Asterix: Total Retaliation (2013)

## The Game

Asterix: Total Retaliation is a free-to-play mobile game, a clone of Plants vs. Zombies. The game is no longer available in mobile app stores.

### Gameplay

The gameplay revolves around defending Getafix from the Romans: if 4 enemies reach Getafix, it’s Game Over.

The playfield is an 8x4 grid, where the player places the villagers and objects. Getafix occasionally throws gourds of magic potion, which are needed to buy villagers and objects, but the player must be quick to collect them before they despawn. Catching gourds in midair awards additional gourds. A villager who is already in use can be moved to another square at the cost of 20 gourds. The game also rarely spawns coins, which are used to activate powers from Gaulish gods. Sometimes, when a Roman crosses the line, Macaroon the Pict will help the player a bit by running across the field and hitting all Romans in his way.

#### Modes

##### History

The History mode is divided into levels. Before you start a level you can see which enemies you will encounter, you must select a specified number of villagers/objects, as well as powers. Some levels have additional restrictions, such as limiting the number of present villagers. Between levels, gourds of magic potion are reset but coins are preserved. After you complete the level you will see its 3 challenges, e.g. not using any heroes or completing it in a time short enough, and if you have fulfilled any of them you will earn 30 coins per challenge. You can revisit previous levels and use newly unlocked options where they could not be used initially.

Level Selection MenuHistory TabEquipment TabPowers Tab
##### Survival

In Survival mode you play until you run out of lives or quit. If you quit, your progress will not be saved. The Equipment and Power units you choose will be used until the end. You start out with an empty playfield. All enemy types are present. The coins you earn in this mode are not preserved.

#### Equipment

##### Villagers

Each villager has their own attack. They can also beat up Romans in hand-to-hand combat if those get too close, but their strength for that is limited. Villagers who are about to be knocked out are marked with a triangle warning sign. Villagers disappear from the playfield upon defeat but can be bought with potion to fight again.

* Cacofonix: strums on his lyre, producing 3 notes in a row.
* Mrs. Geriatrix: throws her handbag. The handbag is faster than Cacofonix’s notes.
* Geriatrix: throws his cane, which comes back like a boomerang.
* Fulliautomatix: throws his hammer. The hammer briefly stuns Romans but is thrown less frequently than Mrs. Geriatrix’s handbag.
* Unhygienix: throws fish. May attack Romans beyond the front line.
* Impedimenta: throws her rolling pin in different directions.
* Panacea: sends air kisses, which push Romans back for a few seconds. This does not work on certain enemies.
* Vitalstatistix: throws his shield, which moves in a wavy path.

The player can call heroes for help - Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix - also at the cost of potion.

* Dogmatix: runs through the playfield forth and back, dealing damage. He may run back through another row.
* Asterix: runs forth, knocks out the first 3 Romans and damages the rest.
* Obelix: runs forth and knocks out all Romans in his way.

##### Objects

It is possible to place multiple of the same object.

* Boars: stay in place until a Roman walks into them. They will hit that Roman and run away without hitting any more.
* Bags, fences, and menhirs: used as obstacles. Romans will try to break them upon colliding. They are successively more expensive and durable. The bust-carrying Romans will also attack obstacles, despite being able to throw far.
* Cauldrons: used to produce additional gourds of potion. If a Roman walks into a cauldron, he will treat it the same way as an obstacle.
* TNT barrels: explode shortly after being placed, dealing damage to nearby Romans.

## Trivia

* Sometimes using Obelix will trigger a short minigame, where you need to swipe left and right to slap a Roman.