Canabalt

I’ve been wanting this game to hit the App Store for a few weeks, ever since playing the Flash version on Semi Secrets website. Now, to no surprise, the iPhone version is an exact replica of the Flash version — but is it worth your time?

Before we even get started here, let me make this clear — this is an incredibly simple game. It’s a side-scrolling title and you are a running figure. Your list of objectives is quite brief: jump over things and survive. The controls are as simple as they get… Tap anywhere on the screen to jump. That’s about it. The longer you hold, the higher the jump.

The game is pretty fast-paced, with you having to time jumps perfectly to avoid objects and land on roof tops without falling to your demise. And, let me tell you — The formula… It works. Very well. It’s a lot of fun.

There’s even a bomb thing (I think… Kinda hard to tell when you’re jumping past it so quickly) that just kinda falls from the sky (presumably from one of the air-based vehicles that keep flying overhead) and sticks into a building. This happens right as you approach, making you have to react incredibly quickly to avoid hitting it, and, ultimately, dying. And that’s what this game is all about — reaction time. (I, of course, have catlike reflexes. Me-owww.) Some buildings crumble as you stomp across their rooftops, some lay stationary as you jump over chairs and stuff… But, again, it’s just all about your reaction time.

Well, that, and high scores.

This is a game that you can pick up and play for just five or ten minutes, and still top your high score (unless you get unbelievably good at it). And that’s what I’m loving — I don’t think I’ve ever played a game before with as much “pick-up-and-play” potential as this.

Bus ride? Canabalt. Walking downstairs? Canabalt. Toilet? I think you get the point. And, with that pick up and playability, you’re gonna want to keep track of your scores. This is done simply — you can tweet your score as soon as you die.

Now, of course, this isn’t quite as nice as a global high score board, or even a local high score board, but it’s something. What I do when I want to find my highest score is just go to a Twitter search and type in “from:Condawg Canabalt,” which returns all of my tweets with the word “Canabalt.” A bit unorganized, but functional and satisfactory.

All in all, this game is amazingly charming, beautiful, and addictive — but not without it’s stigma. The price tag. Unfortunately, this game has a $2.99 price, which is a bit outlandish for such a simple game. That being said, I was happy to pay this price, because I know I’ll get a lot of gameplay out of it. But, you should stick with the Flash version for a bit to see if it’s for you before making your purchase decision on a game that should really be $0.99, or, at the most, $1.99.