Backflip Studios's freemium space shooter Boss Battles swoops into view on iPhone and iPad

Army of Darkness: Defense developer Backflip Studios has blasted a path onto the App Store with its new freemium, top-down space shooter Boss Battles.

Taking on the role of veteran bounty hunter Rico the Racoon, you have to seek out and destroy evil enemies and bosses, so that peace may be restored to the galaxy.

Naturally, your foes both outnumber and outsize you, meaning you have to collect space gems - also obtainable through in-app purchases - and upgrade your ship with new weapons and enhancements if you wish to survive the onslaught.

There are eight "humorous and disgruntled" bosses for you to eradicate on your outer space travels, and five different difficulty levels for both noobs and pros alike.

Backflip Studios's founder Julian Farrior says that, "There is certainly an old school feel to this overhead shooter, in gameplay rather than graphics, with a nod to some of the early video games of the '80s."

If that sounds right up your street, you can grab Boss Battles from the App Store for both the iPhone and iPad, completely free of charge.

Check out the official trailer below.

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