NOVA STRIKER vs Arcade Undead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
NOVA STRIKER
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A retro '90s-style vertical bullet-hell shooter you can play with one finger โ free, and fully playable offline. Weave through walls of bullets across 3 stages and massive boss battles. Skim past enemy fire to "graze" for score and bomb gauge, and turn the tables with screen-clearing bombs. Clear everything, and a hidden true battle awaits. โ Features - Intuitive controls: drag to move, auto-fire, double-tap to bomb โ one-handed play - Graze system: near-misses are the path to high scores - 3 stages + more: unique midbosses, bosses, and a hidden final boss - Achievements & rankings: 14 achievements and global rankings (with per-language boards) - Difficulty options: EASY / NORMAL / HARD - 17 languages supported, works offline โ How to Play 1. Drag to move (your ship fires automatically) 2. Double-tap to trigger a bomb (clears enemy bullets) 3. Graze enemy bullets for bonus score 4. Watch a short video to revive after game over and push on for the clear Note: This game contains flashing lights. Player discretion is advised for those with photosensitivity. โ Made for players who enjoy - A retro arcade shooter, pixel art, neon lights, and a tense trip through space - A quick game during a break, or a longer high-score and score-attack session at home - Learning to dodge patterns with one hand in portrait mode instead of aiming every shot - Starting on EASY, settling into NORMAL, then taking on the hardcore density of HARD โ A score run with choices NOVA STRIKER is a danmaku-style shmup where reading a pattern matters as much as reflexes. Your ship fires on its own, leaving you free to steer through the gaps. A close dodge earns graze and fills the bomb gauge, so a daring line can be worth more than a safe one. Spend a bomb to clear a crowded screen, or save it for a boss phase: each run is a chance to refine that decision. โ Reasons to return The three stages are built around distinct enemy waves, midbosses, and boss battles, culminating in the hidden final boss. Choose the pace that suits you: EASY introduces the flow, NORMAL rewards consistency, and HARD asks for careful routing through thicker bullet patterns. Chase all 14 achievements, improve your high-score, and compare results on global leaderboards with separate boards by language. โ Play on your terms This is a free single-player action game for portrait smartphones, designed for a few spare minutes or repeated practice. It works offline, so a connection is not required to fly and dodge. A rewarded video is offered only when you choose to revive after game over; there are no forced ads interrupting play. With drag movement, auto-fire, and a double-tap bomb, it stays focused on the arcade rhythm. Price: Free (rewarded ads only โ no forced ads) Supports: Smartphones (portrait)
Arcade Undead
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Fight through zombie hordes in Arcade Undead, a top-down shooter with twin-stick controls and a one-stick auto-aim option. Pick your next room, collect treasure and shape your build as each run gets tougher. 19 WEAPONS TO DISCOVER Go beyond rifles and shotguns. Blast enemies with pressure cannons, chain lightning through a crowd, shatter frozen zombies or pull the horde into a gravity well. Collect weapons during a run and spend salvage at a Signal Cache. CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE Fight across eight areas, from a flooded shoreline and prison cells to a night bazaar and bunker. Pick exits, enter the armory, risk a bonus room and choose powers in the Room of Fate. Use bombs, dashes and field upgrades to reach the King and keep going as the difficulty rises. DAILY RUNS AND WEEKLY OPERATIONS The daily run uses a shared seed. Replay the daily layout and improve your personal best. Weekly operations give you four minutes to complete a fixed route with equal starting equipment. Hold out, rescue survivors and protect supply convoys. RESTORE YOUR SAFEHOUSE Bank treasure as coins at the end of a run. Unlock weapons and powers, earn supplies on rescue and convoy missions, recruit specialists and restore camp buildings. Safehouse bonuses apply to Arcade mode. Customize your fighter with uniforms, headgear and weapon finishes. MAKE THE CONTROLS YOURS Choose twin-stick aiming or one-stick auto-aim. Adjust stick size, HUD layout, haptics and graphics settings. Play in English, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese, with a saved language choice in Settings. Ads appear between some runs, never during play; a one-time Remove Ads purchase turns them off. Optional rewarded ads and consumable coin packs are also available. Ads and purchases require an internet connection; availability may vary. This game includes stylized violence and blood.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NOVA STRIKER at none against Arcade Undead's 3. NOVA STRIKER also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Arcade Undead sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. NOVA STRIKER asks for nothing beyond the download.
NOVA STRIKER ships an update every 3 days, Arcade Undead every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NOVA STRIKER | Arcade Undead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days โ better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | JOIN CIRCLE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | hourafter |
In-app purchases
NOVA STRIKER
No in-app purchases
Arcade Undead
- Coin Pack: Small$0.99
- Coin Pack: Medium$2.99
- Coin Pack: Large$6.99





