Orbital Jumper Review
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPod touch 4
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That the game has its own mechanic makes it better than a lot of similar endless jumper games based on that alone; too often, these games feel identical to one another, and a new kind of mechanic makes it a lot more fun to play. The charge to jump mechanic takes a little bit to get used to, but it works well, and strategies can be formulated based on whether it's worth it to pre-charge jumps in midair or to jump when landing; the former becomes necessary when the screen is scrolling downward and getting back in the air is necessary. The game comes with a level-based mode to teach players the game and to offer variety to the game, as the levels play around the games' various elements.
Orbital Jumper's music, however, is ill-fitting for a space jumping game, as it's a classical-inspired piece with a choir chanting Latin. The irony is fun at first, but it quickly gets quite grating, as the piece is quite short and repeats every 30 seconds. I turned it off eventually. The tilt controls calibrate at the beginning of each level; the game does not allow for recalibrating when paused, however.
Orbital Jumper's yet another entry into a very crowded genre, and the things it does won't necessarily replace the Doodle Jump games of the world, but it brings a little freshness to a genre that can still be fun, but has been desperately in need of new ideas.
iPhone Screenshots
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iPad Screenshots
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