Apps Weekly: Ragdoll Blaster + Alice in Wonderland

I like ragdolls, as attested by the hilariousness that Stair Dismount offers as well as the cuteness of LittleBigPlanet. This one is no different.

Ragdoll Blaster
Backflip Studios
$1.99

Simplicity is the name of the game of the physics-driven ragdoll blasting game Ragdoll Blaster. It doesn't boast fancy graphics, nor accelerometer controls, it's just touch and aim.

Or so you think.

At first, you'll find yourself tapping wherever because of the game's easiness, but the game quickly introduces new elements that make everything harder, and you'll have to rely on your brains to estimate the force and direction that the ragdolls will be launched at. Simply enough, if you hit the target, you get to the next level.

However, you must get prepared to hold another finger on that reset button, because you'll find yourself pressing it a lot through the game's plentiful levels.

And for $1.99, you'll probably find a lot of fun in this conveniently light package. It doesn't offer loading screens, it automatically saves through every level, and if you relaunch the app you'll find the level you were playing in loaded almost instantly.

It's actually a bit of a no-brainer to download this game, but a visually improved sequel is coming out, so you might want to contemplate first.

Rating: 8/10

On the month of March, Tim Burton's much-anticipated Alice in Wonderland adaptation-slash-sequel is going to be released, and while there is a Wii version in the works, the iPhone game version is already out on the App Store, and it looks to have much variety and puzzles included within. Its full name is actually Alice in Wonderland - An Adventure Beyond the Mirror and instead of boasting 3D visuals like Gameloft's Avatar, the game makes for an interesting puzzle-platformer in sidescroller form.

The game also seems to promise much variety in its puzzles; you can rotate your iDevice to see a new perspective in a puzzle...

...or you can change between several characters. The app description says you can change between Alice, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the March Hare, or the Mad Hatter. Not only are they there for the sake of being there, each character has their own unique abilities. The White Rabbit freezes time, the Cheshire Cat controls the opacity of an item and make them disappear or reappear accordingly, the March Hare uses Telekinesis and the Mad Hatter transforms objects from other worlds. From the sound of it, the game is actually shaping up very nicely.

But of course, you can't have a movie tie-in without actually giving out some promotional materials in-game. Curiously enough, you can use the iPhone's GPS and go to a specific location, like the Disneyland Resort, to unlock an item. True, the trip won't be worth it because you can readily download these things from the Internet, but it's nice to see a creative way to use the GPS in a game nevertheless.

The reception has been warm, and I can't particularly wait to get my fingers on this game. It retails for 5 bucks on the App Store.