Now that fast processors and LTE connections are becoming more prevalent, the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre is about to have a renaissance on mobile platforms. Case in point: Blastron. It's a new take on the old Worms/Scorched Earth ballistics game, with player-controlled robots running around, blasting each other with weaponry that would be at home in any Looney Tunes production. It's a free download (with the usual in-app purchase trappings) in the Play Store.

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Blastron got its start on iOS, where its combination of simple gameplay and easy multiplayer pairing has let it rack up rave reviews. Interestingly, the game uses different play styles online and offline. In the single-player campaign mode, you move around the stages in real-time combat, collecting weapons and upgrades that can be applied to multiplayer battles. But online, players have to take turns like previous ballistic games, turning Blastron into a more strategic and less twitchy affair.

The graphics are a bit basic, but the nihilistic cartoon violence should satisfy fans of this particular niche (and exploding cogs and pistons won't upset any parents, either). One enemy weapon caused my robot to be attacked by tiny, biting drones, yelping in pain until I returned fire. The elephant gun fires actual elephants. The nature of IAPs means that there's a definite possibility of a pay-to-win situation in the multiplayer portion of the game, but after a quick download, I don't see anything in the in-game store that can't be obtained through playing the single-player mode.

At the moment, multiplayer bouts are limited to a straight deathmatch mode. More modes and features are planned, and scheduled tournaments are already in place.