iPhone App: Ramp Champ

December 29th, 2009

Ramp Champ

= 3 stars

Try to knock down various targets with balls in this amusement park game simulation.

The Good

Great graphics throughout. Choose from several beautifully rendered variations on the toss a ball and whack stuff theme, from clowns to aliens, and my personal favorite: an icon garden, featuring old Mac icons like a paint bucket and watch (where’s Clarus?).
An area where you can trade in acquired tickets for virtual prizes, from fuzzy dice to stuffed animals – including a Twitterrific bird. No, you can’t play stuff on the kazoo, but it’s still pretty fun to collect all this digital nonsense.

The Bad

When throwing, the ball doesn’t feel right – it lacks any heft or weight. Its size should get smaller as it travels toward the targets, conveying distance, and respond better to the length of a finger swipe. As is, it feels like throwing a balloon, which is enough to knock the game down a few notches.

Conclusion

The combination of beautiful graphics but lackluster gameplay results in an odd game that looks great but isn’t enough fun to play – no matter how much I want that Twitterrific bird. I’ll call it a wash and give it a middle of the road rating.

iTunes App Store Link: