The iPhone does not lack for pick-up-and-play physics games. Distinguishing one from the next can be quite difficult, but sometimes an all-around solid game doesn’t stand out because of some outrageous feature, but instead because it’s just worth playing.
Take Ramps, for example. Ramps is a fine rolling-ball physics game, where players try to get a ball from a strategically placed dispenser into a goal using only the provided ramps. As players progress, new difficulties pop into play, but it’s generally similar to other physics-based apps out there. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a look.
Hardly! In fact, that Ramps is affordable and can be beaten within a few weeks might be part of its appeal to a player who just wants something to play while waiting idly for friends.
That’s not to say Ramps is too simple, as each level has three trophy challenges that can be completed optionally. So if you sped through the game just completing the levels with the bare minimum of requirements, there’s essentially another whole game within the game to play.
Visually, Ramps is a treat as well, using a color palette that looks lifted out of a Saturday morning cartoon to give the game a light feeling that can obscure the frustration of some of the more challenging levels.
It would be hard to sell anyone on the merits of ramps on features alone. This is not an app full of bells and whistles. But it is fun to play, and, at the right price, makes for a great way to kill some time. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
