Throughout the past years, iOS devices have started to compete with consoles when it comes to gaming. Apps are starting to become bigger and better, however, it leaves some of games with simple but amazing gameplay to be forgotten.
Run Roo Run is one of these forgotten games. From the makers of Scribblenauts, Run Roo Run provides the classic iOS gaming experience that many love. But what makes it so different than all of the other games out there? Read more about it after the break.
The Adventure
Run Roo Run documents the adventure of a mother kangaroo across Australia after her child is kidnapped. She must travel from Perth to Sydney in order to save her captured joey. However, this does not come without obstacles — and plenty of them at that. The game comes with twenty, 21-level worlds that each introduce a obstacles such as cannons, spikes, oil slicks, and even invisibility.
Help Mother Kangaroo make her way from Perth to Sydney to find her lost joey
The controls of the app are extremely simple. Tap once to start running, and tap again to jump over obstacles. The goal is to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. If you fall into an obstacle, you get to restart from the beginning of the level, but your time does not reset. The simplicity of the app allows for it to market to virtually anyone, meaning a toddler will enjoy this app just as much as an adult.
The (Wonderful) Artwork
As you could tell from the description of the game, it does not offer the most original gameplay; many apps, such as Fastball 2, offer the same type. What sets this app apart from these games is the artwork and the implementation of the theme throughout the application.
Users are instantly greeted with the wonderful graphics of this application
You are greeted with the Australian theme right from the beginning, and there is never a time in the app that you lose that feeling. This is awesome because it is quite common nowadays for apps to lose their presentation. Moreover, the simple graphics look wonderful. The artwork is done very well (it was the reason I bought the app in the first place), which makes it really inviting and appealing. Every level is decorated with the same cartoon-like illustrations, which makes the game all the more enjoyable to play.
Hopping Along
Gameplay itself is quite different than many other popular games on the market right now. Each level will take around 2-6 seconds to finish. Ergo, you will not initially be spending too much time playing this game, making it an easy quick-fix. You can’t unlock the next level until you have completed the previous one. That being said, this game is highly addictive. More often than not, I have found myself playing it for extensive periods of time as there is no break in between the levels themselves.
New obstacles, such as cannons, tires, and oil slicks, add twists to the game
One thing that isn’t so great about the game is how easy the first 15 levels of each world are to beat. I was a bit upset when I finished the first two worlds in a matter of minutes. The app also marks where you have jumped, so if you need to repeat a level, you will know where you should not jump. Towards the last levels, the game does increase in difficulty, and you will probably have to redo some levels in order to get your gold stars.
The 'Extreme' levels are nothing short of extreme
The real difficulty comes with the six “extreme” levels at the end of each world. 5th Cell definitely did not hold back on these ones; they are so hard that they will make you want to quit the app and cry. Not really, but it took me countless unsuccessful runs before finally beating these levels. The developers also push out 10 new levels each week, which is awesome because you are paying for an app that gets a constant flow of new content, something many developers don’t do. These levels combine many of the different obstacles that are found in the previous worlds, but they do not introduce new obstacles.
Buying a Bus Ticket
As mentioned before, this game does get a bit frustrating. 5th Cell does provide some shortcuts — for a price. If you’re stuck on a level, there is an option to use slow motion to slow down the level so you can perfect your timing, or you can just skip the level entirely by taking the bus. The game allows you to perform each of the actions twice before having to pay.
Plenty of in-app purchases are available if you get stuck on a level
This is where you may find yourself forking over quite a bit of money. For $0.99 or $1.99, you can purchase 10 slow motion power-ups or 10 bus rides respectively. For $4.99, you can purchase 60 uses of the slow motion power-up, and for $9.99 you can purchase 100 uses of slow motion and 100 bus rides. I can see someone purchasing one of the first two packs, however, I feel the last two are simply unnecessary because the game isn’t all that hard. Actually, I’d recommend staying away from the packs that cost more than $1.99 as they are a waste of money.
The Verdict
So, should you buy Run Roo Run? The short answer is yes. Run Roo Run will provide hours of simple, classic iOS gaming for a relatively cheap price. The game is entertaining for people of all ages, meaning it is great if you need to entertain your child while out shopping or if you need something to entertain yourself for a short while.
The game could benefit with levels that are a little bit harder than the normal ones, but easier than the extreme levels. Though this app isn’t universal, the constant flow of new content does make the price justifiable.