By Jason Nimer
If
there is one thing that can make or break an iPhone game, its the controls. As
the iOS becomes a true gaming system in its own right, weve seen some ok games
soar and some great ones fall apart, all based on how the developers chose to
utilize the touch screen-only control schemes. Games like Infinity Blade and Cut
the Rope succeed, in large part, to how intuitive, easy and fun they are to
play. On the other hand, great games like the classic Gunstar Heroes, Dungeon
Defenders: First Wave and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light have all fallen
victim to poorly implemented controls. If you take into consideration how an iOS
game controls before buying it, dont hesitate to get Buzz Monkey Softwares
Block Rogue, as it may have the best control scheme yet seen in an iPhone game.
Block Rogue has about the most upfront title youll see in a video game. It
plainly addresses the two main aspects of the title block puzzles and
rogue-like dungeon crawling. The game is, at its heart, a series of
block-pushing puzzles, viewed from a top-down perspective, in a castle with
numerous branching paths. In Bubble Bobble fashion, you complete one puzzle to
gain access to the next, all the way to the games conclusion. The puzzles are
fun, the graphics are pretty good in an old-school SNES kind of way and the text
in-game can border on really, really funny. As a puzzle game with a good amount
of replay, Block Rogue shines in every category.
So what about these controls? What makes them so great? Well, you can play
through the entire game using only one hand and you wont have to worry about
being imprecise. Each swipe on the iPhones screen will move your character
exactly one space in the direction of your swipe. You can then pause, take a
look at your options and move again, one space at a time. This is a HUGE
development for those of use who spend a lot of time with iOS gaming. Why? Most
iOS gaming is done on the go, and Ive found most two-handed controls schemes
dont work too well with a cup of coffee (or whatever else) in one hand. I used
to be a smoker, and this kind of thing would have been a godsend for those 10
minute breaks outside. The fact that Block Rogues one-handed controls work so
well only makes it sweeter; in my time with the game, I hardly ever made a move
I didnt intend to. As more and more developers catch on to what iOS games need
to include (and what must never be included), things like this show the
fledgling platform has a bright future ahead.
Now, if youre the kind of gamer who dreads these types of puzzles when they
pop up in your games, then Block Rogue isnt going to change your mind. But if
this kind of puzzle appeals to you, and the control scheme that makes this a
truly whenever, wherever sounds good, then by all means give Block Rogue a go.
There are a lot less worth ways to spend two or three bucks.
Final Rating: 90%
