Back in July of 2009, mine, yours, and everybody else’s lives were changed forever when a little game known as Enviro-Bear 2010 [99¢] recklessly drove its way into the App Store. More than just a video game, though, Enviro-Bear 2010 may quite possibly be the most important artistic work of our time. It’s also hands down the most accurate and fully featured bear-driving-a-car simulator available anywhere. In short, I am who I am today because of Enviro-Bear 2010 and its influences on my life, and I know I’m not alone in saying that.
We let the world know about Enviro-Bear 2010 in our review, and the game went on to see a crazy amount of popularity following shortly after, including being featured on G4 TV’s Attack of the Show and landing a spot on our Best of 2009 Buyer’s Guide. In all seriousness, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the so-bad-it’s-good nature of Enviro-Bear 2010, what with the complete absurdity of the premise and its lovingly crafted MS Paint quality graphics. But, there’s actually quite a bit of depth to the gameplay with the purposely awkward controls and the level of interactivity with the various objects in the game. Doing well in Enviro-Bear 2010 actually takes a decent level of skill and tons of practice.
Enviro-Bear 2010 hasn’t seen a ton of updates in the past 2 years, I mean, it was pretty near to perfection when it first launched. Still, there have been some interesting new features added into the game like a magical mushroom which transforms the cartoonish world into something more shockingly realistic, or the elusive golden fish which has only been discovered by a select few dedicated gamers. Today, Enviro-Bear creator Justin Smith has dropped another unexpected update to the game, adding universal iPad support, tons of different language translations, and no doubt some other hidden goodies.
Playing Enviro-Bear 2010 on the large screen of the iPad is a glorious experience, to say the least. With my iPad comfortably propped up in my lap, both hands are free to man the controls of the car as well as deal with the many hazards that drop into the car’s interior, including that mischievous badger who seems dead set on harshing my mellow. I hate you with all my being, badger. Also, grabbing items using Enviro-Bear’s single huge paw has been made easier, which is extremely welcome when there is a ton of crap piled up in the interior and you need to accurately grab something under pressure with Winter bearing down on you.
If you’re somewhat new on the iOS scene and this is the first you’re hearing of Enviro-Bear 2010, then just a cursory glance at any of these screenshots should tell you if it’s the sort of game for you. It’s extremely difficult, mostly due to the purposely terrible controls, and it has a visual style that only a Mother Bear could love. But, for those that can appreciate these sorts of things, there is no finer bear-driving-a-car simulator available, and now you can enjoy Enviro-Bear 2010 from the comfort of your iPad as well.
