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TA Plays: 'Amazing Alex' - Rovio's New Physics Puzzler

posted July 12th, 2012 12:58 PM EDT by Eli Hodapp in News, TA Plays

This morning Brad and I took a look at Rovio's recently released Amazing Alex [$0.99 / $2.99 (HD)]. It's surprising how little Rovio actually changed from the original source game, Casey's Contraptions, but how much does this really matter? As you'll see from the video, Amazing Alex is a fun physics puzzler that's remarkably approachable.

We play through the first ten minutes or so immediately following the tutorial, which features incredibly basic levels that introduce the game mechanics. Give it a look:

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  • Saxonius

    You guys know it's not a new physics puzzler, so I'm not sure why you're pretending otherwise with the headline. It's a game they purchased, yanked off the app store (abandoning people like me who bought it), rebranded with apparently little to no changes and are selling again. It's actually pretty offensive.

    • http://toucharcade.com Eli Hodapp

      Couldn't even make it to the second sentence before posting a comment I see.

      • Saxonius

        I did, and I wasn't trying to come off as an ass so I'm sorry. I'm ranting at the state of the App store when companies can close down existing apps change their name, and make millions off of it just because their marketing department has more money than the original developers.

        Your headline, however, does in fact say "New." And this game hasn't been new since I read your review of it last year.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=6844547 Lars Kelley

        at least they bought the rights this time around. They didn't with Angry Birds, they basically copied Crush the Castle and made the theme cuter. 
          

      • Saxonius

        Also I've listened to you on the podcast so long that actually I feel really bad that I've made one of my favorite hosts mad at me. :-(

      • http://toucharcade.com Eli Hodapp

        Haha, no hard feelings man. It just seems awfully pedantic to insist that this isn't new, it's a new game from Rovio... Rebranded, arguably unoriginal, but it's a new title.

  • Flare_TM

    c'mon guys wheres the 3 star solutions??! You can do better than that! :)

  • Christian Holland

    Its been a while since I've visited here, I stopped because I was no longer seeing anything I didn't see on the app store... 3 posts for a re-skined re-release in the last 2 days thats going to be all over the app store anyway? Wow.

  • Tim Cant

    Insta-fail

    • http://toucharcade.com Eli Hodapp

      It's currently #1 on the App Store.

      • Tim Cant

        Things that people say on the Internet

  • http://twitter.com/SamF15h Sam Pepper

    Extra $2 for "hd" version that adds no features?
    I'm good thanks.

    • dancj

      I feel the same. That's why I haven't bought Angry Birds Space and why I probably won't buy this.

  • t0xic

    Nothing new c'mon guys I didn't expect that

  • HelperMonkey

    Rip-off, you say? Well I'm Rube Goldberg, and I'm about to sue EVERYBODY up in here! Oh, sure, lip-service is dandy... It's always "Rube Goldberg-like" contraptions... Enough! Lawyer up! It's time for Daddy to get some sugar!

  • Chuck Anton

    am i the only one suspicious of it being number 1? how much hype can a game called amazing alex get? have you ever seen an ad for it or anything? i mean its only been out a day or two... something is suspicious between apple and rovio

  • jakimo

    Interesting how things roll eh? I would have paid gladly for Tiny Wings 2.0 (iPhone only) for the quality enhancements, but it's a free update. I also bought TW for iPad happy to pay for the passion of doing things right.

    With this game, I don't sense the same inspiration and I won't be buying either iOS Alex game.

    I do enjoy every Angry Birds game and have all six apps.. go figure

  • retroblique

    I'm not quite sure why people are jumping on the Rovio-hating bandwagon here. They acquired the rights to a decent, low key game, and used some of their significant resources to remake it and deliver it to a larger audience.

    I don't think the original developers of Casey's Contraptions were exactly bullied into submission. They gave their permission and were no doubt given a life-altering check in return.

    As for all this conspiracy theory nonsense... Angry Birds wasn't just a best-selling video game but a cultural phenomenon. There's a billion gaming web sites and blogs out there that have all mentioned the words "Amazing Alex" and "from the creators of Angry Birds" in the same sentence. If that's not enough to get a game to the #1 slot on the App Store then I don't know what is.

    Chill out, people.

  • yocdub

    How can I create a lvl I try but it won't let me

  • fatytwit

    An original game in the App store is Balloon Loons....yet a game like this gets no coverage.  It's fun as hell and meanwhile everyone is preoccupied with Alex and Tiny Wings....copy and copy of other games....nothing original.  Balloon Loons has them all beat but not one review.  Maybe it's because they don't have the budget to buy off reviewers like Rovio does?

    • MidianGTX

       Probably because Balloons Loons looks terrible.


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