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Pix-n Love Rush

 

 

SCORE: 84

 

Pix-n Love Rush 

 

What would you get if you combined Pac-Man with Space Invaders and then threw in a little Donkey Kong? The end result would probably look a lot like Pix’n Love Rush by Bulky Pix. This pixilated treasure is a blast to play and best of all it’s safe for the kiddies.

The first thing you’re likely to notice about Pix’n Love Rush is the distinctive graphical appearance. The visuals are what I can only describe as retro-modern. I know that’s contradictory, but when you see the 8-bit style graphics with a high-tech polish there’s not many other ways to describe it. Color is not lacking in this game either. The game designers actually utilize the color schemes to increase difficulty as you play which I found to be an interesting way to subtly challenge the player. You may be wondering how the game incorporates the classics I mentioned earlier. For starters your little character looks kind of like Pac-Man would if he had rabies. The enemies are very reminiscent of the baddies in Space Invaders. And although there are no gigantic gorilla’s kidnapping helpless maidens, the platform style level design has you jumping higher and higher giving you that old “hop-the-barrel” feeling. The graphics, like those of the games of old, are safe for all ages. There are no violent or unsavory images in the game making it a safe choice for families.

The music and sound used is also very well done. The music is fast paced and gets you pumped up for the challenge. The sound effects are classic and you’ll never tire of hearing them while playing. Overall the audio is pretty simple but it definitely gets the job done and adds to the fun. There’s nothing offensive about the sounds or music, so that’s another plus in the family safe column.

 There’s not much to be found in the way of extras or unlockable features. The nature of the game is so fast paced that even if there were hidden secrets to be found in the levels you’d never have a chance to look for them. The only unlockable is that when you complete the standard 5 minute mode you will open access to the infinite play mode which allows you to compete for the top spot in the on-line leaderboard. That being said, there is still a great deal of replay value here. Each time you play, the level order is randomized so you’ll likely never play the exact same sequence twice keeping this game fresh. For a buck you get 125 levels of crazy pixel spittin’ fun making this a pretty good value in my book.

pix-n rushThe actual gameplay of Rush has several unique aspects to it. Rush is basically a run and jump platformer with some creative twists. The objective of the game is simple: gobble up as many points as you can while trying to survive. In the standard gameplay mode, you are thrust into a 5 minute blitz of finger tapping fury. You must play through level after frantic level attempting to last out the timer. You control your character using the on-screen left and right arrows, jump button, and fire button. As you start out things are pretty simple. The screen/objects scroll automatically and you direct your character toward the point blocks attempting to collect as many as you can while avoiding the negative point blocks and enemies. As you collect points your score multiplier gradually increases from 0 to x2 to x5 to x10. Each time your score multiplier is increased the color scheme changes making it more difficult to discern between the good objects and the bad. When you hit an enemy or negative point block, your multiplier immediately drops down to the previous tier. As you collect more points it gradually climbs back up. This back and forth battle is just one of the many challenges you’ll endure. The level sequence is randomized so you’re never quite sure what’s coming next. Whether it be levels with platforms that fall as you stand on them or levels with wide gaps you must jump over, there is plenty of variety and challenging action to be found. Your character is also equipped with a pellet shooter to help fend off the baddies. Since the enemies are generally flying overhead, you character spews forth tiny pellets from his mouth upward into the sky. Newton’s law of gravity applies to our little vomiting pac-man as well, so if your pellet doesn’t strike an enemy, watch out because it’s coming back down on you. This encourages the player exercise restraint when firing instead of endlessly shooting a barrage of pellets into the air.

As if this weren’t enough to get your heart pumping, the levels also increase in speed as the 5 minute timer counts down. When you near the end of your 5 minute challenge things get insanely frantic almost to the point of panic. This brought me to the realization that sweaty fingers and an iPod are a bad combination. Through all of the rapid finger movements, I managed to accidently power off my iPod twice while playing. Once you manage to survive the 5 minute mode you will unlock the infinity mode of play so you can really see just how long you can last. While this game was fun, after completing the 5 minute mode it lost a bit of its appeal to me. I would like to see a future release that adds more challenges such as 7 or 10 minute modes to provide a more goal oriented challenge rather than simply unlocking an infinite mode of play. I’d love to see this game expanded and ported to a console or PC platform as well.

While this game is likely too difficult for very young players, it is safe for all ages due to its simplistic retro design and classic gameplay. There is no questionable content here for parents to be concerned about. This game is a lot of fun to play and families could put this to use for some friendly competition. If you are a fan of classic video games, Pix’n Love Rush is a fresh take on a beloved era of gaming.
-Roger

 

Graphics: 83%
Sound: 89%
Replay/Extras: 77%
Gameplay: 87%
Family Friendly Factor: 83%
System: iPhone/iPod Touch
Publisher: Bulkypix
Rating: '4+' for 4+

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