Game Reviews - GeoSpark, Harbor Master, Labyrinth 2
GeoSpark
GeoSpark was just released a couple days ago from the developers of GeoDefense and Harbor Master. I’m already addicted to it. My high score is currently 20,370. Can you beat it?
It’s an easy to learn fast paced game. There are no levels. The only goal is to get a high score and brag. It reminds me of Eliss a little. Basically you have all of these “Sparks” floating around on the screen and you have to keep different types of sparks from touching each other. The graphics very much resemble GeoDefense, while the gameplay is “similar” in ways to Harbor Master. You can eliminate sparks by simply tapping on them, but that’s almost always too slow and a last resort. The primary method is to eliminate Sparks is to “chain” them together by starting with one and dragging it into other Sparks like it while avoiding the others. The longer the chain, the more points you get for the next Spark in the chain. However there’s a catch. The longer you are in the middle of a chain, the more “gravity” it exhibits. This means nearby Sparks will be attracted to your finger. And that’s not good. So you’re often being forced to decide between going for a long chain gamble or playing it safe. There’s even an online scoreboard and various bonus Sparks to keep it fresh. One will x2 your chain. One will clear the screen. One will slow down everything. There may even be more. It gets harder as you get a higher score by increasing the numbers and types of Sparks. The sound effects are killer. The music is not bad. The graphics are awesome. And it’s INCREDIBLY responsive.
Harbor Master
Harbor Master is an older game I tried after learning that they had a hand in GeoSpark. It also helped that there is a free lite version to try before I buy. I ended up buying it afterwards. It’s also a fast paced game addictive as well. The graphics aren’t quite as “cool” as GeoSpark, but the gameplay is. Basically, you are in charge of all the cargo ships in a bay that has multiple docks for the ships to port and unload. You have to direct them when and where and how to dock while keeping them from colliding with each other. Then after you wait for them to unload, direct them out just as you did earlier. The catch is there are some bigger ships that move slower and take longer to unload. With a limited number of ports, it becomes tricky managing to keep them from colliding. And there are some other random twists in there to keep it fresh along with many different bays each with their own natural challenges. There’s even a multiplayer option and global stats. There’s even a fast forward button to speed up the gameplay as you like which is also configurable. Little arrows warns you of incoming offscreen ships. It has multiplayer as well.
Labyrinth 2
Labyrinth 2 was also released just a few days ago from the makers of the original Labyrinth way back in the early AppStore days. They also made the game Sway, which I love. It’s got the same great mechanics, but with SEVERAL new twists. There’s still a level editor, but now it has multiplayer and a butt load of new elements like fans, magnets, lasers, ball multipliers, checkpoints, switches, you name it! Labyrinth was always a perfect game for iDevices, but it was inherently lame and repetitive. In this edition, they have managed to make into what feels almost like an arcade game and many levels even have a puzzle element to them. The mazes that users have created are now browsable in an interface that resembles the AppStore with a surprising amount of activity complete with ratings and popularity rankings and difficulty tags. You are required to make at least 5 levels an play them through yourself to ensure they’re completable before you can publish them.
