By Hector Cortez Feb 16, 2011, 2:18 GMT
The upside to iOS gaming is innovation, as developers find new, creative ways to exploit the machine's capabilities. The main gameplay mechanic at work in most iOS games is the use of touch screen gestures, and Cut the Rope doesn't stray far from the crowd. What sets this game apart is its dedication to the eponymous concept, keeping things simple, yet fresh and fun.
The goal of the game is to feed candy to an adorable green monster named Om Nom, all-the-while collecting a possible three stars per level. This feat is accomplished by, you guessed it, cutting rope. Levels are divided into 5 boxes: cardboard, fabric, foil, gift, and cosmic (with one more box promised as a free upgrade sometime in the near future). Each box contains 25 levels for a grand total of 125 individual levels and 375 possible stars. Zeptolab, the game's developer, starts things off without much difficulty, easing players into the game, slowly introducing new components.
Cardboard, the first of five boxes also happens to be the easiest, starting players off with a freebie level in which a simple finger swipe cuts the singular rope that releases the piece of candy, collecting all three stars consecutively as it falls to an eager Om Nom below. By the fifth level, the game introduces one of many items that you must use in order to successfully achieve a three-star rating. In this case, the item introduced is a bubble that will float your candy upward and off the screen if you don't pop the bubble beforehand; or it will float upward but stay securely in place if attached to a rope.
For example, in level 1-5 you start off by cutting one of the two ropes connected to the candy which causes the circular treat to not only collect one of three stars, but also become trapped inside the bubble, thereby floating straight up, collecting the second of three stars, before coming to rest above the final star that is attained by popping the bubble, sending the candy downward into Om Nom's mouth. As you advance, new items tossed into the mix include balloons, spiders, slingshot rope, retractable rope, spikes, electric traps, and more.
Cut the Rope is fun, but it also looks great. Visuals are colorful, bright and sharp with a unique art style that is perfect for this game. It's cartoon-like design coupled with spot-on gameplay help set a playful tone that makes playing Cut the Rope a joy.
Cut the Rope is a puzzle game for the iOS generation, a puzzle game that reinvents what a puzzle game can be. The game takes inspiration from puzzle games of years past but brings with it a slew of ideas, along with a sense of purpose and direction. It doesn't try to be too much and delivers on what it promises: a fun, easy, pick-up-and-play game that can be enjoyed by gamers (and non-gamers) of all ages. Cut the Rope is available for purchase in the iTunes App Store for only $0.99 ($1.99 for iPad) and is highly recommended by M&C Gaming.
Your goal is to feed candy to a monster named Om Nom, while collecting three stars per level.
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