App it Up: Fluttr
by at November 16, 2009 3:43 pm
Sections: iPhone, iPhone OS, SDK and hacks, iPhone/iPod touch/iPad, iPod, iPod touch, Originals
|
Sign up for the FREE Tell Membership and receive benefits that include the digital edition of Tell Magazine sent straight to your inbox, product giveaways, coupons and much more!
Developer: IndieSpring
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.1 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 4.0
What is it?
Fluttr is a basic arcade action game with the seemingly gentle task of brushing away flowers, bees and such to save a butterfly “… from an explosive end …”
How does it work?
To begin with, you don’t control the butterfly. It does its own thing, slowly moving up and down the screen as the landscape flows from right to left. Rather, you control the objects that would be the butterfly’s demise. As these objects get in the way, you simply touch them and swipe them away to clear the butterfly’s path.
When it starts out, you’ll think the game’s going to be far too easy. The movement is fairly slow and the objects are few. These early moments are great for kids, as you’re simply touching the screen. It’s like a Whac-a-Mole without the urgency, and I like that decision. The developers could’ve mucked about with the accelerometer to have you control the flight the butterfly, too, but that would’ve unnecessarily complicated what is otherwise a gentle but challenging game.
And it does get harder, of course. You’ll need to make a lot of quick decisions and do some accurate tapping in order to progress. The trouble is that serious gamers won’t likely have the patience to reach that part, and younger or more casual gamers may not want to stick with the harder levels. You can’t save your progress, so once you get good, it may be a while before it becomes challenging again.
Features
App it Up, Sum it Up
This is one for the kids, as the controls don’t take a lot to figure out, and the idea of guiding a butterfly past treacherous flowers and bees will likely be lost on the Resident Evil crowd. But it’s a quick test of skill with fun graphics and music that’s well suited to the iPhone and iPod touch.
Cost – $0.99
Worth the Money? – The Mac/PC version is available online for free. Try it out and decide for yourself.
Availability – Now, in the iTunes App Store
Related Posts