You don’t have to be an app-crazy tween to appreciate Kick Buttowski: Loco Launcho. Sure, it’s based on the Disney XD character of the same name, but it’s not as if there’s an elaborate story you’d be missing out on by not knowing the history of the show.
No, Loco Launcho is just about a man, his shoddy wooden vehicle and seeing how far you can fling that man into space before he comes crashing down. In other words, this isn’t a formula new to the iPhone. Luckily, Kick Buttowski has a bit more of a difficulty curve than other entries in the genre, which helps elevate it to the top tier of app games.
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That added difficulty shows itself by providing 10 different levels where you can launch your hero all over the screen. Only one level is unlocked at the start, and only by successfully picking up enough trick points and distance can you unlock the next level. It’s a simple system, but it at least rewards extended play and provides something new to look at in the background.
And yes, tricks are a solid, if underwhelming, part of Kick Buttowski. Flying through special rings while in the air makes Buttowski perform tricks, and the variety and skill of the trick is determined by how many trick upgrades you’ve purchased inside the app. It would be a little more interesting if the tricks had to be created via some inventive button tapping.
If there’s a letdown to Kick Buttowski: Loco Launcho, it’s that some of the upgrades available are more than a bit lame. The parachute, for instance, is supposed to slow your ride down as you hurtle back toward Earth, but I can’t think of a reason you’d actually want to do that. You seem to go farther when you hit the ground.
If you’re a fan of whatever you’d call the genre of games where you launch yourself into space and try as hard as you can to keep yourself from stopping, Kick Buttowski is a hell of an app. It’s visually impressive, and even a little bit challenging. You can’t ask for much more out of an app like this.
