iPhone App: Sweep Man
= 3 stars
Mr. Montblanc wants a clean lawn. Get to work, Mario doppleganger.
The Good
- Retro-pixely graphics resembling some imaginary NES console.
- Simple gameplay: tilt the iPhone left or right to move; shake up to jump. Position your broom over brown patches on the lawn to clean them up. Avoid obstacles: relentlessly pooping dog, flying birds, giraffes, and pigs. After a death, you re-enter the screen by falling from above, which gives you an opportunity to pop a balloon, sending a bone to the ground — a welcome distraction to that craptastic dog.
- Free
The Bad
- The bizarre setup soon results in strange questions: Why can’t Sweep Man leave the right side of the screen and appear on the left side like the animals? What does the dog eat that generates yellow “bonus” poop (and why should poop of any sort generate a bonus)? As poop flies from birds, pigs, and dogs at a rapid rate, one wonders if money ever exchanges hands, because this is the worst job ever? Sweep Man looks like Mario, is this some subtly sick joke on the Nintendo franchise?
Conclusion
Seriously odd game. Free is the best thing going for it — I’d be much harsher if this game cost even a cent. A moderately amusing “meh.”
iTunes App Store Link: Sweep Man — Poppy