Despite already having a few titles dedicated to the 'Skipping Stone' series, it seems that iOS gamers are only now being introduced to this classic game from GAMEVIL's archives. Given its Java past it's no surprise to see this endless arcade title keeping things simple, but trying to keep an anthropomorphic stone in the air isn't an easy task.

Originally, players had to traverse around the world, encountering various creatures in an attempt to find the stone's lost love. While the story may be taking a backseat in this release, players still have the opportunity to encounter creatures from the original game, albeit as hazards. The simple one-touch controls only require the player to tap the screen as close as possible to the surface of the water (as indicated by a shadowed ring), earning bonuses for accurate strings and picking up bonuses to increase their score and earn more 'coins'. These coins can be pooled and subsequently spent on pre-game bonuses such as a second life; slower falls; higher bounces; and an increased chance for choice bonus items.

Providing such powerful bonuses at the cost of 'coins' is a double-edged sword; while on one hand it provides players with the opportunity to reach levels they'd never otherwise be able to get to, it also locks high-score hunters in to a vicious cycle of grinding (or making in-app purchases) before making any attempts for the leaderboards. As such, Skipping Stone is far better for casual gamers after a simple time-waster.

Thankfully the bright cartoonish style, cheery background tracks and pick-up and play style make it easy to keep hitting 'retry', at least for a little while. Skipping Stone is a welcome update to a classic Java title and a cute distraction, but it's a shame players only get to experience the game 'in full' every twenty games (or so).