iPhone App: Topple
= 3 stars
Topple is loosely based on Tetris in that you stack blocks, but instead of removing pieces, your goal is to build up to a certain height without your block tower falling over. It’s harder than it looks because the blocks have odd shapes and comically distracting facial expressions.
The Good
- Is in the “easy to learn, lifetime to master” type category.
- Uses multitouch: keep one finger on a block and swipe with another to rotate it.
- An irreverent sense of humor: the blocks are intentionally misshapen which adds to the challenge, and occasionally, a completely useless block like an oval egg is thrown in. On higher levels, the initial platform you build on isn’t flat. Bastards.
- Responds to the tilt of the iPhone, so you can try (usually in vain) to influence the gravity affecting the tower.
The Bad
- One minor loophole: the tower takes a while to fall, so you actually can stack blocks as fast as possible and make a lot of headway before they fall over. I passed some of the earlier levels using this brain-dead method.
- Not much variety: each level is pretty much the same, with the only variance being the types of blocks, the height to reach, and the lumpiness of the bottom platform.
- The options page only allows control over the sound volume. It would be nice to have some options to control game parameters (types of blocks, difficulty) to add some variety.
Conclusion
Topple’s a slightly above average game, but the lack of variety keeps it from reaching new heights. That said, the price pretty much trumps all my complaints: Free. At that price, it’s worth a download.
iTunes App Store Link: 