Roll Out
SCORE: 71
This simple yet challenging game from Fishing Cactus offers players 50 levels of fur ball flipping fun. If flipping fur balls isn’t your forte, well I guess you’re out of luck because that’s about all Roll Out has to offer.
Roll Out keeps the graphical design uncomplicated. Basically all levels consist of the same few elements. Firstly, you have Wabba. He’s the little creature that looks like something the cat coughed up. Admittedly the analogy is a little gross, but you get the idea. Wabba looks like a mix between a hedgehog, a rat, and a Chihuahua with the eyes of a fish. Wabba is well drawn and the graphics are crisp. Secondly are the gameplay elements consisting of round action icons, platforms, and the exit door. The details are kept to a bare minimum on all levels and the colors used are mostly blacks and grays with a small splash of color here and there. Visually the game is not very exciting and has very little variety from level to level.
The audio in Roll Out is also minimal. There are very few sound effects which leaves the game feeling a little dull. Some additional action sounds would have made things a lot more entertaining. As for the background music, it is very repetitive and what’s worse is that the beat will be stuck in your head long after the game has ended. I’m not saying that an iPod game that only costs a buck or two should be expected to have a full sound track and high-def sound effects, but a little extra effort in this area could have made the game much more enjoyable.
The replay value of Roll Out I’m afraid will be negligible for most gamers. There are no apparent unlockable features and few incentives to replay. The game does feature the increasingly popular OpenFeint which gives players access to leaderboards, achievements, and an on-line community of gamers. Other than these features, beating the in game clock is the only enticement to draw you back in.
Roll Out has one unique feature that sets it apart from other platform games. Instead of controlling your character, you actually control the game board itself. Using a single finger you drag the screen to align the action icons Wabba uses to perform things such as jumping, speeding up, and slowing down. Initially I was confused as to how to control the game. After a brief review of the game’s help menu things were explained and I was able to guide Wabba to the exit. The game is surprisingly difficult and the difficulty of the levels increases quite rapidly. Players will complete the levels by repetition and sometimes by sheer luck. The number of attempts required to find your way to the exit is frequently frustrating and slowly saps the fun out of it. Due to the very limited level variety, players will likely lose interest in this game quickly.
Roll Out has no offensive content to speak of and is safe for anyone
to play. Even children not old enough to understand the concept of the
game may get some brief entertainment from watching Wabba spin and
bounce around. Wabba is an interesting and unique video game character.
A sequel to Roll Out with some more level variety and refined details
could be a hit.
-Roger
Graphics: 70%
Sound: 67%
Replay/Extras: 67%
Gameplay: 71%
Family Friendly Factor: 78%
System: iPhone/iPod Touch
Publisher: Fishing Cactus
Rating: '4+' for 4+
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