RollOut Brings New Spin to iPhone Platform Gaming

Rather than go the typical route of either (a) cloning the popular app Doodle Jump or (b) attempting to emulate directional-pad or arcade buttons on the touch screen, a French developer by the name of Bulky Pix has created a quality new platform-style game together with Artik Entertainment and Fishing Cactus. The recently-launched and very original OpenFeint-enabled game is called RollOut, and it takes a more Lemmings-like approach and replaces virtually all avatar control with a more innovative scheme. The player avatar Wabba, a lovable mixture of Pac-Man and Sonic the Hedgehog, begins by rolling continuously from left to right, with the level looping when he reaches the end. However, in a unique twist, there are a myriad of scrolling (right to left) icons on the screen that can control his movements, and it is these that the player moves to influence Wabba's path. As simple as it sounds, this easy-to-learn game comes off as refreshingly new, with just the right touch of puzzle-solving. Each level is a simple layout of platforms, scrolling icons, other environmental “hazards,” plus a psychedelic-looking exit portal. The goal is to guide Wabba from his entrance point to the exit portal located somewhere on the higher platforms. The icon “controls” represent movement mechanics. If they point up, and Wabba touches them, he will jump up; if they point right (the direction he is rolling), they will make him move faster. There are other icons that add to the depth, including the ability to slow down and even stop. Here’s the catch: all of these control icons scroll at precise and slow intervals, so the player must touch the screen and move the icons into Wabba’s path in order to allow him to reach higher platforms. This creates a tremendous challenge in regards to both timing and planning. It's also worth noting that while the controls are being moved, it's not possible for Wabba to interact with them, so choices must be made quickly and accurately. Any mistakes, and you may find yourself back at the bottom of the level. To add an additional challenge, there are also a number of environmental “hazards”. Not all of these elements are negative, but each has its own unique role to play in the course of each level. They include moving elevators that stop Wabba’s movement completely when he rolls atop them (at least until it has taken him up to a higher platform), platforms that only appear when Wabba is going a certain speed, and areas that disable all icons while Wabba is inside them. The challenge added by this icon disabling zones is fantastic. It adds a level of difficulty that requires true finesse to accomplish. However, it can also lead to frustration, as sometimes the jumps are so precise make it nearly impossible to get Wabba to hit an icon as he traverses a tiny gap between two disabling zones; additionally, the game does not always appear to recognize that he is, indeed, in the right place during the time allotted. It’s not an enormous issue, and it can be worked around, but it does get annoying from time to time. But even this negative, in an odd way, can work in the player’s favor. RollOut is actually very forgiving when it comes to making jumps. So long as Wabba is even remotely on the edge of the platform and above it, he will roll his way onto it. Despite a few minor irritants, RollOut's gameplay is a great deal of fun, creating a fine marriage between thoughtful puzzle solving and twitchy platforming reactions. Moreover, as the game has no way to actually die – if you fall, you merely try again within the endlessly repeating level – it is a great app for your average iPhone user. The final layer to RollOut is its OpenFeint integration, which adds social mechanics to the game. Like many mobile, social platform-enabled titles, RollOut’s integration consists of mere achievements that you can share amongst your OpenFeint friends. It’s simple, yes, but it works for the game concept. Honestly, if there were any major social disappointment, it’s that the game notes Facebook and Twitter compatibility, but does not yet appear to be integrated anywhere (unless you count OpenFeint's prompt to search for Twitter and Facebook friends). Future platformers would do benefit from spending more time on social features. Overall, RollOut is a fantastically creative game that feels deceptively simple. Its combination of platform based mechanics and its slower paced, puzzle solving elements make it well worth the $0.99 price tag. Frankly, it’s a perfect title to kill some time when you’re on the go or just looking to procrastinate a little. Granted, it does fall a little short presentation-wise, and the social elements were a tad disappointing based on what the app’s page states as a feature -- but all in all, compared to the excellent game play, these points are all things easily forgiven.

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RollOut Brings New Spin to iPhone Platform Gaming

Christopher Mack

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Christopher Mack