Imagine playing the original Donkey Kong, but instead of rescuing a single princess while avoiding barrels, you’re constantly running to rescue things all over the level. Or maybe Super Crate Box more resembles Pac-Man, if your yellow protagonist was armed with various weapons that he should attack his ghost enemies with. However you slice it, playing Super Crate Box will test your platformer patience in a very fun way.
Super Crate Box’s concept is quite simple — the player runs around a single-screen level trying to grab as many crates as he can before an enemy finally touches him and ends the run. That’s the entire game. But the experience is much more difficult than it sounds, as enemies of all sizes and speeds are constantly running across the platforms attempting to attack the game’s protagonist. Even getting so much as 10 crates before you’re brought down by enemy thugs feels like a huge moral victory.
The controls aren’t perfect, but the on-screen D-pad, jump button and attack button do a decent enough job of keeping the player in the game. Early on, accidental deaths can be common as you figure out how to best avoid the enemies constantly running at you, and after a few hours, the whole experience seems to fly by in a blur.
Super Crate Box borrows liberally from several arcade classics, but manages to create an experience that feels wholly unique. If you can tolerate the high difficulty level the game begins on, this is a great app to kill some time with.
