River Raiders

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mars Quest free?
Mars Quest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is River Raiders free?
River Raiders costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mars Quest or River Raiders?
River Raiders is rated higher. Mars Quest averages 4.0 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while River Raiders averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Mars Quest or River Raiders have ads?
Mars Quest shows ads; River Raiders does not.
Which is updated more often, Mars Quest or River Raiders?
Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, and River Raiders every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mars Quest was updated on September 9, 2026 and River Raiders on September 9, 2026.

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