Up until now, the iPhone hasn’t been known for a platformer game system. Whether that’s a result of the platform style game’s decline in recent years or the iPhone’s lack of traditional control pad, we don’t know. But, recently more and more games of this genre have been showing up in the App Store. Case in point, the ever popular Rolando, our team favorite Bounce On.
Now, Gimme5games have thrown another title into the mix -- Balloon Headed Boy.
Essentially a port of their free flash game (available here), Balloon Headed Boy for the iPhone turns out to work very well in the touch screen world. Take Balloon Headed Boy through 20 colorful levels to save all the party balloons.
Gimme5games has included an over-world to indentify where you are within the levels. All menus are clearly designed. Controls are arranged sensibly on the screen -- touch the right or left virtual pads to run and the Up pad to inflate your head and float to your destination.
Avoid killer -- yet cute -- frogs, stay above rising water levels and under overhead spikes on your way to collecting all the balloons to open the level’s exit. Enter doorways by quickly tilting the iPhone up.
Although each level seems relatively familiar to the previous, we ended up loving the game. Colors are bright and the character moves rather quickly which speeds up the fun. The developers have created an appropriately cute soundtrack that works well in this world of smiling faces.
Hiding behind a rather dull App Store icon, Gimme5games has given us a relevant addition that amuses and delivers an over-the-top experience in the “cute” category.
Favorite Features:
- If you’re into “cute” Balloon Headed Boy hits a grand slam
- Well oriented control scheme using virtual pads and the accelerometer
- High quality graphics and musical score
- Included back story
Needed Improvements:
- Levels seem redundant
- More characters please
Balloon Headed Boy gets our AppSmile 4-Dimple rating:
