Comparison

Retro vs Smash’em Up!

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

Head to head
About

Retro

Engage in an arcade-style space shooter with waves of enemies and challenging bosses. Unlock upgrades and master multiple unique ships with stunning pixel art and fast-paced gameplay. It's easy to learn but difficult to master.

Highlights
  • Arcade-style space shooter
  • Battle waves of enemies
  • Face epic bosses
  • Unlock powerful upgrades
  • Stunning pixel art
  • Multiple unique ships
Features
Read full description

Take command of your spaceship in this thrilling arcade-style space shooter! Battle waves of enemies, face epic bosses, and unlock powerful upgrades. Featuring stunning pixel art, fast-paced gameplay, and multiple unique ships to master, this game will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of retro arcade games, it’s easy to pick up but hard to master. Can you dominate the galaxy and become the ultimate pilot? Download now and find out!

About

Smash’em Up!

Test your reflexes in this addictive arcade tapper where you tap and smash endless waves of bugs. Build combos, avoid bombs, and face challenging boss battles. Simple to learn but difficult to master, it's perfect for quick gaming sessions.

Highlights
  • Intuitive one-tap controls
  • Endless progression with increasing challenge
  • Skill-based combo system
  • Boss battles
  • Rare bug variants
  • Local high-score tracking
Features
Read full description

Smash’em Up! – Fast-Paced Bug Tapping Mayhem! Developed by Nocturnal Vision, an indie game studio based in Alaska. How fast are your reflexes? Tap, smash, and combo your way through endless waves of bugs in this addictive arcade tapper! Test your timing, and rack up insane scores in the ultimate reflex challenge. Simple to Learn, Hard to Master Just tap the bugs as they appear — sounds easy, right? As you level up, they get faster, smaller, and trickier. Can you keep your cool when the screen swarms with chaos? Avoid the Bombs! Not everything should be smashed! Hit a bomb and you’ll lose points, break your combo, and drop a life. Stay sharp and precise to survive. Build Epic Combos Chain successful taps to boost your combo multiplier! Every five flawless hits raise your score power — but one miss breaks it all. How high can your streak go? Face Legendary Bosses Every few levels, a massive boss bug appears! Tap rapidly to crush it before the timer runs out and claim your bonus. Discover Rare Variants Keep your eyes peeled for rare bug species — each with unique looks and powerful score multipliers. Catch them all to dominate the boards! Game Features • Intuitive one-tap controls — easy to pick up, hard to master • Endless progression with increasing challenge • Skill-based combo system rewards precision • Boss battles every few levels • Satisfying particle effects and haptic feedback • Original sound effects and retro arcade vibes • Local high-score tracking • Classic arcade mode (more modes coming soon!) Perfect For • Quick gaming sessions on the go • Reflex training and hand-eye coordination • Competitive players chasing high scores • Fans of arcade, tap, and reaction-based games Smash. Combo. Dominate. Download Smash’em Up! now and prove you have what it takes to become the ultimate bug smasher!

Screenshots

Retro4 screens
Smash’em Up!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retro at daily against Smash’em Up!'s every 2 weeks. Retro also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). Smash’em Up!'s advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Retro against 5.0 for Smash’em Up!. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smash’em Up! has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro ships an update daily, Smash’em Up! every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Retro versus Smash’em Up!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroSmash’em Up!
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size163 MB79 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperBatuhan YildirimDavid Smith

Customer experience

Retro

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Smash’em Up!

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Retro

No in-app purchases

None

Smash’em Up!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Retro free?
Retro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smash’em Up! free?
Smash’em Up! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Retro or Smash’em Up!?
Retro and Smash’em Up! are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do Retro or Smash’em Up! have ads?
Both Retro and Smash’em Up! show ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro or Smash’em Up!?
Retro ships an update daily, and Smash’em Up! every 2 weeks. Most recently, Retro was updated on October 12, 2026 and Smash’em Up! on October 24, 2026.

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