An often ignored aspect of portable gaming is the opportunity to involve other people directly in the game you're playing. This doesn't always go smoothly and 'multiplayer' modes involving 'passing' the device can feel incredibly clunky. As such, the iOS multi-touch feature created an opportunity for more than one person to play a game at the same time and Mountain Sheep's (Bike Baron, Death Rally, Minigore) latest release Ice Rage tries to cash in on this style of play.

At its core Ice Rage is a simple, retro-inspired break down of ice hockey; a virtual stick guides your single player around the screen, while a single button pulls the usual double time of tackling when not in possession of the puck and shooting when you are. Depending on the difficulty level the opposing AI will either move faster or slower, while the final hard mode puts you in control of your own goalie as well. Extra difficulty comes from needing to move your mobile player up or down to do the same with the goalie, making it hard to defend while trying to intercept.

Much like Mountain Sheep's other titles, Ice Rage features the same polished visual charm that made them easy on the eyes. Variation in the form of alternative players provides some novelty (especially thanks to the inclusion of Envirobear and John Gore), but it's hardly a showcase when you're stuck with a zoomed out perspective and only a few people on screen.

his, sadly, is more of a necessity than anything else as the multiplayer mode pits players head-to-head on the same device, adding the 'second player' controls to the top of the screen. It's a clever way to kill time with a friend, but playing on smaller iDevices can be awkward regardless of the screen-space that's visible.

Ice Rage keeps things simple and while it's fun as a distraction, it's quite literally 'what you see is what you get'. If you've been absolutely itching for a hockey-based time-killer, this is for you, otherwise it's best to find something more substantial.