Writing reviews for iPhone games has become increasingly difficult.  The first released apps were well received, even if they didn’t really offer much.  The fact that we only had to pay anywhere from $.99 cents to $4.99, made for our willingness to expect nothing earth shattering.  But as games quickly started pushing the limits of the device, we as consumers started to demand more and more.  Soon, an app that we had to shell out $2.99 for really had to deliver, otherwise it was deemed as “not worth it”.  I however, beg to differ.  If a game is simple, entertaining and doesn’t crash, those criteria alone should make a game “worth it”, even if it costs 1/20 of the cost of a full fledged console game.  “Connected” meets all the previously mentioned criteria which makes for a worthy purchase.

The premise of “Connected” is as straight forward as they come.  Each level presents a series of jumbled pipe segments.  Your task is to align the pipes to connect the beginning to the end.  The first couple of levels are very easy, almost to the point of stupidity.  But just as you think this game is a dud, the level of difficulty picks up dramatically.  You will think that you have all the pipes in the correct order, when you get to the second to last segment, only to find you have to rearrange all the other pieces, practically bringing you back to square one.  It’s not like this game is unique or genre-defining, but the ease of getting into it really lends itself to the iPhone platform.  You will soon find yourself wanting to complete just one more level just to see how much harder it could get.

Although the game is simple and entertaining, there is one big gripe that I had that would have really added a lot to the overall game.  There is a complete lack of any multiplayer leaderboards.  The game is made to be played at your own pace, but it would be a “nice to have” if there was some sort of speed round that would track your fastest time against the rest of world.  Other than that, as I mentioned before, this app does what it’s supposed to.  Take your mind off of your hectic life, listen to a great tune from your iPod and enjoy a little puzzle solving.

If you want a game that will eat up your spare time, go ahead and get Connected.  If you end up purchasing it and thinking it doesn’t offer enough, think about what you actually had to give up to get it. One third the cost of a pack of cigarettes? Maybe one beer at the bar that you will probably pound in a couple minutes.  We need to start thinking about the great little bits of entertainment that iPhone apps offer at such a low price.  When you start to compare it to other things we purchase on a daily basis, it starts to make a lot more sense.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]