Small developers have a tough time getting their unique ideas out there with a now overly crowded App Store. The problem is, a game can have all sorts of potential, but if it isn’t near perfection in it’s first iteration, no one may ever take notice. Jump is a good idea at a budget price, but it contains a few nagging problems that must be fixed.
In Jump, you control a basketball that must be bounced on blocks or you will fall to your bitter demise. The ball is always bouncing and basic tilt controls move the ball wherever you require. The goal is to get from the starting location to the finish without falling between the blocks. It is as simple as it sounds but there are various obstacles to stop you from achieving this goal.
The blocks vary in color and style. Some blocks do nothing at all while others give you points or make your ball go flying in the wrong direction. All of these specifics can be found under the info menu to make sure you know what you are doing. The graphics are clean and crisp enough that most people will be able to figure it out without even a tutorial. The balls physics react very well to each block, causing the player to tilt madly from side to side to keep the ball from falling.
Your ball is controlled by tilt control only; no touch elements exist. My first few attempts at controlling the ball proved to be difficult, but there is a sensitivity setting which allows players to easily adjust to their liking. The ball reacts to your tilt movements fairly well and it becomes easy to place the ball exactly where you want it the more you play. It would be nice to have a shadow or some sort of indicator below the ball that could be toggled on or off in the settings for people just learning to play the game.
The biggest problem I had with the controls wasn’t actually the tilt controls themselves. The problem is the ball is constantly moving forward. If you need to gain control before bouncing over a large chasm it is very difficult, you can’t stop your motion or reverse the ball. This proved to be quite frustrating. It’s possible the developers didn’t want players wandering around the levels gaining points to no end, but adding a timer would solve that problem. I don’t want to be forced through levels, I want to enjoy them. The other nuisance that kept occurring was when I attempted to go over the large chasms my ball just wouldn’t go far enough. The camera seems to get in the way of quick movements, so if you need to make an evasive maneuver, the camera tends to hold the ball back.
Certain blocks give and take away points. A system is in place for scoring but nothing is in place to keep track of any of your high scores. All the points you gain are for nothing. I understand this is an early version of the game and there are more improvements to come, but what makes me want to play the game and gain points for no reason at all?
The ball bouncing sounds great and there are other sounds to indicate what blocks you have landed on. All of these noises are very helpful so you don’t have to take your eyes off of where you are going. A pleasant beep or a loud buzz does the job for you. No original score or music exists but you can play your own music in the background.
This is an early version of Jump. It is what SMAGA Bakery calls a “skimmed” version of the game. Folks who purchase it will get a free upgrade to the regular version when it is available. Hopefully the regular version will address all of the quirky control issues along with adding a scoring system. If all of these things end up coming to fruition, Jump will be a great time waster. As it is, it’s just a demo of things to come.
Overall: 6 out of 10
Click here to see what our scores mean
