Gasketball is the latest title from Greg Wohlwend and Mike Boxleiter, better known as Mikengreg. They had a hit on Flash and iOS previously with the great Solipskier, and Greg helped another programmer out quite a bit on a big release called Puzzlejuice.
Just like both of those games, Gasketball is nearly technically flawless, and gorgeously designed. It’s a 2D basketball game, similar to StarDunk, although it’s much more tactile. Instead of aiming the ball, you flick it around the screen, trying to bounce it off of various objects, and land it in the basket in as few shots as possible.
Gasketball has a singleplayer mode, in which you play against a cute little robot who pulls off some great shots. But the real draw is the online H.O.R.S.E mode. You set up shots, pull them off perfectly (after a few tries), and then send them to others who must duplicate your perfection. It’s an old game, but the 2D movement and touchscreen really bring the game into its own.
The game has been downloaded 200,000 times, but it hasn’t been a big moneymaker for Mikengreg. H.O.R.S.E mode is free, and you can unlock other items via in-app purchase. The full game unlock is US$2.99, and maybe Mike and Greg made a mistake, as the free gameplay is worth at least that much.
At any rate, if you like the game, maybe you’ll be convinced to spend extra money and buy more of the items to use. Even if not, Gasketball is a solid title that really shines when you’ve got friends to play the H.O.R.S.E mode with. Hopefully, Mike and Greg will get their business model figured out in a way that adequately compensates them for their hard work.
Daily iPad App: Gasketball horses around on iOS originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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