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Bloons TD 6
Bloons TD 6 banner
Developer(s)Ninja Kiwi
Publisher(s)Ninja Kiwi
SeriesBloons TD
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Release
  • Android, iOS
  • June 13, 2018
  • Windows
  • December 17, 2018
  • macOS
  • March 13, 2020
  • Apple Arcade
  • February 11, 2022
Genre(s)Tower defense
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Bloons TD 6 is a 2018 tower defense video game and the sixth game in the Bloons TD series, developed and published by Ninja Kiwi. It was first released in June 2018 for iOS and Android.[2] The game was later ported onto Steam, first released on Microsoft Windows in December 2018 and later on macOS in March 2020. It was later added to Apple Arcade on February 11, 2022, as Bloons TD 6+.[3][4][5][6]

Reviews for Bloons TD 6 are mostly positive by critics. Critics have noted the pre-existing success of the Bloons TD series contributing to its popularity.

Gameplay

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See also: Bloons Tower Defense § Gameplay
The player defending against oncoming Bloons.

Bloons TD 6 is a tower defense game played from a 2.5D perspective, as opposed to simply 2D like in previous entries of the series.[7] Bloons TD 6 takes advantage of 3D computer graphics to offer additional game mechanics not present in previous games,[8] such as obstacles that can obstruct the vision of many monkeys.[9]

In the game, the player creates a defense consisting of monkeys (such as the Dart Monkey) alongside other structures and traps to prevent enemy balloons (referred to as "Bloons" in-game) from reaching the exit.[10][11][12] Bloons spawn in different waves, separated by "rounds", and will travel along one or more indicated pathways towards their destined exit(s).[13][14] Every round normally consists of a pre-determined set of Bloons, later spawning Bloons with special properties and behaviors that certain defenses may have a weakness to.[13][14] Popping Bloons earns money, which can be used to buy additional monkeys or upgrade existing ones to strengthen the defense.[11][7][15] Every type of monkey and its upgrades play distinct roles for the defense,[12][15][16] mostly with an offensive role. Most monkeys can affect Bloons by directly damaging them, slowing them down, or otherwise harming them, while some monkeys support other monkeys or produce income to boost the defense's capabilities.[12][15] Many monkeys can be upgraded to use activated abilities that can be optionally purchased in-game, which triggers an action for the defense on demand.[17] Monkeys can be sold for a fraction of the money spent on them, removing them and adding room for other monkeys.[10]

Maps are chosen at the discretion of the player, and more difficult ones are unlocked by completing games on each map.[10] As the player completes games on the same map by playing on different game difficulties, additional game modes become unlocked for that map.[14] In standard gameplay, each map can be played on three different game difficulties.[14]

Bloons TD 6 expands on traditional Bloons Tower Defense gameplay with "Heroes", who will automatically level up once placed, making them stronger as the game progresses.[7][8] Monkeys of the same type can be merged into extremely expensive but extremely powerful versions of themselves called "Paragons", combining the power of its constituent monkeys into a single strong monkey.[18] Certain maps contain obstacles that can prevent many monkeys from seeing or attacking over them.[9][8]

Players can earn an in-game currency called "Monkey Money", which is rewarded by winning games or completing challenges, allowing them to unlock additional features in the game.[7] As the player continues to play the game, they receive "Monkey Knowledge Points", which are spent in an unlockable upgrades tree called "Monkey Knowledge", granting unique upgrades that can be freely used in most game modes.[12] Monkey Money can be used to unlock powers, new heroes, certain cosmetics and to unlock certain Monkey Knowledge in conjunction with Monkey Knowledge Points.[12] "Trophies" are a rare type of currency that can be redeemed in the Trophy Store to unlock special cosmetics not unlockable by Monkey Money,[19][17] and are only obtainable by playing weekly events.[14]

Game Modes and Events

[edit]

On top of the standard game mode, Bloons TD 6 offers multiple additional game modes that use certain rules and restrictions, such as limiting what monkeys the player can use or making Bloons stronger in some aspects.[14] Players can create games featuring rules not present in ordinary games, for example, they may limit the number of monkeys that may be used. These can be created using the "Challenge Editor", and these can be played by other players using the "Challenge Browser".[20]

The player may also optionally partake in weekly events, which reward various currency such as Monkey Money and Trophies upon completion. These include "Race Events", where "rounds" of Bloons can be sent early to obtain the fastest time possible,[21][22] "Odyssey Mode", where a limited selection of monkeys must be used to complete several maps in a row,[22][3][21] and "Boss Bloons", where "Boss Bloons" must be destroyed, with different Boss Bloons being able to affect gameplay in different ways.[18][3][17] A mini-game called "Contested Territory" is a weekly event that sets up to 90 players in six random teams from around the world to fight for various tiles scattered across a hexagonal island;[23] each tile contains a unique set of rules, which the player must follow and complete in order to capture the tile.[23][24]

Bloons TD 6 offers a multiplayer mode with up to four players,[4][6] called "Co-Op Mode".[25] When playing on Co-Op Mode, money collected is dispersed evenly among each player.[18] Most other game modes can be played in Co-Op Mode,[26] with exceptions.

History

[edit]

Bloons TD 6 was first announced on PRLog on March 28, 2017, and it was initially aimed to be released in 2017.[27] According to the same article posted on PRLog, an "extensive balance and test period" was required due to the "immense scale and strategic depth of the game".[28]

The game was released on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store on June 14, 2018. A Microsoft Windows version was released through Steam on December 17, 2018.[29] Unlike earlier games of the series, Bloons TD 6 is the first game in the Bloons TD series that does not have a Flash counterpart.[30]

On February 11, 2022, Bloons TD 6 was released on Apple Arcade as Bloons TD 6+.[31]

Reception

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Bloons TD 6 received mostly positive reviews from critics. NZ Game Developers Association secretary Stephen Knightly praised the depth of the gameplay in Bloons TD 6, specifically the visual appeal to a general audience and the level of complexity for more experienced players: "It's fun and friendly, so it's accessible, but under the surface it's quite complicated".[32] Although praise was given for its extended gameplay variety, it was also criticized for its lack of replayability.[33] Because Bloons TD 6 is a paid app featuring in-app purchases that may be used to unlock certain features in the game faster, some critics argue that the game feels like it runs on a freemium model.[33][7]

Harry Slater from Pocket Gamer describes the core gameplay as being too reliant on the mechanics of older games in the series, which he claims doesn't provide enough impact for players wanting to play the game long-term.[11] On the other hand, Dennis Zirkler from GameStar believes there is a sufficient amount of content in the game to sustain a variety of different playstyles while still keeping the diversity of the core gameplay, and says the presence of in-app purchases in a paid game are completely optional for this game and make little impact on the overall enjoyment of the entire game.[12] Although he criticizes the need to play the game repeatedly to access unlockable features, he praises the inclusion of "CHIMPS", a game mode where most unlockable features are restricted and subsequently limits players to focus on the underlying concept of creating the optimal tower combinations in each stage of the game.[12] Nathan Snow from The Spectrum said that while being repetitive after a while, the game sticks to a proven concept of the Bloons series.[13]

The cartoonish visuals used in the game were praised for its appeal for a wider audience,[16][32] particularly through combination of playability and complexity.[16] Critics have noted the use of characterization of towers[16] and long-term success of the predecessor Bloons TD games[32] as factors to the success of Bloons TD 6. Note was taken about the complexity of the game and the game mechanics accompanied with the game;[16] PCGamesN describes the complexity of Bloons TD 6 to be given a "whole new plane of addiction" when it comes to integrating the highlighted focus of interacting monkey characters with the main gameplay, while other critics state that the implementation of such features may feel too childish[16] or otherwise make the game appear too generic[16][11] or dependent on microtransactions.[16]

The business model for Bloons TD 6 has received mixed reviews. Simon Hill from Wired perceives the business model of the game to take into account both the premium market and the freemium market: "It’s a premium game that fully justifies the price of entry, but it also offers a wide range of microtransactions that includes the usual cosmetic upgrades, gameplay boosts, and unlimited access to special events."[14] He also praises the balance of replayability with complexity, mainly through the deepened progression and development of strategy in a tower defense context. Further attention has been pointed towards the conventional mobile market, which generally relies on the freemium model as the primary source of income, and pointed out that Bloons TD 6 lacks third-party advertisements but varies use of optional in-app purchases in the game.[14] Others are more critical and negative on the business model for Bloons TD 6. One critic from MetaCritic argues that the game has an overwhelming amount of content that lack sufficient replayability and uses a dubious mix of premium and freemium marketing styles.[33]

Sales

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Bloons TD 6 topped as the top-selling app within the first week of release.[32] According to Catherine Harris from Stuff.co.nz,[34] the game Bloons TD 6 consistently reaches among the top-selling paid apps in the world,[34][35] including the "world's most-bought paid app" in 2018.[36] She argues that the success of this game among other Ninja Kiwi apps has helped shaped the success of New Zealand's gaming industry.[36] Dustin Bailey from PCGamesN noted the increased popularity of the Steam version of Bloons TD 6 and the greater appearance of the game on Twitch.[30] He attributed further success of the game by both the discounted US$1 price on the Steam version and its nostalgic factor for players who had previously played the older Flash games in the Bloons TD series.[37][30]

Kotaku noted that New Zealand's gaming industry revenue surpassed that of Australia's gaming industry in 2019, with one of the main sources being from Bloons TD 6, the others being Path of Exile by Grinding Gear Games and Valleys Between by Little Lost Fox.[38]

Legacy

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The game regularly receives updates that include constant balance changes and additional content.[39][40][31] Ben "RidiculousHat" Goodman from PC Gamer praises the continuous development of Bloons TD 6, which regularly refines the balance in the game through updates to promote a variety of gameplay.[39]

The success of the Bloons TD franchise had been given praise by digital investment company Modern Times Group, with special note on Ninja Kiwi's continuous work to "pioneer" the tower defense genre in an economically viable but quality format.[36]

References

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  1. ^ "What's Up At Ninja Kiwi? - 1st April, 2021". Ninja Kiwi. April 1, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021. "We use Unity for Bloons TD 6."
  2. ^ "Bloons TD 6". TouchArcade.
  3. ^ a b c Brown, Shelby. "Bloons TD 6 brings balloon-popping strategy fun to Apple Arcade". CNET.
  4. ^ a b "'Bloons TD 6+' Is Out Now As This Week's Apple Arcade Release Alongside Major Updates for Castlevania, Speed Demons, and More – TouchArcade".
  5. ^ "Apple Arcade has four new games in store for its users". www.telegraphindia.com.
  6. ^ a b "Apple Arcade monthly update: Wylde Flowers, Gibbon: Beyond Trees, Bloons TD 6, and more".
  7. ^ a b c d e "'Bloons TD 6' Review - The Game Where Everything Happens So Much". June 15, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c staff, Pocket Gamer. "Bloons TD 6 tier list - The best heroes ranked". www.pocketgamer.com.
  9. ^ a b Hadley, Jupiter. "Mobile Charts: Top 10 paid games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)". www.pocketgamer.com.
  10. ^ a b c Rennie, Alex (June 16, 2018). "Bloons TD 6 Review – a slick tower defense for kids and adults alike".
  11. ^ a b c d Slater, Harry. "Bloons TD 6 review - A tower defence series that's starting to show its age". www.pocketgamer.com.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Zirkler, Dennis (March 4, 2021). "Bloons TD 6: Wieso ich seit Wochen nicht von diesem Spiel loskomme". www.gamestar.de.
  13. ^ a b c Snow, Nathan (September 25, 2018). "'Bloons TD6': A popping good time despite familiarity". The Spectrum (Utah).
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h Hill, Simon. "'Bloons TD 6' Might be the Best $5 I've Ever Spent". Wired.
  15. ^ a b c "The 10 best party video games to play with friends". Red Bull.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h "The best tower defense games on PC". PCGamesN.
  17. ^ a b c "New games set to join Apple Arcade club this month". Deccan Herald. February 3, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "Bloons TD 6 Update 27.0 - PARAGONS, BOSS BLOONS & more!" – via www.youtube.com.
  19. ^ "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Hay Day', 'Bloons TD 6', 'The Elder Scrolls: Blades', 'Another Eden', and More". April 26, 2021.
  20. ^ "Bloons TD 6 9.0 Update - NEW HERO, MAP & MORE!" – via www.youtube.com.
  21. ^ a b "Bloons TD 6 7.0 Update - NEW HERO, EVENT & MORE!" – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ^ a b "Bloons TD 6 19.0 Update - ODYSSEY MODE! | Ninja Kiwi Videos". ninjakiwi.com.
  23. ^ a b "Bloons TD 6 Update 32.0 Coming Soon - CONTESTED TERRITORIES, ENGINEER PARAGON & MORE!". YouTube.
  24. ^ "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Merge Mansion', 'High Rise', 'Zen Pinball Party', 'Bloons TD 6', and More – TouchArcade".
  25. ^ "Bloons TD 6 11.0 Update - CO-OP IS FINALLY HERE!" – via www.youtube.com.
  26. ^ "Bloons TD 6 28.0 Update - NEW BOSS, PARAGON TOWER & more!" – via www.youtube.com.
  27. ^ "Bloons TD 6 is on the Way This Year". April 5, 2017.
  28. ^ Kiwi, Ninja. "Ninja Kiwi Announces Bloons TD 6 in Development". PRLog. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  29. ^ "Bloons TD 6 on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  30. ^ a b c "Bloons TD 6 becomes $2, hits an even more ridiculous player count record". PCGamesN.
  31. ^ a b Fabian (February 11, 2022). "Bloons TD 6+: Tower-Defense-Spiel auf Apple Arcade veröffentlicht".
  32. ^ a b c d Harrowell, Chris (June 15, 2018). "Kiwi-designed online game 'Bloons TD6' tops the worldwide paid app charts". Stuff.
  33. ^ a b c "Bloons TD 6". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  34. ^ a b "Kiwi developer tops Apple 2019 app chart". NZ Herald.
  35. ^ Webster, Andrew (December 2, 2020). "Zoom and Among Us dominate Apple's most downloaded charts in 2020". The Verge.
  36. ^ a b c "Game developer Ninja Kiwi snapped up for $203m". Stuff. March 25, 2021.
  37. ^ "Steam's latest hit is… Bloons TD 6?". PCGamesN.
  38. ^ "New Zealand's Games Industry Is Making More Money Than Australia". Kotaku Australia. February 7, 2020.
  39. ^ a b Goodman, Ben "RidiculousHat" (February 18, 2021). "Our favorite low-click PC games". PC Gamer.
  40. ^ "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Mario Kart Tour', 'Tetris', 'LEGO Brawls', 'Real Racing 3', and More". February 22, 2021.
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