Bloons Tower Defense

The main objective of Bloons TD is to prevent Bloons (in-game name for balloons) from reaching the end of a defined track on a map that consists of one or more entrances and exits for the bloons. The game is a tower defense game and thus the player can choose various types of towers and traps to place around the track in order to defend against the bloons, gaining 1 in-game dollar for every layer of bloon popped. Bloons There are three classes of bloons in the game: regular (unnamed in the game), MOAB-class and Boss-class. As of Bloons TD 6, the regular bloons consist of: red, blue, green, yellow, pink, black, white, lead, zebra, rainbow, purple, and ceramic bloons. MOAB-class bloons are in the shape of a blimp and consist of: the MOAB (Massive Ornary Air Blimp), the BFB (Brutal Flying Behemoth), the DDT (Dark Dirigible Titan), the ZOMG (Zeppelin Of Mighty Gargantuaness), and the BAD (Big Airship of Doom). Tougher variants of most bloon types contain a number of specified weaker ones. With each level, the intensity of bloon waves proportionately increases. Every tower can be upgraded to increase power and other capabilities by spending the in-game currency, known simply as 'money', which is earned by popping bloons and at the end of each round. In Bloons TD 4 onwards, certain towers such as banana farms can be placed to produce additional money during a round (end of the round in Bloons TD 4). ==Main entries==

There are currently six released numbered games in the Bloons TD series apart from various add-on packs and spin-offs such as Bloons TD 4 Expansion and Bloons Monkey City. The newest release, Bloons TD 6, was released on June 14, 2018. There are currently six mainline games, and many spin-off games based primarily on the Bloons Tower Defense series. Bloons Tower Defense Bloons Tower Defense is the first game in the BTD series, released on August 16, 2007, as a free flash browser game. Following the 2020 discontinuation of Adobe Flash Player, this initial entry was preserved through the use of Ruffle and WebAssembly-based emulation. As of 2026, the original 50-wave experience remains accessible via legacy web portals including Armor Games and CrazyGames, allowing for the continued study of the series' early balancing and tower mechanics on modern hardware. In this first entry, players must defend against waves of different bloons with a small roster of towers which the player can position around the map. Bloons have a varying amount of layers, with each layer being pierced revealing the layer underneath until the bloon has been completely popped. If all 40 lives are lost, the game is over. If all 50 waves are passed, the player will win the game. The game has 5 towers, the Dart Tower, Tack Tower, Ice Tower, Bomb Tower, and Super Monkey, which all appear in future Bloons Tower Defense games with minor name changes. Bloons Tower Defense 2 Bloons Tower Defense 2 was released soon after in October 2007, Bloons TD 3 Bloons TD 3 was released on September 5, 2008, months after the release of Bloons Tower Defense 2, named differently due to a trademark dispute with Com2uS. This version had extra maps styled in snow and beach themes, and included OpenFeint achievements. The game included five map packs, containing a total of 15 different levels to play, with packs unlocked by completing the previous levels. This version of the game was also released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010. Another version of the game, simply titled Bloons TD, was released for DSiWare in 2011, containing 50 rounds to complete. Bloons TD 4 Bloons TD 4 was released on October 26, 2009, as an online freemium game with a proprietary iOS version released on December 7, 2010, developed in conjunction with Digital Goldfish. A sandbox mode allows experimentation with weapons and enemies, a new bloon called the B.F.B(Brutal Floating Behemoth), and an apopalypse mode makes the gameplay continuous without pausing between levels. The tower upgrading system received various changes including increasing the number of upgrades per tower, iPhone and iPad versions of this title have been purchased over one million times. A version of the game was also released as a DSiWare game in 2012. On July 8, 2010, Bloons TD 4 received a standalone "expansion pack" called Bloons TD 4 Expansion which added the Dartling Gun and Spike Factory towers, both of which would remain in future games, 4 new tracks, a new game mode called "Deflation", and a new "Tower Specialties" game mechanic. The latter allows the player to specialize in a certain tower type. Bloons TD 5 The original (Flash and freemium) Bloons TD 5 was released on December 13, 2011. The proprietary version of BTD5 was released on iOS worldwide on November 15, 2012, for iPhones and iPods with improved graphics and additional upgrades, tracks, towers, and bloon types. Bloons TD 5 Deluxe was released on January 27, 2012, for US$19.99 during the promotional pre-order period. This offline Flash version of the game added 2 new towers (the "Bloonchipper" and "Monkey Engineer"), 6 new tracks, 4 ported tracks from Bloons TD 4, a "moving tower platform" mechanic, three new "Special Agent" towers and four additional "Special Missions". All of the game's premium features, which were paid for with the "NinjaKiwi Coin" digital currency in BTD5, were also made into free unlockable options that could be unlocked with the in-game earnable currency. This version of the game also has high-resolution graphics. An update for the mobile version of BTD5 added a new tower called the "Monkey Sub". The submarine was later added to the online version on July 22, 2015. Bloons TD 5 Deluxe was discontinued and made no longer available for purchase in November 2014 in favor of the newer Steam port, which all owners of Deluxe received for free through e-mail. As with previous games of the series, the player has to protect the exit(s) against enemy Bloons by using various monkeys and monkey-operated machines placed in strategic locations to fight them off effectively. Compared to earlier versions of the series, there is a wider variety of different towers and their upgrades. This game also has an unlimited round free play mode, which can have bloons with increasing strengths until the Z.O.M.G type M.O.A.B-class bloon. Speed and health ramping also buff the blimp hp throughout the rounds. The Steam/Mobile version has two special mode bosses, the Dreadbloon and Blastapopoulos. The iOS, Android, and Steam versions have 15 languages: English, Arabic, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. On March 3, 2017, it was released for Microsoft's Xbox One, later releasing for PlayStation 4 on May 9, 2017, and Nintendo Switch on June 13, 2018, all of which cost US$14.99. This game also has daily challenges. There are 2347 daily challenges on web. The first challenge (Monkey Lane, Easy) was released on January 27, 2012, and 'The Final (New) Daily Challenge' was released on June 30, 2018. Bloons TD 6 Bloons TD 6 is the sixth game in the main Bloons TD series. After being announced on March 28, 2017, it was released for the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store on June 14, 2018. A Steam version was released on December 17, 2018. Unlike all earlier games, Bloons TD 6 does not have a Flash-based counterpart on the Ninja Kiwi website. In Bloons TD 6, it is played from a 2.5D perspective, as opposed to the 2D perspective of previous Bloons Tower Defense games, and utilizes 3D computer graphics. Bloons TD 6 expands on traditional Bloons Tower Defense gameplay with "Heroes", who will progressively level up once placed, making them stronger as the game progresses. As the player completes games on the same map by playing on different game difficulties, additional game modes become unlocked for that map. 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". Daily and weekly events can be optionally played, rewarding currency when completed. Daily Challenges and Advanced Challenges are challenges that have a set of special rules added. "Race Events", where "rounds" of Bloons can be sent early to obtain the fastest time possible, "Odyssey Mode", where a limited selection of monkeys must be used to complete several maps in a row, and "Boss Bloons", where "Boss Bloons" must be destroyed, with different Boss Bloons being able to affect gameplay in different ways. 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; each tile contains a unique set of rules, which the player must follow and complete in order to capture the tile. In update 39.0, the Map Editor was added, allowing players to make their own maps with props, effects, pets, up to 5 paths, a base floor, and areas. Over time, towers from Bloons TD 5 were added, first being the "Mortar Monkey" in update 6.0, then the "Engineer Monkey" in update 12.0, and then finally the "Dartling Gun", renamed to "Dartling Gunner" in update 22.0. In update 36.0, a new tower—the Beast Handler—was added, which controls water, ground and air beasts, which can merge with other Beast Handlers' beasts to increase their power. In 44.0, another brand-new amphibious tower—the Mermonkey—was implemented, which has various ocean-themed upgrades. In update 49.0, another new tower — the Desperado — was added which had various gun upgrades. ==Spin-offs==

Apart from the main series, Ninja Kiwi has made several BTD games that include the core gameplay of BTD but are not numbered sequels. Bloons TD Battles Bloons TD Battles was released on December 12, 2012, and later to Android and iOS platforms in-between November 5 and 6, 2013, respectively. On April 20, 2016, it came to Steam as a ported version. The gameplay is similar to that in Bloons TD 5 but two players compete against one another in one of four game modes. In Assault Mode and Battle Arena, each player normally progresses through the levels that are usually equal to 2x-1 in terms of BTD5 levels. For example, round 7 in BTD Battles would be round 13 in BTD5. However, the players are also given the ability to purchase additional bloons, which are sent to the opponent in an attempt to overwhelm them. In "Defense" mode, the players play a natural game with the screen split vertically. Players can spend money to increase their income. In "Card Battles" mode, the players choose from a selection of cards to use in their games. The cards have two functions: sending bloons to the enemy player, which, like in Assault Mode, will give the player who sends the bloons extra income; and placing down a tower. All three game mode objectives are to outlast the opponent in surviving the bloon attacks. Using the games' skill-based matching system, players can be automatically matched with one another. The last mode is Club Battles, in which players can play with up to three of the six game-modifying "cards". The card selection can be chosen ahead of time when playing against a friend in a private lobby but is random when playing other opponents. Players earn a club ticket every day at 7 PM, or they can receive one club ticket from the daily wheel. Another mode is Battle with Friends, in which a player can play one of the four game modes with a friend, not a random player, by entering a code for the player's private lobby. Bloons Monkey City Like Bloons TD Battles, the core gameplay is similar to that of BTD5, however, the player has to maintain a city, expanding the city by capturing bloon-infested areas called tiles. One important goal of the game is levelling up the city. Players earn XP for the city by capturing tiles, completing missions or building towers. Earning higher levels with XP grants access to certain unique game features, like Monkey vs. Monkey, Monkey Knowledge, etc. Monkey vs. Monkey allows players to fight each other; raids can be launched using the resource "Bloontonium". This can be acquired by capturing certain tiles or with Bloontonium generators. If the opponent fails to defend against the raid in the set time period, the attacker gains city cash, another resource in the game used to build towers, bloonstones, the 'premium currency' of the game, and city honor, which has no primary purpose in the game other than achievements. One primary difference between this game and the others in the Bloons series is the addition of buildings. This game was released on browsers, but a port to iOS and Android was released on December 3, 2014, and February 18, 2015, respectively. The Steam version was released on April 10, 2020. Bloons Adventure Time TD Bloons Adventure Time TD is a crossover game between Ninja Kiwi's Bloons TD series and Cartoon Network's Adventure Time series that was announced via the Cartoon Network International News Site and the Ninja Kiwi blog on March 8 and 9, 2018, respectively. The game had a soft launch on July 14, 2018, in Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, and Singapore on Android and iOS and later launched internationally. The game features characters from Cartoon Network's Adventure Time such as Jake the Dog, Finn the Human, and Princess Bubblegum as well as new monkey heroes like Max, Cassie, and C4 Charlie. This game is different from the main Bloons TD formula in that you could only place one of each tower, like the hero system in Bloons TD 6. The gameplay is similar to other games in the series, with a new weapon and item mechanic as well. There are at least 15 adventures and 50 maps to play in that act as the playing stage of the game. Bloons TD Battles 2 Bloons TD Battles 2, the sequel to Bloons TD Battles, was released on November 30, 2021. It was first leaked in Ninja Kiwi's YouTube video for Bloons TD 6s 24.0 update, on an iPad on the side. On October 22, 2021, another trailer was released titled "The rules of the Arena" detailing more gameplay. The gameplay is similar to the original Bloons TD Battles. Two players compete with each other in a player versus player gameplay, with three monkey types and a Hero, defending against pregenerated rounds and Bloon sends from the other player. The game also has 3-D graphics and more Bloon types, similar to Bloons TD 6. The battle is over upon losing all lives, with the winner being the survivor of the battle. Players automatically generate "eco", which is automatically earned cash every few seconds, allowing them to spend money on towers and upgrades over time. Reaching the maximum arena, Hall of Masters, allows the player to rank up on the game's public leaderboard. as Bloons TD Battles 2+. ==Reception==

{{Video game series reviews Wii: 21/100 The game's iOS version received mixed reviews with some authors praising the unique towers and good gameplay, though the user interface, controls, and lack of leaderboards were criticized. The DS version received similar reception, with Lucas Thomas of IGN describing it as "a pretty good take on good old Bloons TD." GameZebo editor Jim Squires gave Bloons TD 4 a 3.5/5 rating, praising it on its well designed maps and towers and for having a large amount of content, but he criticized the game for not "bringing anything new to the genre." Bloons TD 5 was received similarly to its previous version, with reviewers commenting positively on the number of maps, towers, and levels, but criticising the lack of innovation to the tower-defense genre and performance issues at higher levels. Both Bloons TD 4 and Bloons TD 5 featured among the top 10 paid iPhone apps in the iOS App Store, with Bloons TD 4 selling over 1 million copies. Overall, the game series has been played over 1 billion times across web and mobile devices. Bloons TD 6 received praise for its extended gameplay variety, but has also been criticized for its lack of replayability despite the increased number of unique elements in the game. 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. Modern Times Group announced that it had acquired Ninja Kiwi on March 24, 2021. ==References==