There’s a huge problem with great games. They invariably result in sequels and knockoffs which frequently are a letdown from that first love.
Nearly 30 years after the debut of Marble Madness there’s still not a ball-rolling game matching its zany addictiveness. But such games are a natural for the iPhone and other tilt-sensitive devices, so plenty of programmers are willing to try. So many I’ve stopped trying to keep up, even though Atari’s arcade hit is on my all-time top-five list.
Aerox, however, caught my eye. The screenshots undoubtably were a factor, as the graphics are absolutely gorgeous and in deep-blue hues conducive to relaxation. But something unspoken also suggested a superiority to most in controls, physics and diversity of challenges.
It’s not going to make me give up playing the original Marble Madness on my Mac’s MAME emulator (complete with a premium-quality $180 trackball/joystick controller purchased to truly replicate those old quarter-eating days). But Aerox is the best of its type I’ve found to take on the road.
Play takes place on a series of platforms at sea that are sort of the antitheses of BP in appeal. Each level begins with a skippable panorama of the playfield to be navigated, but the first few times I was too absorbed with the cloud-streaked blue seascape to pay much attention (screenshots for the upcoming iPhone 4 HD version are even more spectacular). Luckily, early stages are simple and an as-you-play tutorial offers all the guidance one needs.
The perspective is third-person 3D with the camera rotating automatically behind the ball, but the tutorial immediately explains how to control or prevent movement with simple touch screen gestures. Tilting predictably moves the marble in any direction, and it’s important to start with your device in a comfortable “level” position since that’s the default for the level (it can be re-calibrated by pausing the game). Falling off the platform means restarting from the beginning of the level, although your progress and best times are saved for those completed.
Responsiveness, acceleration and physics are intuitive from the start, definitely part of what sets Aerox apart from many rivals where the player is adjusting his/her reality to the game. The levels feature all kinds of unique twists, objects and aids through its 30 increasingly difficult levels, but one of the great things I’ve found so far is how “unplugged” they feel, in keeping with the overall environment. Boards need to be knocked over to make ramps, boxes pushed around to cross gaps, springs hit at the right angle to launch the ball to higher planes and so on. Maybe lasers and zombies are waiting to knock you from the ledges toward the end, but this is a case where less flash definitely equals more fun.
Easy as it is to get sucked into playing Aerox, its flaws may inhibit its longevity. Probably the feature I’d like to see most is checkpoints so partial progress through a level is recognized (or the option of the Marble Madness approach where marble reincarnates roughly where it met its demise). I found myself styled by certain challenges near the end of some levels and being forced to cover lots of simpler familiar ground just for another attempt lasting a few seconds was the most common reason I found myself quitting the app. A contrarian gripe is despite the frustration of repetition, I’m progressing quickly enough to think 30 levels of play isn’t going to take overly long to complete. The developer says he’s considering adding more levels, but not making any commitments. Finally, a small irritation is the online score board doesn’t seem to work (yet?).
None of the flaws are serious enough keep most fans of this type of game from getting plenty of enjoyment for their $1.99. Adjusted for inflation, that’d probably be good for 15 minutes of Marble Madness coin-op action, not including the Band-aids for the inevitable pinched fingers and palms.
By Mark Sabbatini
Aerox by Synoptical Studios Ltd.
$1.99
Platform Reviewed: iPhone/iPod (Requires iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later)
Category: Puzzle/Arcade
Language: English
Rated 4+
19.6 MB
