Plane Game for beginners: your first hour in the sky
By Edgar Sargsyan ·
Plane Game is the oldest and biggest game on Boop Arcade: four levels, bosses, ten planes and a Hangar full of upgrades. That can be a lot at first. This guide covers what matters in your first hour.
Where to fly
Balloons fall from the top of the screen, and a balloon that reaches the bottom costs a life, just like being hit. The best place for your plane is low and near the middle. From there you have the most time to shoot every balloon before it gets away, and the shortest way to either side.
What to shoot first
Deal with the balloons closest to the bottom first: they are the ones about to cost you a life. Bombs explode on contact, so shoot them from a distance and never fly into them. Armoured balloons need three hits, so start on them early. Golden balloons are a gift: they drop power-ups such as auto-aim, rapid fire, a shield, a burst of bullets or an extra life.
Enemy fighters and elites
Enemy fighters get stronger in every level. Some of them are red, glowing elites: tougher, but they pay three times the coins. If the screen is calm, an elite is worth chasing. If it is crowded, keep your eyes on the balloons first.
How to beat a boss
Every level ends after its third boss. Bosses fight in phases: below half health they fire rings of shots, and below a fifth of their health they are enraged. Keep your plane's special ability for those moments. Each plane has its own, and it can clear a dangerous ring or give you a few safe seconds. The mega bomb is for the most crowded moments.
Pick upgrade cards wisely
After every boss you choose one of three face-down cards, and its upgrade lasts for the rest of the game. One of the three is empty, so every pick is a small gamble. These upgrades are why no two runs feel the same.
What to buy first in the Hangar
Every run earns coins, even a short one. In the Hangar you can spend them on 10 planes, 8 kinds of ammo, paint jobs, plane upgrades and pilot perks. For a beginner, pilot perks such as Fire rate and Coin magnet are a great first buy, because they help every plane you will ever fly. After that, choose a plane whose ability suits you, and upgrade it.
The four skies
Along the way, sky events change the rules for a while: a balloon rush with double points, a golden hour, a meteor shower, crosswind or fog.
- The ocean: the place to learn the basics.
- The desert: the second level, with stronger enemy fighters.
- Deep space: the third level, and stronger fighters again.
- Neon City at night: glitch balloons that jump sideways, drones in squads of five, a laser grid and the Grid Core boss with its beam.
After the last level the endless part begins, where the bosses keep coming and enemies fire homing missiles. Shoot them down, outrun them, or lure them into another fighter.
Every day and every week
A daily reward, a daily deal in the Hangar and three daily missions give you something new each day, and there are 20 medals to earn. The weekly challenge gives everyone the same balloons all week, flown with your own plane, which makes it the fairest way to compare scores with friends on the online Top 50.
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