iPhone Game of the Week: Canabalt
Canabalt has been one of my favourite iPhone games ever since buying it several months ago. The game shines by combining a simple, addictive platforming concept (with a surprising amount of depth), and fantastic presentation. The small team over at Semi Secret Software have produced a classic, must own game for everyone with an iPhone.
Canabalt incorporates unique variations on some of the most basic foundations of platformers, namely running and jumping. The goal is to make it the furtherest distance possible by leaping across industrial buildings and avoiding hazardous obstacles - nothing too out of the ordinary there. However, the twist is that players are constantly moving forward, outside of their direct control. The more hurdles you overcome the faster your character runs. Conversely, running into an obstacle such as a box slows you down, although never to a complete stop.
The challenge lies in maintaining lightning fast reflexes as your character’s speed accelerates. It’s an incredibly simple mechanic, but one with an extra layer of depth around maintaining a manageable velocity. Strategically planning which obstacles to hit and avoid is essential to ensure your speed never drops too low or gets too high.
This strategic element is made possible thanks to some extremely tight controls. Much like the concept, Canabalt’s control scheme is very simple - touch the screen to jump. Skill is involved in determining how long to tap the screen as that directly determines the length of your jump. Fortunately, the touch controls are incredibly responsive.
The randomly generated levels have their advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, they ensure the game doesn’t feel too repetitive as each experience is different. However, they can make the difficulty a little unpredictable, adding an element of luck into the mix. Getting a highscore can depend on playing several times until you get a relatively easy run. In the end, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Presentation is another area where Canabalt excels. The visuals feature a minimalist art style, nicely complemented by several subtle touches such as glass shattering, buildings collapsing, birds flying, and futuristic industrial machines moving the background - it’s all very engaging. The sound design is also excellent. The soundtrack will fluctuate between ambient notes and a powerful orchestral climax, which works well with the sounds of your character breathing heavily, and your feet storming across the rooftops. Overall, it’s a great package.
Canabalt is an extremely addictive, well designed platformer that’s a must have for iPhone gamers. The simplistic mechanics will draw you in, and the quest for glory and the hidden depth will keep you around for a long time. My top score so far is a respectable 11,481m.
Verdict: BUY
Developer: Semi Secret Software
Genre: Platformer
Release Date: October 1st, 2009
Price: $2.99
Feel free to send your feedback and/or game suggestions to jordan@gamingunion.net.
