Type of app: Puzzle / Arcade game
Platform/where to buy: iPad/iPhone (Universal); available in the App Store
Developer: GameTantra
Description:
Play as Harry, a candy-obsessed boy whose sweet tooth has lead him into a haunting dilemma! Guide him through over 40 levels of mayhem and a never ending survival mode so that he can collect the bounty of a lifetime!
Features
– Unique gameplay combining puzzle solving and frantic arcade action!
– Simple tap controls get you straight into the action!
– Interesting villains, game modes and power-ups to keep you
engrossed for hours!
– Online leaderboards and fun achievements!
– Colorful characters and backgrounds.
– Brilliant soundtrack!
Major features: You control Harry by tapping where you want to go, with the basic goal being to grab as much candy as possible in as short a time as possible. That is pretty much it – except to say that it is a load of fun. Each level has a number of levels, and on each level there are doors to go through, places to hide … and monsters. The goal is always collecting candy fast.
Along the way you will have to deal with a variety of monster types with different skills and tactics, and you will gain new items that give you powers such as speed, warp, freeze time, and so on. There is no ‘combat’ – if a monster spots you, you have failed and need to try again.
As you proceed there are more levels per house, more candy to collect, more challenging monsters, and every now and then you need to rotate your iPad (or iPhone) from portrait to landscape as the halls become wider or narrower. The graphics and sound are very well done and the game looks great on the Retina iPad.
The game is free, and I never felt bothered to spend money. In fact, I had to intentionally look to see how I could spend money – and it ends up that you can buy ‘candy’ in order to obtain special power-ups to aid your performance. I never bought anything, and felt they did a great job of balancing the in-app purchase with the ability to earn your way through.
Ease of use/Overall performance: By now pretty much everyone with an iOS device has played a game with a tiered level structure. It is the sort of thing that became ubiquitous with Angry Birds, and most casual games use it for a reason – it works. You are rated one a 1 to 3 lollipop scale based on how well you performed, and you unlock achievements – both positive and negative – as you accomplish tasks.
The action is fast paced, but the controls are simple and you never feel out of control. Whenever I was caught it was clear that I had made a mistake, which is great compared to some games where failure feels random.
Would use again/recommend?: Absolutely! While there is an obvious Halloween tie-in with the monsters and candy, this is just a fun casual game that is great for a quick play anytime.
Suggested changes/wish list for updates: Nothing.
Price: FREE
Here is the trailer:
