Comparison

Notebook Artillery vs Airplane Retro

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

Head to head
About

Notebook Artillery

Engage in strategic cannon combat with this arcade-simulation-action game. Adjust firing angle and powder to hit targets or opponents, accounting for wind and random stage layouts. Features hand-drawn art and multiple game modes.

Highlights
  • Adjust firing angle and powder
  • Account for wind and stage layouts
  • Solo target practice mode
  • CPU opponent
  • Local multiplayer vs mode
  • Hand-drawn game art
  • Unlockable stickers
Features
Read full description

Apple called it "sketchy — in a good way." Multiple-time Game of the Day in 80+ countries. Nintendo Force gave it 8.5/10. And it started as a doodle. Once upon a time in a middle school computer lab, a student ignored every assignment for an entire semester to fire cannons at a friend. That student grew up, spent 20 years making games professionally, and eventually decided the world needed a proper love letter to that wasted time. This is it. Notebook Artillery is a hand-drawn artillery game inspired by the classic Mac game that got confiscated off school computers everywhere. Set your angle. Load your powder. Fire. Account for the wind. Try not to hit your own tower. Play your way: Solo target practice — break floating targets across randomly generated stages VS CPU — take on a computer opponent Local multiplayer — challenge someone in the same room What makes it feel different: Every frame hand-drawn in Procreate — ruled lines, coil binding, pencil textures, the whole notebook aesthetic Trees splinter. Towers explode. Cannonballs collide mid-air. Wind changes everything. Read the flag. Use your shot trails. Unlock stickers by pulling off feats — first-shot eliminations, mid-air collisions, and yes, accidentally destroying your own tower Randomly generated stages mean no two games play the same Made by one person, with audio by Kevin Samuels and Switch/console ports by PolyCrunch Games. No AI tools were used in making this game. All art hand-drawn. Developed in GameMaker Studio.

About

Airplane Retro

Features
Read full description

Bring travelers to a beautiful island getaway in Airplane Retro. Take charge of the skies: touch an aircraft and draw a safe route to its matching runway or helipad. Keep flights apart, guide each arrival into position, and see how long you can keep the airport running. AN ISLAND AIRPORT WITH A VIEW Discover resort islands, coastal towns, and animated ocean waves, with changing day and night scenery. A FRESH FLEET Unlock 10 distinct aircraft as you progress, from small planes to helicopters and larger aircraft, all with detailed 2.5D artwork. SIMPLE CONTROLS, BUSY SKIES Draw flight paths, plan ahead, and avoid collisions as more aircraft arrive. A guided tutorial helps you learn your first landing. PLAY AT YOUR OWN PACE Enjoy a quick session, chase a higher score, and return for another round. Free to play with optional rewarded ads.

Screenshots

Notebook Artillery4 screens
Airplane Retro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Airplane Retro at Free against Notebook Artillery's $0.99. Airplane Retro also leads on ads (none vs shown). Notebook Artillery's advantage is chart position (#66 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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

Airplane Retro is free to download; Notebook Artillery costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook Artillery ships an update every 2 weeks, Airplane Retro monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Notebook Artillery versus Airplane Retro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebook ArtilleryAirplane Retro
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (149 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings149 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#66 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAustin IvansmithTrung Do

Bugs and requests

Notebook Artillery

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 12 and 13 on iPad Pro
  • Inconsistent animation speeds

Requested features

7 requests
  • Online multiplayer
  • Campaign mode with objectives
  • Weapon/tower upgrades
  • Customization options
  • Special game modes (speed run, boss battles, etc.)
Show 2 more
  • Ability to save and continue games
  • Detailed badge/achievement system

Airplane Retro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Notebook Artillery

No in-app purchases

None

Airplane Retro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notebook Artillery free?
Notebook Artillery costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Airplane Retro free?
Airplane Retro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Notebook Artillery or Airplane Retro have ads?
Notebook Artillery shows ads; Airplane Retro does not.
Which is updated more often, Notebook Artillery or Airplane Retro?
Notebook Artillery ships an update every 2 weeks, and Airplane Retro monthly. Most recently, Notebook Artillery was updated on October 30, 2026 and Airplane Retro on October 28, 2026.

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