Stickbound FREE! Review
PROS
- Unique pogo-pole-vault endless gameplay.
- Quirky graphical style.
- Fun characters to unlock.
CONS
- Hard to master gameplay.
- No direct iTunes support.
VERDICT
If future support for Stickbound is even half as good as the seminal endless game Doodle Jump! then this addictive little title will become another perfect mainstay for any iPhone.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
Stickbound by Gamenauts is a tough nut to crack. Using a completely unique style of horizontal endless gameplay based on pole-vaulting your way across surreal landscapes, it's simultaneously one of the most frustrating, yet positively addictive games to play.
All that you require to make your way forward is your wits and well timed taps. By tapping on the screen you extend a pole from your character to the ground, pushing yourself further away. Careful timing can spring you high up or more hopefully, further towards the unending horizon. It's certainly not the most intuitive gameplay to learn and will take more than a few agonizing failures to grasp even partly.
Checkpoints providing handy starting positions if you happen to fall down a gap, which is double handy considering just how easy it is to unwittingly fling yourself headlong in to a pit. Thankfully this frustration is dulled by the quirky environment you'll speed through, varying from clumps of land, asteroids and the occasional farm animal. The music consists of a standard catchy riff and with no native iTunes background music support you'll have the tune stuck in your head all day.
Considering how unique the gameplay is and how hard it is to develop some level of skill with the controls, it's amazingly addictive. The charm wears off slightly once you get your bearings, but unlockable characters will keep you busy enough to make this well worth the purchase. Definitely a genre worth keeping an eye on.
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