Rayman Jungle Run

GOOD MORNING WORLD! Ok so I know it’s been a while but not to bore you with the details apparently planning a marriage takes up more time that I initially thought. That and Borderlands 2 and all its glorious DLC isn’t gonna play itself right?!?

Ok so here we go again. Just a tiny little review of a brilliant little IOS game to get me back into the swing of things! And the game in question is Rayman Jungle Run!

This game is the perfect example of two things. First, it’s the perfect example of how to make and update an iPhone game. Secondly it’s a perfect example of a developer not being lazy and just porting over a mobile version of the original console game.

See Rayman Origins is one of the finest examples of the platforming genre this generation. Old school in its difficulty and requirement for the player to have pinpoint precision with the controls, it would have surely been a mess on a touch screen gaming device. No doubt requiring the player to use those nasty virtual touch screen directional buttons. Yuck. So rather than do that, Ubisoft have gifted the world with an all new Rayman game, albeit in the same glorious cartoon style that mimics Origins and now Rayman Legends.

The whole premise of the game is that you start off with four worlds that each showcase Raymans different abilities, jumping, flying, wall running and punching. The player is then propelled forward through each stage like an infinite runner a la Jetpack Joyride or Canabalt. So instantly the issue of having to use directional buttons is nullified. All the player has to do is worry about tapping two buttons. One for jumping and one for punching. This creates one of the most streamlined and enjoyable mobile platforming experiences to date.

In each stage there will be 100 Lums (little yellow glowing fly things) to collect. Often this proves a tough but thoroughly addictive challenge. Do this and then you will get a red tooth. Collect 5 of these and then you will unlock an underworld level for that stage. Now these are tough! REALLY TOUGH! I’m not even exaggerating! These are some of the hardest levels in a platfroming game I have ever come across! There are no Lums to worry about in these stages, just pure hard-core platforming! However they are designed so well that you cannot help but try, try and try again! And the feeling of accomplishment that you get when completing one of these stages is palpable!

The music is taken straight from the console games but changes each time you play or retry a level. A small but ingenious stroke. This means that on the tougher stages that you are constantly retrying you are never bombarded with the same tune again and again!

So there you have it. At this point in time Rayman Jungle Run has also had a lot of free updates. Most of which have bought whole new worlds for you to tackle bringing the grand to total up to seven. And all of these updates are free. The only micro transaction in sight is for new character skins which is a measly 69p. this is how IOS gaming should be. A perfect game. go buy it!

Oh there are also lots of wallpapers to unlock and achievements to obtain….GO BUY THIS GAME NOW!

Related articles

• ‘Rayman Jungle Run’ Coming to More Devices (analogaddiction.org)
• Rayman Jungle Run (iOS) $.99, preorder Diablo III and save $10, Watch Dogs Limited Edition, more (9to5toys.com)
• RAYMAN: JUNGLE RUN HACK TOOL, CHEAT ENGINE 2013 JULY [Android, iOS] (hackhouse.wordpress.com)
• Apps/Games sale up to 80% off: Rayman Jungle Run $1, Trine 2 $3, iTeleport VNC $5, more (9to5toys.com)
• Rayman Legends bonus: 40 levels from Rayman Origins, ‘Kung Foot’ soccer spinoff (joystiq.com)
• Ubisoft Press Conference Wrap-Up | E3 2012 Coverage (epicagames.com)
• Ubisoft Press Conference Game Spotlight | E3 2013 (epicagames.com)
• Rayman Legends to contain levels from Rayman: Origins via a unlockable “Back to Origins” chapter (vg247.com)
• Rayman Legends (First Look) (freecargamesonlineforboys.wordpress.com)
• Review: Rayman Origins (Xbox 360) (btschonewald.wordpress.com)

The Silent Age Episode 1 Review

Sometimes you have to sit back and appreciate the small things in life. Wise words. And never have I felt them more appropriate than when playing The Silent Age on my iPhone.

Yesterday I received a text from my brother informing me of a free (that’s right FREE) game he had downloaded from the app store. He said it was an old school point and click adventure game in the same vein as Grim Fandango and Beneath a Steel Sky. So I did what I usually do when my brother texts me. I ignored it. No I’m joking of course. Dom! DOM! I WAS JOKING! I WROTE THAT FOR COMEDY VALUE! I downloaded the game instantly but was spending the day out with the family so I didn’t get a chance to play it.

Fast forward to 4:00 am this morning and after a lot of tossing (calm down) and turning I figure that now is the time to start playing. And I couldn’t put it down. You can almost feel the love and dedication from the team at House on Fire pouring and oozing off each and every sharp and beautifully illustrated screen.

The year is 1972 and you play as a janitor literally named Joe Average. You work in a large sinister tower block with a colleague whose duties you take on board after he mysteriously disappears. After a chain of events you end up on the run from the law with a solar powered device which lets Joe switch between the present and the post-apocalyptic future of 2012.

This is the crux of the puzzle solving in the game. Joe can pick items up in one time period and transport them to the other in the blink of an eye. For example on set piece sees Joe needing to get rid of a swarm of hornets from outside a hospital in the future. So using a syringe he finds in the past he can carry some turpentine in it back to the future to use as the fuel for a fire to get rid of the vermin. It all melds together effortlessly and you’ll be zipping all over the place all the while being bolstered along by the games expertly written narrative.

Like most classic point and click adventure games Joe is constantly talking to himself in a suitably sarcastic and humorous manner, think Guybrush Threepwood or Manny Calavera. This nicely balances out the games main plot which is all together a bit more serious and dark.

All in all this is a great little hidden gem. As I mentioned the first part is free whilst the fate of seeing an episode two rests in the hands of donations from people who want to see more. donations can be made through House On Fire’s website which can be found here http://thesilentage.com/blog/episode-two/. So I strongly urge you to at least download the first part. It’s very rare in this day and age that such unique and interesting games get some spotlight. And who knows, maybe this could be the start of something very special indeed!

Related articles

• Daily iPhone App: The Silent Age is a great, stylistic point and click adventure (tuaw.com)
• The Demise of LucasArts (samepageteam.com)
• Remembering The Secret of Monkey Island (bbc.co.uk)
• ‘Gemini Rue’ on iOS has atmospheric story in a nostalgic point & click adventure (Photos) (examiner.com)
• Every One of Us is Dead at the Beginning of The Silent Age (kotaku.com)
• Freeware iOS Pick: The Silent Age Episode One (House on Fire) (indiegames.com)
• The Top 7… Best LucasArts games (gamesradar.com)
• Game Review: Beneath a Steel Sky (tweedling.com)
• Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: More Point-and-Click Adventure Games to Try (gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com)
• “Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller” Classic Point & Click Adventure Debuts on iPad (news.softpedia.com)