Game Review: BADLAND

Title: BADLAND
Type: iPhone app
Genres: Side-scroller, action adventure, puzzle
Developer: Frogmind
Rating: 5 Stars

I was instantly drawn to the atmospheric art in BADLAND. It’s as if a space station crash landed and a few hundred years of forest growth had taken it over. Yet, there are still functioning gears, saws, and exploding elements. And a host of silhouetted bunnies that stare creepily at you from the background.

And then we have our character, a pudgy thing that flies. I’ve taken to calling them ‘hedgies’ since they look remarkably similar to a squeaking hedgehog toy my dog gets overly possessive about. The hedgies move in response to screen tapping—if you hold your finger down, he flies to the top of the screen, let go and he falls to the ground. A multitude of things can happen to the hedgies from power ups: grow, shrink, multiply, spin, or get super sticky.

Pretty simple, yeah? Well, some of the puzzles and obstacles become quite difficult. Bombs sometimes look like just a normal part of the scenery; other times spiky balls of death look like a bomb that might propel hedgie through the landscape. Some puzzles take two or three plays just to find out what you need to do. Then getting the timing and luck right may take 5+ more.

While some of the trickier puzzles make me want to throw my phone across the room (a desire I have so far kept at bay), I cannot stop playing. I become a little masochistic with difficult, yet simplistic puzzles—playing until I’m a fuming ball of hate, and then I keep going. Yet despite that, these are my favorite. It’s a gorgeous challenge with a mix of thinking, timing, and dexterity.

Not only can I become a fuming ball of hate in single player, but I can also attempt to ruin my friendships with multi-player mode! A player wins if their hedgie survives the longest or they have more points from course time and clones saved. Levels are filled with the same tricky traps as single player, but now opponents can kill their rivals by pushing them off screen, squishing them, and knocking them into traps. At least with consoles there is a slight distance, but on the iPhone or iPad the potential ex-friends are huddled close with easy elbow jabbing potential.

Despite all of that, I love this game. I highly recommend it for fans of Portal, Jetpack Joyride, Limbo, and Super Meat Boy.

Find BADLAND online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | App Store

App Review: Smule Magic Piano

Title: Smule Magic Piano
Format: iOS
Developer: Smule, inc

Description:
Ever wished you could play the piano? Well Smule’s got you covered. With Magic Piano, users can play songs by tapping the on-screen lights. Choose anything from Beethoven’s Für Elise, to Coldplay’s Clocks, to the Legend of Zelda themes song. User’s can also share their renditions with the Magic Piano community, as well as listen to those of other user’s.

My Thoughts:
Like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Magic Piano simplifies a musical instrument for us who are less musically inclined. In this app, as long as you are somewhat in rhythm and in the vicinity of the dot, you’re doing fine. And even the dot proximity can be turned off so that you can hit anywhere on the screen.

I find the experience rather relaxing. I enjoy rhythm and music games, and my usual fair are much more difficult. So I can zone out while I play this and still unlock achievements.

However, I have run into a couple glitches. About every other time the achievement/goal box pops up, it doesn’t go away and the close box button doesn’t work. The only way I found to get rid of it is to close the program. The other has to do with not counting songs towards an achievement. That being said, the app has been out for less than a month on the iPhone.

Some great things: a weekly free song, ability to earn “Smoola” (the in-game currency) through simple tasks, like watching an ad, and Solo mode, where you can create your own freestyle music.

Overall, a very entertaining app for music lovers. I recommend it, with the cautionary statement towards glitches, but I’ll assume those will be taken care of with updates.

Now, enjoy Smule’s video of a small rodent playing Magic Piano on the iPhone against a cat on the iPad.

Find Smule online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Google+

What do you think of Smule’s Magic Piano? Or Buddy vs. Penny? Tell me in the comments below.