Reviewed by Sarah Hanlon

RunNoahRun is a retro side-scrolling game for iPhone and iPad has potential and seems like a more controlled version of Flappy Bird.

Developed by Bereket Tewelde, this fairly new game is off to a decent start but it needs a bit of work.

Concept and Gameplay:

If you’ve read other reviews of mine here on The iPhone App Review, you’ll know I’m a stickler for tutorials, whether they’re interactive or just helpful text bubbles when you first start a game.

Tutorials make it easy for new players to pick up a game and play it without getting frustrated. Unfortunately RunNoahRun doesn’t include a tutorial, but the four buttons on the screen control your characters vertical and horizontal movement.

I truly love retro 8-bit games, but RunNoahRun was a bit of a disappointment. The menu looks squished and distorted on my 6S Plus, and actual gameplay is very choppy.

Noah stutters across the landscape, which is frustrating. Character motion definitely needs to be smoothed out in order to make the gameplay experience better.

There are four stages to unlock, but it’s unclear how to do so. I couldn’t find anything in RunNoahRun that shows your score. You don’t earn points during gameplay, but you do get three lives before the game is over. Lack of score and direction on how to unlock additional stages is irritating to say the least.

Features:

RunNoahRun iPhone Game

Unfortunately RunNoahRun is pretty bare on features. It doesn’t include Game Center integration so you can’t earn achievements or compete on leaderboards. I definitely think the game would benefit from powerups at the very least so players have something to actually work towards.

As I mentioned before, RunNoahRun doesn’t even keep track of your score, which is something that’s generally included in a game. Hopefully an update will include score tracking functionality so players are motivated to keep playing the game.

Value:

RunNoahRun is available to download from the App Store for free and is universally compatible with iPhone and iPad. The game is supported by ads at the bottom of the screen, but they don’t seem to appear during gameplay.

Overall, RunNoahRun certainly has potential when it comes to being a retro side-scroller. The basics are there, but vital features such as scores and smoother gameplay are missing. Once these issues are addressed, this will be a great iOS game to enjoy.

RunNoahRun requires iOS 6.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.