Joe Danger Review
PROS
- Deceptively simple controls perfectly executed for the platform; taxes your multitasking as you manage maneuvering Joe while also manipulating and collecting objects in the stage.
- Multiple objectives to collect for each stage; helps to break up the difficulty by allowing the player to focus on what they can reasonably achieve.
- Bright, fun, cartoonish 3D world; reminiscent of Nintendo's 'Mii' based titles.
CONS
- Objects occasionally break the smooth flow of a stage; spring-pads and fans to name a couple.
- Slow to introduce some gameplay concepts; nothing that prevents the game from being enjoyed, but encouraging players to 'play against a friend' while not teaching things like maintaining a combo is a recipe for frustration.
VERDICT
Joe Danger Touch is perhaps the best recent example of how a great game on a different platform can work just as well on the App Store - rock solid controls and minor tweaks to the core stunt-based gameplay keep the game just as manic, while feeling entirely unique to iOS devices.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
The original Joe Danger for the PSN was a heck of a ride - fluid, fast and packed full of collectables and objectives to complete, it was joy to play. Now Hello Games have brought their stunt-riding racer-come-high-scorer to the App Store and while it can take some getting used to the manic pace, Joe Danger Touch is no less addictive or fun than its bigger brother.
Where the original title had more of an exploratory edge to its gameplay (akin to a hybrid of Excitebike and Trials HD), the touch version tightens up the stages, adding an auto-runner aspect as you constantly plow forward.
With basic movement handled for you, all that's left is ducking, jumping and performing various stunts such as wheelies, endos and flips. These are easy to pull off thanks to a basic one-touch system of tapping to duck and jump (hold to duck, release to jump) and swiping to perform the rest. Of course this wouldn't be a high-scorer without some sort of challenge, and Joe Danger is all too willing to help you out by placing all manner of interactive objects in the world for you to 'take care of' in order to keep Joe rolling.
Most of these will require a basic tap to collect or destroy, though swiping can also be used to switch lanes. As such you'll need to develop a sort of two-fingered approach to simultaneously control Joe while looking for hazards and collectables alike.
Once you've mastered the basics you'll be well on your way to conquering the various objectives set for each level, ranging from getting a 'perfect' run by performing all the stunts asked of you, to collecting all the coins on a stage, and sometimes even a series of letters spelling 'DANGER'.
The payoff for all of your hard work is an ever-increasing challenge that tests your multitasking abilities, as well as copious amounts of coins that can be used to buy new outfits for Joe. These impart special bonuses such as higher score multipliers that require the player to constantly perform stunts to keep it active, as well percentage based score and coin boosts. The addition of stages that require a specific costume to play them means you'll be kept busy for a long time.
In short, Joe Danger Touch is exactly what mobile gaming should be about - small bites of challenge, presented with all the care the platform is capable of, while also making excellent use of the touch screen. This doesn't even touch (pun not intended) on the social integration that means you and your friends can spend entire afternoons trading high scores.
An absolute must play for iPhone and iPad users alike.
Screenshots
$1.99
