This review originally ran as part of my regular feature at topiphoneresource.info

Last week I wrote about my current favorite tower defense game on the iPhone, today I want to tell you about my first. Not just my first tower defense game on the iPhone, but my first tower defense game ever – TapDefense.

TapDefense, produced by TapJoy is a free download currently pulling four stars. The free version brings you one map with 42 levels in standard play. There are six tower types, seven enemies and six different play modes. TapJoy recently expanded the game to allow for in-game downloads of several new maps and towers. Some of the maps are a fun departure from the original, but nostalgia always brings me back to the base map that I started playing two years ago.

Like most tower defense games on the iPhone, TapDefense uses a static path that twists and turns in portrait mode from the bottom of the screen to the top as you try and stop ever strengthening waves of demons from getting to the gates of Heaven. Sure, its not the most original theme for a game, but a tower defense game does not really need a plot now does it?

General performance is good, however I have always noticed that the game does take a big sip of your precious battery power, so make sure if your going to play, that you have a way to charge up if you are going to need your phone later in the day.

TapDefense lets you take on the game with a nice mix of towers. Starting from Arrow towers that have several levels of upgrading, to water and ice towers that will slow down enemies to the magic towers that in my opinion are the most powerful in the game when you have a few of these on a map fully upgraded.

Funds in the game are earned for each enemy killed, with a bonus given for clearing the level, as well as interest on your balance. As you progress through the game, you will have, in addition to unlocking the different towers, the opportunity to upgrade your interest rate, and as you get better, cash flow will never become a problem.

If there is one flaw in TapDefense beyond the limited single level in the free version and the hit on battery, if would be that after you get better at the tower defense genre, you will find it to be a very simple game to dominate.

This would be the first tower defense game I would recommend to a player new to the genre for two reasons, first, its free to get started, and second, its simple to grasp the basic techniques needed to be successful in tower defense games.