Bouncey Review

With all the hype around PDK apps it’s easy to get sucked into the 3D games from the big developers out there and miss out on some really good SDK games. Sometimes the most enjoyable games out there are the simple ones. With that said, one of the most enjoyable games to grace the screen of my webOS device is Bouncey by Inglorious Apps.

If you have read any of my previous reviews you know that I am a die-hard gamer. Which means I myself have been sucked into the high dollar 3D apps ever since the addition of PDK apps to the Palm App Catalog. Luckily the guys here at webOSroundup turned me on to this little gem. My last review was a productivity app (Notes) from Inglorious Apps which I loved. So, I was excited to try out a game from the same developer and I have to say they have not let me down.

The concept of the game is simple: Shoot a little ball on the screen to roll over blue rings and avoid the red rings. You get two balls per level. The ball uses real physics so despite the concept of the game being simple the execution is difficult.

The controls go along with the simple theme of the game. There is a little gauge at the bottom of the screen to move the trajectory of your ball. When you are ready to fire your ball tap the screen once and a power meter at the left of the screen moves. When the desired power is reached tap the screen again and off your ball goes. Too much force and your ball bounces crazily across the screen. Not enough power and your ball will hardly move. You must learn a certain finesse to launch your ball.  Eventually you will be flying through the levels with precision.

The in-game sound isn’t half bad compared to other SDK games out there. In-game music is pretty darn deep for something as simple as this. The sound effects are more than enough to get the point across as well. However eventually you will find yourself turning off  the sound as it seems to get a little repetitive. I ended up streaming music while playing this app but that’s the beauty of webOS.

I think level design was pretty good on this game. It starts out very easy but as you progress it gets harder. As you progress you will find yourself contemplating the best way to clear a level with two balls. However by day’s end, with moderate play, you will be done with this game and feel that it all ended too quickly. Don’t feel like you wasted your money though as Inglorious Apps promises new levels in the future.

So if I had to wrap up my experience with this app I’d have to say I had a good time. There is plenty to love about this game.  However, there are plenty of areas where it can be improved. I’d like to see different level backgrounds just for a change in scenery. Perhaps even different ball physics for different sized balls. However, as stated above, Inglorious Apps will be updating in the future and I can tell you from personal experience they get on top of suggestions and improvements quickly. The only other negative I can see is the price point. It’s just a hair too high for such a short experience. I think at $1 this game would be a steal. All-in-all its a fun game that anyone can enjoy and I urge you all to go buy it.