Like any runner, the game will move faster the longer you play, but, as in Canabalt, there’s an advantage to that in Boson X. The longer you hold the touch, the longer he’ll stay in the air, and this dude’s hang time could put Jordan to shame. Jump left, jump right, or jump forward, all accomplished by touching either side of the screen or both sides at once. That’s all your character can do, in fact. The platforms broadly form in the shape of a tunnel, and you can move clockwise or counter-clockwise around it, one jump at a time. Once you’ve discovered the particle, you will have unlocked the next stage, and are free to move on, but if you have the skills, you can keep running as long as you’re able.Īlso like Super Hexagon, your movement is rotational. By running along certain special platforms, you’ll build up a percentage meter, and once it reaches 100%, you’ll discover a new particle, and the speed will pick up significantly. You play as a scientist trapped inside of an experiment, running and jumping from platform to platform, with the slightest misstep resulting in annhilation. Like that game, Boson X is both endless and not really endless. That’s not to say that the game ignores its contemporaries entirely, because there is a healthy splash of Super Hexagon ($2.99) on the canvass here as well.
Momentum and lightning fast reflexes are the key to survival. There is your character, the path ahead of him, and precious little in the way of mercy. There are no coins to pick up here, nor can you collect power-ups or count on upgrades to make your character stronger. I’m talking about all of this because in many ways, Boson X ($2.99) seems to have discarded almost all the frills and gimmicks developed in the last four years of evolution, going back to the core of what made Canabalt such a great game. Still, as we felt when we recently took a look back at Canabalt, there’s something about the game’s minimalism and tight mechanics that allow it to continue to stand out among the razzle and dazzle of its successors.
Perspective changes, missions, power-ups, level-ups, currency, vehicles, mini-games, character customization, and more have been added to the genre, resulting in amazing games like Temple Run (Free), Punch Quest (Free), and Jetpack Joyride (Free). The genre has certainly built quite a bit on top of the framework set by its originator, as well. Has it really only been four years? Four years since Canabalt ($2.99) burst onto the scene and arguably created and inarguably popularized a genre? Looking around the App Store today, it’s hard to remember a time before endless runners, let alone the idea that it’s all happened in less time than it took to make a fourth Spider-Man movie.
0 kommentar(er)
