This week’s free iPod/iPhone App to review is an arcade-style game: Monkey Flight LITE.
App’s Description
LAUNCHING MONKEYS from a palm tree has never been this fun… and harmless!
Stretch that tree and watch how far your CATAPULTING SKILLS take these jabbering fellows into the jungle.
Avoid the dirty mud pools and ouchy rocks, and rack up those bananas till you go bananas!
OWC Chris’s Review
As far as games go, this is about as simple as it gets. Touch and drag in order to aim the monkey and time your release so that it launches with the desired amount of power. Let the monkey bounce around and try to collect as many points as possible.
It’s not a terribly original concept. In fact, I think I’ve seen variants of this theme on the touch-screen game machines at various bars I’ve been to. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a reason those machines do well: if the game is well executed, people will come back for more.
Fortunately for Donut Labs, they execute the game rather well, making it an amusing diversion. In fact, I did much of my testing while waiting in a line at various stores and other establishments. Is it going to remain on my Touch? Probably not, but that shouldn’t detract from a well-made, easy-to-play game.
My rating: Worth a look.
OWC Michael’s Review
“Saru mo ki kara ochiru” (Even monkeys fall out of trees) – Japanese Proverb
But apparently it’s so much more fun to catapult them out of the trees! You use the touchscreen to aim the monkey and an oscillating slider determines the power as to which your monkey is launched from his palm tree catapult. You then have a pre-determined number of banana-induced monkey farts to give your monkey a little boost. Gather as many magically suspended pieces of fruit as possible before you run out of power.
There are two play modes, “Lite Play” where you’re just going for best score on a single fling, and the “Challenges” mode. Challenges mode is where this game shines. Different levels are created by combinations of obstacles and boosts laid out in this 2D jungle setting. Elephants (which stay put) and clouds (which disappear once used) allow your monkey to bounce off and gain power too keep momentum, while rocks and mud puddles will stop the monkey in his tracks. Run out of momentum, and your monkey will slide to a halt in the grass on his own.
This week’s app pick actually came in homage to OWC Grant’s monkey obsession and what’s not to like? I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit playing just the lite version of this game, trying to complete the 4 levels worth of challenges included in the lite version. Some are quite difficult and require some strategy such as “Cloudy Day” where you have to maneuver four varied heights worth of clouds before you reach any of the suspended fruits. Armed with only two banana farts, its takes some trial and error to find how strong and in which direction to fling your monkey to collect enough fruit to complete the level.
My verdict: Not only do I recommend the lite version, but after playing this one for the last week, I bought the full version. And at 99 cents, how could I go wrong. Full version adds an Arcade mode as well as 36 additional levels on the challenges.
OWC Grant’s Review
Monkeys are just funny…I could spend hours watching them at the zoo. And one can never have enough of them in your life. So I was pretty stoked when OWC Michael and OWC Chris suggested this app. It was officially the first game I downloaded to the Touch I won at our company Christmas party, so it has some sentimental value to me and my “home” test crew of Morgan and Logan. Combining monkey screeches, gaseous “toots”, and other sound effects with a super easy interface results in giggles from kids of all ages. Sometimes you just want to decompress and not use any strategy…you just want to be entertained. Monkey Flight Lite delivers a barrel full of laughs and is almost as good as a visit to the zoo. Just be careful you don’t turn your home into something that is representative of the real thing…playing this at night before the kids go to bed usually results in this kind of behavior. And that doesn’t go over to well with momma monkey!
My rating: A resounding Yea…simply fun and free, what more can you want?
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http://itunes.apple.com/app/monkey-flight/id311768443?mt=8
Just found out that for a limited time only, the full version of MONKEY FLIGHT is available for free!
yes, it’s nice game for kids have some good features—
easy to play.
good animation etc.
My kids LOVE this game, and I highly recommend it myself.