In the game, you play as Pumpkin, a rogue class hot air balloon. I don’t really know what the overarching story is, but you control Pumpkin from mission to mission. Each mission is ruled by a specific objective: Getting up above the cloud line, collecting enough energy, destroying all the other hot air balloons or mines. Every mission feels very distinct and different in the early game, and I technically still haven’t finished the tutorial despite how far I’ve progressed.
The gameplay is simple. You tap the left button to fire the left thruster, and the right button for the right thruster. Hit both to ascend, and none to descend. As you play, more mechanics, mostly by the way of different weapons to combat other balloons, are unlocked. The levels consist of avoiding enemies, mines, and storm clouds, not running out of health while still completing your objective.
The game is much slower than most. You carry of a lot of inertia, and stopping is never easy. You never want to jam on the thrusters, even though you always feel like you do. The clouds that form the walls of your courses are very bouncy, which only adds to the challenge. Sometimes, the extremely precise navigation that is required of you seems downright unfair and just too difficult. The game definitely moves at a different pace from most, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You can unlock different balloons to play as, with varying amounts of health, fire power, and speed, adding a lot of variety to the way you approach challenges.
The art style is very interesting, combining 2D and 3D effects in cool ways, and it’s a pleasure to look at. The sound is also of a high quality. The game comes loaded with both Game Center and Crystal support This is a great game for only one dollar, and people should check it out.
Download the free Appolicious iPhone app
