Price: $1.99 Score: 7.5/10 Category: Games
Side-scrolling platformers have let you play as all kinds of creatures, from monkeys to Battletoads to insects. Now, with Jellyflug, you get a chance to play as a bacteria…and the experience is pretty fun, if a bit troubled in places.
Developed by Troll Inc., the game lets you play as Grash, a bacteria taken from his home in the bathroom and allowed to explore all kinds of areas throughout a modern house.
There’s a total of 15 levels to explore before you can finally make it back to your ancestral homeland, as well as 45 different characters to interact with…some of which are friendly, but most of which are foes.
As you navigate the areas, you can use your horde of baby bacteria like ammunition to destroy obstacles in your way, or use them to gather the various power-ups stashed around each area.
The controls, while simple and intuitive, aren’t exactly the most responsive. I constantly found myself frustrated with sluggish controls, as well as wrapping my head around the somewhat inconsistent in-game physics. I also wasn’t crazy about the graphics– there is a lot happening on the screen at once, and things often seemed to lack sufficient contrast to help steer my eyes.
Still, the game has a lot of good points to recommend it. For example, the level designs are great, putting me in mind of some of the most fun and challenging platformers of the 16-bit era.
With a pretty cool concept, awesome levels with tons of hidden areas and alternate paths to explore, and a distinctive graphic look, Jellyflug is worth checking out if you love side-scrolling platform games (or just have a desire to play a game where the hero is actually a bacterium from your bathroom.)
Jellyflug is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.0 or later.