QuickLook.Technobrains

Don’t fret people, I haven’t moved into the realm of adult entertainment here.  Icy Escort is not about a prostitute with a cold.  It’s actually a game about a penguin trying to find her lost babies.  This is the second game (that I’m aware of) from Donut Games that uses a simple “one action” mechanic for interacting with the game, and as far as I’m concerned they can keep pouring them on.  The graphics look good, the music is soothing, and the game is both fun and challenging.

In Icy Escort your mission is to find all your babies that have wandered away.  You’ll travel through 30 levels ranging from “Over The Edge” to “Freeze Factor”, jumping from platform to platform, collecting ice cream and ultimately rescuing all your kids before the time runs out.  What makes  this game different from most platform types is that your character is always moving.  She will continue to go the same direction until she runs into a sign or box or something that forces her to go the other way.  The one influence you have over her actions is that tapping on the screen will make her jump.  Until she’s reached maximum height, the longer you hold your finger down the higher she’ll jump.

Going Down

The only thing you must do in each level is retrieve all your babies before the time runs out.  However, there is also ice cream that you can collect along the way for extra points.  Each level has three stars that you can earn.  The first star is simply for beating the level, and the second and third are based on total points accumulated, which is a mixture of how much ice cream you collect and how quickly you finish the level.  The key to Icy Escort is a combination of timing and jump length.  For each level you need to figure out what the best path through the level is.  If you’re really skilled (I’m not), you’ll also be able to figure out the best combination of time vs. ice cream to get the maximum three stars on a level.  So far I’ve managed that on only one level.

Graphically the game isn’t going to blow you away, but it does look nice.  It hearkens back to a simpler day when not everything had to be pre-rendered 3D images.  The foreground is quite colorful and everything is nicely detailed.  There are little animations like the penguins’ feet wiggling when you jump and snow flying when pull a baby out of its trap.  The background is a bit more subdued, but there’s still plenty of detail where appropriate.  The sound effects aren’t bad, though when you jump it does sound a bit like your penguin is spring loaded.  I rather enjoy the laugh when you rescue a baby penguin or listening to the baby cry “mammy” on the levels where they actually try to come to you.  There appear to be two musical tracks from what I’ve heard, and they are both nicely done.  The tone is lighthearted to fit the mood of the game.

I haven’t quite figured out what the appeal of “one-tap” games is yet, but they sure are fun.  Maybe it’s the fact that you don’t have to worry about pressing 10 things in just the right combination to get something to happen.  Whatever the case, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the simpleness of Icy Escort.  It looks good, it sounds good, and if I get ambitious enough to go for three stars on every level, it will certainly be some time before I’m finished with this game.  Icy Escort is definitely worth a place on your iDevice.

Final Verdict: Recommended
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Reviewed Platform: iPhone
Device Used: iPod Touch
Software Type: Game
Developed By: Shen Mansell

According to the App Store description of Upsi Runner, this game “harks back to the likes of Frogger and Donkey Kong”. Those are big shoes to fill, and unfortunately, Upsi Runner doesn’t really make the grade. It’s a nice start, but it really feels more like a prototype than a fully fleshed out game.

Basically, you play a snail trying to get to the top of each level. Along the way you will be assaulted by butterflies, bombs and devils. It’s up to you to dodge them in your climb to the top. That pretty much summarizes Upsi Runner. Either by touch or tilt you can move your snail left and right. There is no jumping, no climbing ladders, no power ups – nothing. I realize the attempt here was to make a game with a “retro” feel, but even the games quoted in the App Store description had more functionality that Upsi Runner. In Frogger you could move in 4 directions, there were flies and bonuses to get along the way, and there was a wide variety of obstacles per level. In Donkey Kong you had to jump over barrels while you were running, and you could get a mallet to smash things for a short period of time. I appreciate the idea behind a retro game, but you can only strip out so many mechanics before a game just isn’t very interesting any more. There’s a reason that games in most genres advance over time.

The one thing I did really appreciate was the score bonuses. If you could cross a floor (not the entire level) without stopping, you would get extra points. Crossing a floor without ever having to turn back also gets you bonus points, and finishing an entire level without losing a life earns you some points. There are also achievements to be earned for things ranging from number of games played to certain scores reached. These are all well and good, but I’m not sure I’d play the game enough times to earn most of those achievements.

Earn Some Achievements

The graphics in Upsi Runner are decent, but certainly don’t stand out from the crowd. The critters are well animated but a bit on the plain side. The snow covered platforms look cool, and the castle background for one of the levels is pretty neat, but the overall look to the game is quite simple. Even the font used for buttons is kind of blocky and basic, and the letter explosion when you click on a button in a screen full of buttons is a bit cluttered. Audio elements are pretty much non-existent. There is an option to turn sound off, but the only sound I’ve ever heard is the noise made when I press a button. There is no music, and I realize that I can listen to whatever I have on my iPod, but that should be an option, not a feature. Games should have their own soundtrack.

Graphics: 6
Sound: 1
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 4
Usability: 10
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 10

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- No level design
- Repetitive game play
- No sound

PROS:
- Easy to pick up and play
- Lots of achievements to earn
- Graphics are decent

OVERALL::
It’s always nice to see another entry in a genre besides puzzle games. The controls are solid and while the look is a bit simplistic, what exists of the game is polished. It just feels like there should be a whole lot more there. Retro is cool, but I think that this is one of those cases of “how much retro is too retro”. I do hope the developer continues working on projects, because they are headed in the right direction. Maybe next time around the game will feel more complete.

Overall Rating: 7.3
Available Platforms: iPhone
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