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No such thing as a free lunch, huh?
Well, obviously that’s bullsh*t. Says so on the screen. Not only do they exist, but
this one makes video games. Specifically, they did the hugely popular PC game Icy Tower
back in 2001. And more than a decade later, they’ve finally gotten around to making
a sequel. Hmph, took ‘em long enough. It’s typical.
Free Lunch. Freaking socialis—it’s Icy Tower 2 for the iPhone.
Oh, and it’s a free download. Who’s surprised?!
So if you’ve never played the original, Icy Tower was inspired by an old Linux game
called Xjump that predates all the similar games you see on computers and phones today.
Obviously, the objective is to jump as high as you possibly can by landing on platforms
and continuing upward. But what makes Icy Tower unique is that those platforms are slowly
crumbling.
So it’s not just a race upward, it’s also a race against time.
Icy Tower 2 takes the same classic gameplay and applies it to a new title with a more
contemporary mobile context. Upgrades, power-ups, tilt control...fortunately, there are also
touch controls.
See, this is a really good game and it makes a fantastic mobile game. It’s fun, it’s
addictive, it’s the perfect time killer. But your default control option is tilt, and
what’s interesting is that...you’re not tilting it side to side, which I personally
prefer. You’re actually tilting on a vertical axis, which is less ideal.
And a nightmare to record.
Fortunately, though, you switch the controls over to touch...you get buttons on both sides
of the screen to move left and right, and it’s smooth sailing from there. You can
move a lot more accurately, which makes it a lot easier to collect coins and...you know...avoid
death.
Of course, you won’t be getting any high scores without the right upgrades, which is
another nice thing about Icy Tower 2. There are several power-ups you can purchase using
coins, and unlike a lot of free mobile games, it’s actually pretty reasonable. It’s
balanced so that...sure, it’s easier to buy coins, but you can get by on what you’ve
collected, as well. And that’s a really nice touch.
It’s interesting to see which gameplay concepts have thrived on the App Store. The endless
jumper, if you want to call it that, is certainly one of them. And Icy Tower is a game that
can actually claim to be based on some of its earliest forms. So if only for nostalgia,
it’s nice to see this tower finally being rebuilt. Icy Tower 2 is a fantastic jumper...and
a welcome addition to the App Store.