Quick Look: Gold Rush for iPhone
Gold Rush is one of those types of games where you have to get something from point A to point B by laying something else in front of it. In this case the “something” is a train and the “something else” is tracks. The first time I played this game I was ready to dismiss it as a nonsensical attempt at a concept that has proven over the years to be quite fun and challenging. As it turns out, though, Gold Rush actually is pretty fun, and before long does get quite challenging. If only there had been something to tell me how to play…
As mentioned above, the premise behind Gold Rush is to get a train from one station to the other by laying tracks down in front of it. You get a few seconds at the beginning of each level before the train comes out of the first station, but once it starts it’s full speed ahead until it reaches the other station or crashes and burns. To lay down a piece of track you simply click one of the three selections on the right side of the screen and then click one of the empty squares on the playing field. Note that an “empty square” is not just indicated by the lack of tracks. Obviously the stations are off limits, but there are also some squares filled with bushes and other things that can’t be crossed. The only item that can be run over is gold.
This brings us to one innovative feature of the game. Along the route there are piles of gold to be picked up, and you must collect all of them to finish a level. Have no fear if your train enters a station and you missed some gold, because you can go back the other direction to collect the missing treasure. As long as you don’t crash, it appears that you can go back and forth between stations as often as you like. The other cool addition to Gold Rush is the “undo” feature. While there isn’t a true undo, per se, in spirit of the era being captured in the game you can use your unlimited supply of dynamite to blow up unwanted sections of track.
Lots Of Gold
Limiting your view of upcoming pieces to three was a nice mechanic, but it would have been helpful if you could have discarded pieces from the “on deck” section, even if it meant a reduction in score or something. The only way currently to deal with unwanted pieces is to stick them on the board somewhere anyway, and that can get kind of overwhelming after a while. Also, the game desperately needs instructions. The reason I was ready to write a “Not Recommended” review after my first play was because I didn’t really know how to play. I didn’t get that you HAD to collect the gold, and I thought that the random offering of track pieces was poor judgement on their part. I didn’t understand that you actually had to try to plan the route from multiple angles, as it were.
The graphics aren’t earth-shattering, but they are actually pleasant, consistent, and suit the game well. There are some nice touches, like the train folding up before crashing, the smoke billowing out of the train’s stack, and the quivering of the selected piece on the right hand side. The sound effects match the atmosphere quite nicely, as does the music. However, the music does get a bit repetitive in a hurry. At least there is music, though.
What started out as a seemingly haphazard mess ended up being a surprisingly fun and challenging game. Once you figure it out the game play is sold, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the game provides a lot of challenge. If you’re into games that meld casual game play mechanics, think ahead tactics and quick reactions, Gold Rush would be a good game for you.
Final Verdict: Recommended
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[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]
Tags: Comprehensive Reviews, Eric Pankoke, Gold Rush, Puzzle, Quick Look, review, Skywards Games, technobrains
