While the Italian plumbers and cocky blue hedgehogs tend to save the day with their characteristic swagger and charm, there’s something about undefined, faceless blob heroes and heroines that flick a particular switch inside me. Whether it’s the pink transmuting ball of magical gust that is Kirby, or the strangely anthropomorphic protagonist in classic iOS platformer Bounce On ($1.99), I’m all for spherical avatars in my video games. Leap On! follows such a formula, as the latest release from Noodlecake and Flying Pants Games features an orbiting white ball that must be flung and bounced around a hazardous environment of nefarious black shapes to achieve the highest score possible. As a neat little arcade title, Leap On! looks to be as fun as the dot is cute, and will be worth a look when it launches on the App Store on July 19th as a free download.
The most appealing feature of Leap On! from its launch trailer is how the elastic properties of the tether to the centre of the screen create an absorbing, rhythmic feel as you tap and release the screen to avoid the obstacles that can be encountered in orbit. Power-ups that allow your blob to shoot away the seemingly evil black shapes, and even transform into what the developers describe as a destructive ‘spiky badass’ to crush anything in your path should help add some variety to the tight central gameplay mechanic. Best of all, Leap On! will launch for free, with ad support that can be removed for a mere dollar. While the sprawling epic adventures are certainly welcome on the App Store, quick-fire arcade experiences such as Leap On! are always a lot of fun to play, and I’m looking forward to the game spinning me right ’round, baby, right ’round when it launches on the App Store tomorrow.
