The new game SkyDodge from indie developer MarsApp. It is a fun and simple offering from a new small developer. The setup is very classic arcade-like. You control a rocket with the iPhone/iPod accelerometer, moving left to right, forwards and backwards. The rocket must dodge oncoming rocks as well as various items that can hinder its flight. As you continue the game gets increasingly difficult with more obstacles to avoid. There are also bonus items that can aid you increase your score along the way. The goal is straightforward: the longer you fly the higher your level and the higher your score goes.

While the game play is very old school, the graphics are not. Everything is bright and colorful, giving the game a friendly look. The simplicity and style of the game should make it a lot of fun for younger kids, but the increasing challenge makes it a great diversion for adults, too. The soundtrack is actually kind of catchy, and it really captures the laid back fun of the game.

A couple of additions would really make this game perfect. The ability to pause your game is absent. For a quick shot game like this I always find myself wanting to play, pause, and then continue, sort of picking up the game here and there. There is also no scoreboard for the game. That is really essential for an app like this where the real fun comes in trying to get increasingly higher scores. The ability to compete against yourself and friends with a scoreboard would kick the replay factor up a notch.

All in all, MarsApp proves with SkyDodge that a game doesn’t have to be complex to be a ton of fun. Dead simple action with chipper graphics and sound make this game a little gem. It is priced at $0.99, exactly right for an app of this type. Almost perfect, this game earns a 4-Dimple rating.

SkyDodge gets our AppSmile 4-Dimple rating: