Wiping out humanity, one rock at a time.
World domination can come in all forms, but in this skill based physics puzzle game by 10tons, I doubt you've imagined it in the shape of King Oddball! You will attempt to defeat mankind by playing the title character, a kind of stone disembodied head that hangs in the sky, and swings boulders back and forth with his impressively long tongue. Yes, you read that right, don't question it, just go with this premise, trust me it works.You have to simply press A to release the boulder and time it right to crush as many targets as possible. You only get three boulders on each level, so make every shot count. You can get extra boulders if the King catches a rebound or if you knock out 3 targets with a single shot. Some targets are protected by structures, so you have to figure out the best way to break them down. Sandstone slabs will usually crumble with a single well placed shot but brick make be harder to smash. Handily for you there are often explosive crates lying bout for you detonate for some serious damage.
Once you've conquered a level, you move the King on a big battlefield map onto the next level, gradually opening up new levels as you go. There are secret levels to unlock that are more challenging, such as throwing shells that slide instead of the bouncing boulders, dropping grenades, or levels where you need to earn diamonds by defeating the enemy with a rock to spare.
The single button simplicity of the game coupled with the quirky graphics and catchy music instantly draw you in you'll soon find yourself hooked. The levels progressively get harder and start requiring a bit more thought to work out how to kill multiple enemies with a single rock. You'll feel frustration when you get your timing a fraction out and waste a boulder, then elation when a well worked shot or even a lucky bounce has things exploding all over the screen.
.beAlthough never as complicated in its levels, it will remind you of Angry Birds in its addictiveness, and although its a great game to pop on for a quick 10 minutes and kill some time, don't be surprised to hear yourself saying "just one more level" over an hour later having not put down your controller! With the price of less than 4 quid and over 120 levels to work your way through, King Oddball is well worth adding to your game collection.
Developed by: 10tons
Genre: Puzzle
Price: £3.99
Thanks to XCN for the review copy.