Hyper Jump

Camel Games is no stranger to the Android having produced some of its best games. With their current library of titles I'm puzzled as to why they don't yet seem to have a website to better market their wares. It's also been interesting to see them grow in terms of quality and Hyper Jump is another example of their experience.

Hyper Jump is another jumping game based on the premise introduced by Doodle Jump, and I'm pleased to see that it does do something different. However, before we get there let me say that the graphics and sound on this titles are very well executed. The background, unlike its inspriration, is very colorful and pretty. And the 'ahhhhh' sound of climbing is really very well done along with the cha-ching of gathering coins and so forth. Controls are flawless with the simple tilt left and right control scheme that makes this game so good on mobile devices. The game play is as smooth as silk and Hyper Jump is a pretty game to look at.

The premise of the game is that you're trying to jump as high as you can. As you jump you are trying to collect coins (and other power ups). Coins are not only points, but also act as energy to fly higher... in fact, I'd say the little guy in this game flies more so than jumps. If you're out of energy you fall and MUST touch a coin on the way down to get more energy and that's where the game is different. There are no platforms to land on or wait on while you think of your next move. This game has you going and going and going until the end which, for me, arrives very quickly. My current high score is a paltry 3,993 with 59,224 currently occupying the top spot on the global leader board by a solid margin.

I do wish this game had instructions... but I'm sounding like a broken record with that complaint. If it did, I wouldn't have to figure out that the number in the upper left is how many coins have been collected... upper right is your height... and your score is equal to 5 times the number of coins collected plus your height. It would also be nice to know what power ups are available, the exact difference between the red and gold coins (are reds worth 5 or something?), ...etc so I could play instead of having to experiment to figure out something that could (and should) have been communicated. The game also offers different characters... one has one eye and the other has two eyes. Is there any real difference between the two? And how about the scene that is coming soon... will it change the game or will it be just art work?

As for the game, it is both excellent and enjoyable despite me having to figure out the 'rules'. It is well worth the $1.99 introductory price tag (although that seems like a good price to keep the game at to me). 5/5 stars for something that has and will keep me coming back for more.

My Traffic

Polish. Often that's the difference that separates the good games from the great ones. My Traffic is a great example of this. I know you're probably sick of hearing about Flight Control, but what made that game great? Was it really innovative? It only took a concept that was used in Root Beer Tapper in the early 80s (and I don't know that it was really first) and converted it to airplanes. What made it great was polish, and that's why so many of the Android clones of the game fell short.

My Traffic is a game about controlling the flow of traffic. You are the "traffic master" and can seamlessly turn traffic lights from red to green and back again. Your goal is to get a predetermined number of cars safely on their way. If you go "green happy" cars are sure to crash and go boom ending the game. The game's graphics are fair, audio non-existent, and controls consist of simply tapping on the traffic lights (so it makes a great touch screen game). I'm actually very happy to have this game as I've been enjoying a similar game on another mobile gaming platform. The problem is that I'm spoiled... the other platform's version is much more polished.

Where to begin? First, this game has a little bit of slowdown in it. Is it when many cars are on screen at the same time? I'm not sure... but I do see it. It's there, but not a deal breaker in any way. Next, there's the collision detection... cars will explode even when they didn't actually touch. You can see on screen that they are not touching... just exploding. I'm guessing every car has an invisible box around it and if two overlap then that's a collision and the developer wasn't very forgiving. Finally, the "other" game has a really neat collision sequence where a crash doesn't actually end the game... it just prevents other cars from proceeding which usually ends the game. The physics of such crashes is actually a thing of beauty. Not here. Boom... game over.

But... this game is Fun with a capital F. The levels advance at a good pace with the exception of the utterly ridiculous and unnecessary level one (hint... you do nothing, but watch the cars go by). The core game play is all in place. And the game is less than a dollar (priced at half a euro or US $.65) and worth every penny. I'd really love to see the developer fix the slow downs, improve the collision detection, perhaps spice up the graphics a bit, and add those cool crashes versus instant death. I'd also love to see world peace. 3.5/5 stars and probably my lowest rating for a game I'd still heartily recommend.

Everlands

I wish someone had told me about Everlands sooner. It's been on my review list (along with about 30 other games) for a few weeks, and it's a perfect match for the strategy lover in me. But what about you? Let's take a look...

Everlands is a turn based strategy game in which you command a force of good animals in their battle over a group of animals that have turned to the dark side. Fortunately, there are ways to make an animal see the light. Unfortunately, there are also ways to bring evil to the heart of the toughest minded critter. Each animal has a health (the amount of damage it can take) and a strength (the amount of damage dished out when it attacks/defends) and is capable of attacking only a select number of adjacent hex spaces. Each animal also has its own special capabilities such as the leopard. Usually, after placing an animal, defenders attack first, but not so with the speedy leopard. Your goal is to control more than 50% of the board when the game is over.

Everlands includes excellent instructions and a solid tutorial mode to get you playing quickly which is a rarity in Android gaming. The game's graphics consist of a hexagonal grid of tiles (with a layout specific to each scenario) and the audio includes appropriate sounds indicating selection and a nice, relaxing score for the intro music. Controls rely entirely on the touch screen to select an animal tile from those available (shown along the bottom of the screen) and then selecting where to place it. Should you make a mistake nothing is actually done until you press the 'make my move' button in the upper right. Furthermore, the game will give you expert advice as to what to do next if you need it by pressing a star icon at the top of the screen. I tried using the expert advice in a real match and it worked well (and won) so don't use that crutch too often.

The game itself consists of a story mode containing 20 missions which are of moderate difficulty and a two-player match mode. This is really the only shortcoming of this well crafted game... once you're done with story mode you either have to find an opponent to play with in hot seat mode or you're done with the game. Additional scenarios... the ability to play with different maps against different levels of AI... and network play would be welcomed by many I am sure.

Looking for a great strategy game clearly worth its price tag? Look no further. I can only hope Hexage improves my play options to increase the longevity of this cute and entertaining title. 4/5 stars for a game that's over before I say it's over. The video trailer for the game follows...

We can beat GIANT MONSTERS !! (Part II)

Please note that this is Part II of yesterday's review... please read Part I first. Soon these two parts will be merged into one, but I leave it this way for now for my regular readers...

Victory is mine! I successfully vanquished the Fire Dragon and advanced. What I didn't understand about the game was that I could go back and beat the first boss monster again (and again [and again...]). Does that really make sense? To me it detracts from the feeling of advancement the game should offer. Unfortunately, my feelings of monotony have become more than just feelings. I have graduated to a point where the game consists of wandering around in randomly generated dungeons... killing monsters (that are now way too easy to kill)... gathering a few staple items... and eventually getting enough ore to upgrade my weapons / armor so that I can kill the next 'boss'.

I had mentioned that I thought it was cute that the first boss took a break in the middle of my fight. It's not as cute when they all do it. It's also a bit of a nuisance when monsters off in the distance seemingly disappear (maybe they took a break, too?).

This game started off in a very promising way... a simple story, fast action (you can get around VERY quickly), and some interesting graphics. Once all is said and done and you get past the first 5 minutes of play the game becomes repetitive and dull with the only incentive to keep playing being getting to see the next boss and maybe, just maybe... an interesting ending. 3/5 stars for a game that needs more (far more!) filling in the middle.

We can beat GIANT MONSTERS !! (Part I)

How could a game called "We can beat GIANT MONSTERS !!" (or WcbGM for short, not that it needs to be shortened) possibly not be a hit??

WcbGM is an RPG Dungeon Crawler. You are tasked with being 'Hero' and saving your sister from paralysis by collecting Dragon Scales and lots of them. The game starts with you in the castle learning the details of your adventure. I saw a post in the Market wondering how to get to the dungeon... and, not to give too much away, you have to talk to people multiple times. They don't necessarily just repeat the same speech.

The game uses a bit of a 3D presentation when showing a dungeon, but everything is really just basic 2D tiled sprites and the map, while presented in an almost isometric kind of view, is also tiled. The controls are simple... on screen left, right, up and down buttons along with an action button keep things moving. And combat is all turn based so the twitch issues of a virtual DPad are not an issue with this game.

Each quest seemingly involves heading down in the dungeon, finding, and then killing a monster...err, a GIANT MONSTER !! Ok, I jest a bit about the title and it's probably because of the translation from Japanese that provides a funny name and some dialog in broken English. On the other hand, if I could speak Japanese this well then I'd consider myself fluent.

As you'll note, I labeled this review 'Part I' and didn't get a new review up last night. That's because I headed to the dungeon and knocked off my first monster like clockwork, but second one is kicking my a@@. I'm stuck in a "head down... get stuff... head up... level up..." loop that I'm hoping is just an oversight as it's way monotonous. I don't want to write this off until I kill my second monster as it got off to a great start.

A few highlights, though, and one is that the dungeon is random EVERY time. Yes, every time go down and back up... and then return you get a NEW dungeon. Each level is small and manageable, but you don't get the benefit of remembering where everything is. In fact, everything in the dungeon regenerates each time as well and that's actually pretty key to the game. Next, when I fought my first giant (or boss) monster he, in the midst of combat, tells me he's decided to take a break and wanders off. I've never had a monster be that rude to me before and I thought it was very cute and funny. The game really got off on the right foot.

Right now I'm at a 4/5 stars for this game, but we'll see if things change after the second monster or if it just becomes a repetitive gathering of the same couple of items with little additional story... and while you wait here's a video of the game to look at (and note that despite the video having Japanese text the game HAS been fully translated to English).

Impossible Level Game

Is this a game or not? I don't really know how to classify it. Impossible Level Game from HyberBees has been generating some solid ratings in the Android Market so I thought I'd try it out and then you can decide if this is something that will float your boat.

First, the game's Market advertising says that if you're smart then this is for you and if you're dumb then don't bother. I know it's just marketing, but I've hated that kind of thinking ever since I stopped doing it. Different people are gifted in different areas and just because your logic skills aren't the best doesn't mean you're stupid. Maybe composing music is your bag or perhaps architecture or God knows what. On the other side, does this game really need brains of any sort? Once again, debatable and I'll give a sample puzzle and solution (along with an appropriate spoiler alert) at the end of this review.

Impossible Level Game essentially consists of several puzzles. The first two aren't really puzzles, but are more of a 'follow directions' kind of thing and then after that it is all about puzzles. Or maybe it's all about trial and error. I think it's probably a little bit of both. Some of the puzzles involve going back to prior puzzles and redoing them which is particularly annoying when it requires typing a previously found password over and over and over again. At the same time, some are cute and you can redo the puzzle the hard way, as if you've never seen it before, or apply your new knowledge and short circuit it.

The other negative (and positive) side of this game is replay value. Once you're done with the puzzles then you're done with the game. For less than $1.50 that may still be a good deal as, for example, take an adventure game or, better yet, let's be time relevant and use StarCraft as an example. One of my best memories of that game was when Kerrigan became a Zerg. They executed it so well, but it's a one time event like watching a movie or reading a book. If a game is going to offer a true 'adventure' then it really needs to be this way. For that I heartily applaud this title. Unique and innovative little riddles, puzzles, or mysteries that you solve once and then you're done, but will pull your hair out in doing so. This entertainment 'model' can make for an outstanding 'one time through' experience. Does it do so here?

In this case, it's probably going to all come down to your personality. And here's the promised sample puzzle (spoiler alert... skip the rest of this paragraph as I'm going to hand you a solution to a puzzle): The screen shot (sorry it's so small... it came from their Facebook site) has a spoon on it and says "There is no spoon!" at the top. Ok, what do I do? Click on the spoon and it gives you a hint suggesting that you bend the spoon... so I'm busy doing all sorts of gestures on the screen to try and bend the spoon. And is a bent spoon not a spoon??? I guess that is a philosophical question that won't be debated here. Nonetheless, after fiddling eventually (and I don't recall if it was an accident or what) I moved a little square that matched the background's color in the lower left of the screen and then realized I could drag it. Behind said square was a hammer that I had to drag onto the spoon. And then it bends. Personally, I don't feel that I used any brain power in solving that... I think I got lucky or eventually saw the microscopic visual clue of a bit of white peeking out at me. At the same time there was an 'a-ha' moment when I noted the little square could move and that there was something behind it.

This isn't an ordinary game and I always like innovation. I would have liked it more had I felt that there was less trial and error. I wish I could go into detail, but every puzzle I give away makes the game that much less relevant. 3.5/5 stars.

PhoneFraze Pro Sale

PhoneFraze Pro is on sale down from $3.99 to $0.99. Quite a deal! PhoneFraze is a GREAT party style game that features 3 modes of play for 3 or more players. In a nutshell, your phone displays a phrase and you have to gesture or provide hints to help the next person in your circle guess what the phrase is. Once they get it you pass the phone to them and they press the Got It! button. The person left holding the phone (i.e. unable to communicate their guess) loses points. My only fear would be dropping the phone as I pass it around so make sure you have insurance before playing. Click on the title of this article to link over to their website for a video and more details on the game. If you're into party games then you won't want to miss out on this deal.

Blackjack Attack

Blackjack Attack hit the Android Market a while ago. Essentially it's a bit of a cross between Blackjack and Klondike (aka the version of Solitaire that is standard on Windows). The brief instructions say that I need to get as close to 21 as possible (duh, it's blackjack), do it as quickly as possible, I can skip X cards depending on the difficulty, and to hit 'End Round' when I'm done to collect my score? Crystal clear? Nope, not for me either. The instructions need help.

In Blackjack Attack you can choose between having 3, 4, or 5 stacks in which to play. Each stack essentially holds a blackjack hand. As in Klondike you will deal cards off of the top of the deck and place them on these stacks and thus you will build multiple blackjack hands at the same time. While this is going on there is also a timer that is counting down. If the timer hits zero before you are done playing cards then your score will be nada, zero, zilch because the amount of time left is multiplied by the sum of a score multiplier plus bonuses. Your score multiplier is determined by how close you get to 21 with each of your stacks (and there's a table on the right side of the screen that displays the multipliers for each score). Bonuses are earned for accomplishments such as not using your skips to skip cards, getting 21 with 3 cards, and so forth. Needless to say, when you don't think you're going to continue to improve your hand you will want to be hitting that End Round button to get as large of a time multiplier as possible.

The graphics for the game are appropriate and you'll see the resemblance to Klondike in the screen shot. I keep making the comparison, but please not that this game does NOT play like Klondike. The pressure that the timer places on you gives it its own, distinct feel. Controls are simple... just use the touch screen to draw cards from the pile in the upper left to one of your stack, or press either of the two buttons. A game consists of two rounds and it's possible to earn a bonus round which I did once, but don't know how or why. Why can't games come with decent instructions that explain these things?? In fact, while playing I found myself adding up the values of my hands in order to decide where to play cards before I noticed that the game does that for you just above each stack.

If you like card games and enjoy the added pressure of a timer then I think this will be right up your alley. As with any game that has a deck of cards, luck of the draw will be a factor in how high you can score. On my first game using 5 stacks I believe the first 9 of my cards were 10s or face cards (i.e. value 10) making for a less than spectacular start. But other games weren't like that. The game also, unlike Klondike, plays very quickly... a couple of minutes and you're done and I think that is ideal for a mobile game. At the same time I doubt you'll want to play 10 times in a row. 4/5 stars for a clever take on a game that works pretty well.