One of the games I most enjoyed in the early days of the App Store was Acceleroto’s Air Hockey [link], which delivers a very nice one- and two-player air hockey experience to the iPhone. And, while it certainly has its range of peers, it’s the air hockey game I’ve spent the most time with on the iPhone. Well, at least until recently, because developer Bryan Duke has just released his second take on the air hockey formula to the App Store in the form of Doodle Hockey [link].
Doodle Hockey, as the name may imply, is an air hockey game styled in the vein of the various “doodle" games that have swarmed to the App Store. There are several “paper" backgrounds and puck colors to choose from, and the overall visual quality feels well done for a game of this sort. More notable than any visual treatment, however, is the glass-smooth gameplay the handily outdoes that developer’s initial offering.
The one- and two- player game modes are still present, as is the unique option for a dual-puck game, but added to the mix is an excellent Tournament mode that takes you through every level of difficulty and puck configuration on a quest for the leaderboard crown (which is tracked via OpenFeint). There’s a definite “just one more game" vibe to this one.
See the developer’s gameplay video for a look at the action.
If you like air hockey, you’ll find the $0.99 price of admission well worth the fun. It’s not the only enjoyable air hockey game in the App Store, but it’s my personal favorite. A separate iPad version will be available sometime down the road. Stay tuned.
App Store Link: Doodle Hockey, $0.99
