iPod Games Review Roundup (page 7 of 8)
- September 15, 2006 19:26 PM PST
- Email this!
Zuma
Zuma's one of the better "launch" iPod games. It's essentially a circular variation on the classic Bust-A-Move, with players attempting to chain multi-colored bubbles together to score combo points. It's simple enough, and the iPod's touch-sensitive controls respond reasonably well.
Sadly, the visuals and sounds tend a bit towards the dull side. Where Vortex dazzles with its spacey, almost psychedelic soundtrack, Zuma sounds more muffled and gritty. On the other hand, it does offer choruses of "ooga chaka," so that's gotta be worth something. Visually, Zuma isn't much a thriller: at least it doesn't slow down, even when crowded by dozens of balls.
But it's fun, at least in short bursts. Zuma isn't as intoxicatingly addictive as Bust-A-Move (Apple needs to port this classic to the iPod, and pronto), but it's a suitable substitute in the meantime. All in all, there are far worse ways to spend five bucks.
Fun Factor: 3.75
Pac-Man
Namco's little yellow mascot never seems to go away, and now he's sprung up on the ultimate consumer electronics device. Unfortunately, this translation is a classic case of too little, too late. Pac-Man is good, clean fun, but nearly thirty years after its original arcade introduction, it's simply showing its age.
The iPod port certainly puts in a strong effort. There are a decent array options, including difficulty settings (Easy, Normal, and "Original"), brightness and audio settings, and so forth. Nothing terribly exciting, but a solid suite. The visuals look bright and clear, too, on the iPod's brilliant little 2.5'' screen. Pac-Man signature "chewing" animation, though, looks a bit stilted, but that could just be our overactive imaginations. Sound and music sound arcade-perfect...then again, porting over 1979-era tunes isn't exactly rocket science.
The controls are bit more mixed. Rather than press the action iPod button to control Mr. -Man's movements, you'll use the touch-sensitive wheel: tap on the left side to make Pac turn left, etc. It's a solid premise, and it works fairly well, but it's only a matter of time before the sensor fails you and poor Pac ends up as hapless prey for a vengeful ghost.
Between the untrustworthy controls and the game's sheer age -- good luck getting any modern ten year-old to play this dust-choked dinosaur -- this Pac just ain't what he used to be. We say it's time to give the hard-working little guy a break, already, and let him retire with Ms. Pac-Man to raise those precocious Pac-Grandkids of his.
Fun Factor: 2.5
