Have you ever wanted to ride a motorcycle through Hell as a duck? Well, Hellrider (Free) is your huckleberry. Accompanied by a slick set of pixelated visuals and an appropriately chiptune soundtrack, Hellrider sees players riding a motorcycle through a hellish landscape, avoiding lava at two sides and a heap of different obstacles. By default you’ll start by veering off into one direction, and a simple tap anywhere will change your course. By tapping rapidly you’ll stay in place, but eventually you’ll need to commit. The animation is very slick on an iPhone 6, and the controls are pretty much instant.
The simple premise takes off when you add in the fact that the screen constantly shifts perspective, from a landscape to portrait after every death. You’ll also switch sides on occasion, forcing players to relearn everything they once knew and adjust accordingly, which you’ll see in the accompanying screenshots. It sounds like such a basic little thing, but after 10 or so sessions it really does make each run feel fresh, despite the fact that it’s technically the same concept every time.
Boss fights are a highlight, the first of which involves a simple bomb pattern where you can throw back the third explosive. On paper the mechanic is relatively simple, but getting the angle just right to grab the correct bomb and avoid all the others is extremely tricky. Sometimes you’ll undershoot and ride right into an armed bomb, and other times you’ll overshoot and head into the lava. It’s a testament to how you’ll have to plan ahead when changing directions with this simple yet deep control scheme, that can be learned with time and effort.
The way the developer has responded to the current IAP marketplace is pretty outstanding. To unlock each character, all you have to do is watch an ad. It’s painless and takes maybe a minute, and you’re done. The same goes for creating a checkpoint for specific areas — watch an ad and you’re good. The only problem with this model is that there’s no “buyout" option for any portion of the game, including the removal of ads altogether. Now this is likely a move to keep ad revenue up for continued support, and it’s not like said ads are all that bad anyway, but it’s an option that would be appreciated. It is a free app, after all.
Hellrider is an engaging little runner that uses ads in a way that most games should. Although it’s not as long-lasting as a lot of other similar titles on the market, it’s definitely worth picking up for at least an afternoon to quickly unlock everything and ride into the sunset.
