Get Thumpin' in Thumper: Pocket Edition
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Thumper: Pocket Edition ($4.99) by Drool is a mix of rhythm and action in a single game. It's an interesting mashup of genres, and makes for a truly unique experience. If you enjoyed recent games like Cytus II but want some rhythm violence mixed in, then Thumper is the game for you.
Even though I'm not the best at them, I like rhythm games because they usually have good tunes, and they're just fun to play. I remember stumbling on Thumper while browsing the Nintendo Switch eShop a few months ago, but I never bit the bullet on it. I was intrigued by the game, but not sure it would have been something I liked, especially with the eShop price. But when I saw Thumper was hitting iOS with a more reasonable price point, I knew it was my chance to check it out. Needless to say, I'm glad I finally gave it a try.
Cytus II
Rayark International Limited
Thumper's visuals are stunningly beautiful. The game has some psychedelic graphics that feel incredibly futuristic, and everything is rendered in gorgeous 3D. Thumper's dark background is excellently contrasted by the bright and vivid neon lights of the track and sparks, and the space beetle is super shiny and glassy. Explosions are high-octane and fun to watch while being highly satisfying. Thumper runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, even on my iPhone 8 Plus, so there's zero lag.
The ambient soundtrack is an entirely original work by Brian Gibson, and it's delightful to hear as you play. I thought the music would be a bit more metal because of the "rhythm violence" description of the game, so it's a bit surprising and caught me off guard.
In Thumper, players will find nine epic levels awaiting them. While this doesn't sound like a lot, each level's broken up into multiple stages. These also serve as checkpoints once you clear that part, so you restart from the last checkpoint rather than the beginning of the level. The levels consist of about 15 sections, and you get graded on each one based on your performance. There's also boss battles to face off against, which test everything you've learned so far.
Since I didn't play Thumper on other platforms, I'm not familiar with how the game works with physical controls, but I think the touch controls work okay for the most part. When you see a square node coming up on the track, tap the screen right as your space beetle is over it for it to count. When facing off against boss battles, you'll want to get the timing right so you can throw those projectiles back at the boss to damage it.
There are also curved walls that require you to turn on the track. When you come up to these, just swipe left or right to turn. Longer walls need you to swipe-and-hold to make it. Some light beams also appear, and you must tap-and-hold the screen to have your space beetle dash and break through them. There's also a jumping mechanic, which I assume has you swiping upwards, but I haven't reached it yet. The game introduces new game mechanics as you go.
Again, while I haven't played Thumper on other platforms, I do hear that the controls are great. But the touch controls, while they work for the beginning, get more iffy as you go. This is because the game seems to not be as responsive after certain actions, such as turning, so it may have a delay when trying to register a tap or long press right after. I also experienced unresponsiveness after breaking through the barriers and then having to turn right after, resulting in untimely deaths. For a game that's all about timing and precision, the controls need to be better optimized.
For those who manage to beat Thumper, the Play+ mode gets unlocked. This is basically "New Game+" and features increased challenge and speed. Because you know, the regular mode isn't hard enough.
Thumper is incredibly challenging, but you'll find yourself getting better over time. You're bound to die a lot (you can only make one mistake before you end up dead on the next error), but you'll keep coming back to do better. And once you overcome that hurdle, it's immensely gratifying.
A high speed journey through psychedelic landscapes with rhythmic overtones.
The Good
Thumper is definitely an interesting game, and one that shouldn't be overlooked. It's a rhythm violence game so it requires precise timing and reflexes to survive, and it's super challenging. Plus, the graphics are great and the music is pretty good, though a bit mismatched. While it may not seem like a lot of levels, the length of each one, as well as the difficulty, mean a lot of time is required.
The Bad
The mobile port of Thumper is great, but the controls do need some work. Since fast reflexes and timing are a must here, the responsiveness of the controls must be improved. Hopefully this can be fixed sooner rather than later.
The verdict
Despite the flawed control scheme on the mobile port, Thumper: Pocket Edition is a good way to introduce the game to those who haven't tried it before. The psychedelic visuals are rather mesmerizing, the music is soothing, and the challenge is there. It may not be the best game for those who get frustrated easily, but the sense of overcoming a level you've been stuck on is pleasing.
7.9
OVERALL
Replayability 8.5
Graphics 8.5
Gameplay 8
Game Controls 7
Sound/Music 7.5
Thumper: Pocket Edition
Drool LLC
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Help Jason Get His Revenge in Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle (Free) by Blue Wizard Digital is a horror puzzle game that stars Jason Voorhees. If you liked Slayaway Camp, or are fans of horror in general or "Friday the 13th," then this is a must-have title to add to your collection.
While I'm not a big scary movie fan, I do appreciate the classic cheesy horror movies from the '80s and such. I think these resonate well with me due to the campiness of them, and they're fun to watch with others. "Friday the 13th" is one of those films, and we all know about Jason Voorhees, the main antagonist who haunts Camp Crystal Lake in his efforts to avenge his mother's death. I loved Slayaway Camp when it was released, so when I heard that there was going to be a Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle coming out, I knew I had to have it. Needless to say, its surprise release was well worth the wait.
Slayaway Camp
Blue Wizard Digital LP
Visually, Friday the 13th is in the same ballpark as Slayaway Camp. The game is rendered in 3D with blocky, voxel-style graphics like those you'd find in Minecraft. The various settings and environments are still packed with plenty of detail, and the gloomy, muted colors emit the sense of horror and suspense that you'd expect from such a game. Jason's character sprite is realistic and doesn't skimp out on the finer details, and there's even multiple versions to unlock in the game. Animations are smooth and fluid, with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. Even the cutscenes are fun to watch, especially the facial expressions and kill scenes. The music is rather eerie and fitting, and the sound effects are on-par with your typical cheesy horror flick.
If cartoon violence and blood bother you, there is an option to have the game PG, so it's all toned down. Even if you end up turning down the gore, this is still an excellent puzzle game in general, so it's worth sticking around for.
Similar to Slayaway Camp, Friday the 13th is split up into episodes. A new area is unlocked in each episode, and there are about 13 puzzles for each. While you'll be starting out in Crystal Lake, Jason manages to find victims in high security prisons to Manhattan highrises.
At the moment, there are eight episodes that can be unlocked by getting enough kills (shown on episode selection). There are four more episodes that must be unlocked via in-app purchase. You could also unlock the other episodes early by paying as well, if you're impatient.
The goal in each puzzle is to, you guessed it, kill all of the unsuspecting victims. The controls are simple and intuitive enough for anyone. Just swipe your finger in one direction to make Jason move that way. He moves until he hits a wall, object, or gets to his victim, so it's like a sliding block puzzle mechanic.
Eventually you'll have levels with paths that lead to water, sinkholes, bonfires, and more. You'll want to avoid these, since Jason isn't good at swimming and fire is bad (but good for the victims). When this happens, some thinking and tinkering is needed to get where you need to be. And cops can be attacked from the sides or behind, but never from the front, because they'll catch you that way. If you make a mistake, there's a rewind button that you can use to undo your last move as much as needed.
As you successfully complete puzzles, your "Bloodlust" gauge goes up. Once it's full, you'll rank up and earn a loot box. You'll find various weapons in the box, which you can equip on Jason for stylish kill scenes when he gets his victims. You can also trade in unwanted weapons for better ones if you so choose.
When your bloodlust meter is about ready to be topped off and ranked up, the game prompts you to watch an ad to fill it up. It's completely optional and just speeds up the process. The game doesn't throw ads in your face after each puzzle, at least, so I don't mind watching the occasional ad.
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is a horror puzzle game where you take on the role of Jason Voorhees.
The Good
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is an excellent freebie. The game is a re-skinned Slayaway Camp to just feature Jason Voorhees of the "Friday the 13th" series, but it has fun puzzles to solve. The voxel graphics are campy and the gory kills are fun to watch. The game has its fair share of cheesy horror music and sound effects too, which I love. There's plenty of content with the initial free download, and plenty of weapons to unlock.
The Bad
With Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle being such a good free game, it's hard to find many flaws with it. I mean, there are ads, but they're optional and only when you want to just get the last bit of bloodlust to rank up for more (cosmetic) weapons, as they don't affect gameplay. Perhaps the fact that there are four episodes that can only be accessed after an in-app purchase, but there's still a lot of puzzles included for free. And honestly, once I complete the free stages, I'd probably buy the rest anyway because the game is just that good, like Slayaway Camp.
The verdict
As a fan of Slayaway Camp, it's not surprising that I also love Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle. It has the same puzzle mechanics, obstacles, and graphics, except it focuses solely on Jason Voorhees seeking to avenge his mother's death. It's more for "Friday the 13th" fans, or horror lovers, but it's packed with a ton of good puzzles that everyone can enjoy. It's hard to believe how much content you can play in this one without paying a dime.
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for free. There are in-app purchases for exclusive episodes.
9.0
OVERALL
Sound/Music 10
Graphics 9.5
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8
Game Controls 8.5
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle
Blue Wizard Digital LP
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Help Polo Rescue His Kidnapped Pet in Bring You Home
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Bring You Home ($2.99) by Alike Studio is a unique puzzle game where you don't control the characters, but rather the levels themselves. If you enjoyed games like Splitter Critters and Stagehand, then you're bound to like what Bring You Home has to offer.
I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so naturally, I've been playing a ton of games on my consoles and iPhone to pass the time. Now, if you've followed my work here at AppAdvice for the past few years, then you'll know that I'm a sucker for puzzle games. They're relaxing yet stimulating, and that's just the kind of thing I want to keep my mind busy and sharp. The only bad thing is usually puzzle games are the same thing over and over. But Bring You Home is different, and it brings in a special puzzle experience that's sure to delight. Plus, it's from the same guys who made Love You To Bits, so I knew it was going to be good.
Splitter Critters
RAC7 Games
Stagehand
Patrick Angle
Love You To Bits
Alike Studio S.L.
Visually, Bring You Home is beautiful and charming. Everything is rendered in 2D with a cartoonish art style that makes me think of Cartoon Network shows. But thanks to the lighting and shadows, there's a nice bit of depth to the backdrops and environments in the foreground. Character models are also cute and bursting with their own personalities, giving the game life. The colors are appealing to the eyes thanks to the bold and vibrant hues that truly pop on Retina screens. Animations are smooth and fluid, and I had no issues with lag or choppy frame rates on my iPhone 8 Plus. The atmospheric piano soundtrack is whimsical, emotional, and soothing. The sound effects are a nice touch as well, as it brings some comic relief to the game.
In Bring You Home, players will learn about the story of Polo the alien and his pet, who's been kidnapped by mysterious characters. Naturally, Polo sets out to rescue his missing companion by following a series of portals that the kidnappers left behind. A new world can be found through each portal, and Polo must safely make his way to the next one until he recovers his friend.
The twist in Bring You Home is the fact that you don't control Polo — he moves forward automatically. Instead, you control the level itself. How is this done? It's pretty simple and intuitive. Each level features multiple panels that have a few different options in them. You must scroll through the panels to figure out the correct sequence of events that should occur in order for Polo to have a safe path to the next area. When you think you have it, tap on the "Play" button in the bottom right corner.
If you fail, don't worry — time just rewinds itself and you can try again. The real fun in this game is the fact that these "deaths" can be pretty funny, considering the options you're given to work with. It's all about trial-and-error here.
Bring You Home doesn't have any time limits or restrictions on the amount of times you attempt to solve a puzzle. So you can play at your own pace, which is relaxing. On top of everything, there are hidden collectible photos that you can acquire as well, which are full of sweet memories of Polo and his pet.
The makers of Love You To Bits have a new puzzle adventure for you.
The Good
Bring You Home is an excellent puzzle game for people of all ages. It's a deviation from Love You To Bits, and that's not a bad thing. The visuals are cute and endearing, while the music proves to be quite emotional if you listen to it. The gameplay is fresh and interesting, with simple controls. And for those who like to get everything in a game, the collectible photos provide motivation to go back and revisit stages.
The Bad
There's a lot to love about Bring You Home, and honestly I can't think of any negatives regarding the game. It's just a delightful puzzler that the everyone can enjoy.
The verdict
Alike Studio had a hit on their hands with Love You To Bits, and they definitely have created another gem with Bring You Home. The game's cute cartoon-style graphics are sweet and lovable, while the soundtrack tugs at your emotional heartstrings. Controls are intuitive, and it's just fun to watch the outcome of each possible path that you create. This is a true gem for puzzle fans.
9.2
OVERALL
Sound/Music 10
Game Controls 9
Graphics 9.5
Gameplay 9.5
Replayability 8
Bring You Home
Alike Studio
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Put the Pedal to the Metal and Make Your Getaway in PAKO 2
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
PAKO 2 ($1.99) by Tree Men Games is the sequel to the original PAKO that came out four years ago. If you were a fan of the first game, or like games such as Grand Theft Auto, then PAKO 2 is a must.
When I checked out PAKO when it first came out, I was intrigued. What drew me in was the low-poly art style, and what appeared to be a simple game mechanic that tests how long you can survive. It was a quick little arcade game that killed time, was insanely fun, and hard to put down once you got the hang of things. It became one of my favorite iOS games for a while, so I was incredibly excited to learn that there was a sequel. As a huge fan of the first game, I can say that PAKO 2 improves and builds upon the original title for a more immersive and engaging experience.
Pako - Car Chase Simulator
Tree Men Games OY
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Rockstar Games, Inc.
Visually, PAKO 2 is a unique blend of handcrafted, highly detailed environments with low-poly vehicles and explosions. The game is rendered in 3D and has an angled, top-down perspective so you can see everything happening on screen in a single glance. PAKO 2 has five huge areas to drive in, and they're all quite different from each other (the desert, downtown, snowy mountains, and more) but pack in a ton of fine details, such as lighting, shadows, and textures. The colors are a nice mix of muted earthy tones to bright, vibrant shades, so everything is visually appealing to the eye. Animations are super smooth and fluid, so there's no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The electro soundtrack is a delight to the ears, and the sound effects are fairly realistic, particularly those police sirens.
Like the original, PAKO 2 has only one game mode, but the gameplay is much more involved now. Previously, you'd just have the car and just outrun the cops as long as you can. The police would get more aggressive the longer you outrun them, making it harder to last.
But in PAKO 2, you must now drive to certain destinations on the huge map and pick up your crew members in the getaway car. They'll shoot down the cops chasing you while you head to the next destination, as indicated by the arrow, to drop them off. Once you drop them off, your car is basically refueled in terms of health, and you get money for your trouble.
Controls in PAKO 2 are the same as the first game. Since the car is always in motion, you're responsible for steering. Just tap on the left side of the screen to steer left, and the right half for turning right. In order to brake, just press both halves at the same time.
If you want to evade the cops and earn some dough, then you're going to have to do some sick moves with these simple controls to outwit them. Their numbers increase and they get more aggressive as time goes on, so make sure you outmaneuver them as well as have your crew take care of them with firepower. Oh, and watch out for their police choppers too.
The more crew members you escort to safety, the more money you earn. Eventually, you will get busted, or just fall down a pit and crash or something along those lines, since each car holds only a certain amount of hit points). The longer you manage to hold out, the better. You'll earn cash depending on your overall performance.
The dough you earn can be spent to purchase new getaway cars or maps. There's a huge plethora of vehicles to choose from, whether you want a sporty muscle car or a rugged pickup truck, to a fancy limo or even the classic Bonnie & Clyde car. No matter what you're looking for, you'll find it for sale in PAKO 2.
If you don't feel like buying a new vehicle just yet, you can spend that cash on new maps as well. These start off reasonably priced, but do get more expensive as you go. I suppose it's a way to prevent players from getting all areas too soon, but still. You'll have to work for the new maps, which are all pretty vast, so there's plenty to discover.
The car chase simulator returns with more action and more expansive locations.
The Good
PAKO 2 is an excellent sequel that fleshes out the simple gameplay mechanic into something much deeper. The graphics are a big step up from the previous game as well, though it still retains some low-poly elements in the proper places. The game also makes it easy to see where your destination is, but it's getting there that's a challenge. The variety of cars and areas to purchase mean the game has high replay value, and honestly, this game is just too fun to put down.
The Bad
While I love almost everything about PAKO 2, I wish that the areas weren't so expensive to unlock. I also noticed that sometimes it's hard to tell when your car flips over or gets reversed, and then you're moving in the opposite direction of where you want to go. It's a little annoying and just hard to see when that happens, so maybe that can be improved somehow.
The verdict
Overall, PAKO 2 is an incredible followup to an already great game. PAKO 2 also has even more polished graphics that are hard to not love, great music and sound, and simple yet effective controls. The new areas are packed with detail and are huge, so there's plenty of room, and the amount of cars you can get are crazy. This is definitely one that you'll be replaying over and over until you have them all.
PAKO 2 is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.6
OVERALL
Replayability 10
Sound/Music 10
Game Controls 9.5
Graphics 9
Gameplay 9.5
PAKO 2
Tree Men Games
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Magic Golf is More Greedy Than Enchanting
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Magic Golf (Free) by Qwiboo is a miniature golf game featuring a cute rabbit and stages that feel like a magical toy box. If you enjoyed games like Super Stickman Golf 3 and Vista Golf, then you may get a kick out of Magic Golf as well.
I'll admit it now — I'm not a huge fan of golf, at least regular golf. I find it boring and slow, personally. However, when you bring up miniature golf, I'm all ears! There's something about these cute mini courses that makes me want to pick up a club and take a swing, even though I can either be lucky or terrible. I think it's the puzzle aspect of it. However, I don't often go out for mini golf, so I usually get my fix through games. The Super Stickman Golf series is one of my favorites, but I'm always eager to check out other mini golf games too. So when I saw Magic Golf, I was enthused to pick it up.
Super Stickman Golf 3
Noodlecake Studios Inc
Vista Golf
Shallot Games, LLC.
Graphically speaking, Magic Golf is definitely pretty to look at. The game's rendered in 3D and it's full of bright and vibrant colors that are appealing to the eyes. The various stages feature what looks like a children's playroom, complete with all sorts of toys and gadgets laying around on the textured, wooden floor. On the courses themselves, it's easy to recognize the different types of obstacles that await you, as well as where your rabbit ball can actually go. Animations are smooth and fluid, so I had no issues with lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The music is rather whimsical and it's all completed by the cute sound effects. Like Qwiboo's other games, Magic Golf is definitely aesthetically pleasing and charming with sound design.
Like most mini golf games on the App Store, Magic Golf is level-based, with thousands of levels from just the developers. In addition to the huge offering from Qwiboo, Magic Golf has a level editor so players can create their own stages, and then submit them to the rest of the community to download and enjoy.
In the regular mode, players must go through each stage chronologically, as the next level does not unlock until you clear the one before it. Up to three stars can be earned on each stage, and the objectives change up every so often. Stars can be earned by completing the stage in a number of specified strokes (par), collecting all of the golden carrots, or finishing before time runs out. Besides the par and countdown, you can play the game at your own pace if you don't care about being perfect with stars.
The level editor allows you to create your own stages, and they can be either "Collect the Carrots" or "Time Attack" mode. You construct your course by putting together varying course tracks, corners, and obstacles together as your heart desires. Then top it off with some decorations. Once you're satisfied with your creation, you can go live with it after naming it and giving it a theme.
Controls in Magic Golf are simple and intuitive. To hit the ball, just pull back on it and aim. An arrow behind the ball indicates the direction you're hitting it towards, and the arrow color changes from green to red depending on power. Then just release your thumb to hit the ball. When it stops moving, that's when you can hit it again. You can also swipe anywhere on the screen besides the ball to adjust the camera angle, in case you need a better view of the course.
While these controls work, I think it could have put the trajectory arrow in front of the ball, rather than only behind. That way it could be easier to aim and see where the ball is actually going to go. Right now, you can only see it from behind, and it doesn't go far enough for you to know where it ends up. I've missed a few pars because I was off by a nanometer or some other ridiculously close measurement.
However, since Magic Golf is a free game, there are limitations to how much you can play at a given time. After every five holes, there's a chest with a timer before it can be opened. This also prevents you from accessing the next five holes, at least until the chest is opened. You can use purple gems to unlock the chest early, or watch an ad to shorten the timer by thirty minutes.
While there are in-app purchases for gems and costume tokens, there's no way to get rid of the ads or timers before getting the next set of holes to play. This is annoying and feels a bit greedy, which is disappointing.
On top of all of the levels that you can play in the game (after waiting a while or paying), there are also costumes that you can unlock for your rabbit. Unfortunately, you need a certain amount of tokens for three rarities (common, rare, and epic) before you can pick out a costume. These are purely cosmetic, and don't affect the gameplay itself in any way. If you don't have enough tokens, you can also buy the costumes through in-app purchases.
The maker of Aqua Globs, Ball King, and Bike Baron has a new mini golf game.
The Good
Magic Golf is a cute golfing game that would appeal to both adults and kids alike. The graphics are bubbly and endearing, the sound is fun, and the gameplay is simple yet challenging. Controls are natural and streamlined for the most part, and there are a ton of levels to get through. Plus, having a level editor means the chance to see the creativity from others.
The Bad
While I wanted to like Magic Golf a lot, there's just too many flaws that prevent it from being good. It's rather annoying that I can't accurately see where the ball will end up, and it's messed up a lot of my strokes so far. Having the aim trajectory arrow in front of the ball, rather than behind, would help out a lot.
The game feels a bit too greedy with the implemented timer system. It's just ridden with timers to advance in stages, along with free chests. And with no option to get rid of the timers and ads, pushing players to get more gems to progress, is just irritating. And with there being thousands of levels, it's a bit of a letdown to only see seven costumes available.
The verdict
There's a few nice things about Magic Golf that make me want to like the game. As an avid fan of adorable things, the visuals and sound design are done well and make the game friendly enough for the whole family. The stages can be straightforward or challenging. And having a level editor opens up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to stages. But all of the good is tainted by the greediness of the timers and the push towards in-app purchases, with no option to just get rid of timers and ads altogether. I wanted to like the game, but this current version just feels like a cash grab.
6.9
OVERALL
Graphics 8
Sound/Music 8
Replayability 6
Game Controls 6
Gameplay 6.5
Magic Golf
Qwiboo Ltd
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