Mobile Monday: Cut the Rope
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been playing Chrono Trigger on my iPhone. While Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite games of all time, it is a bit involved. Sometimes when I’m on the subway or bus I only have the time or attention span for something relatively simple. That’s where Cut the Rope comes in.
I don’t mean to imply that Cut the Rope is easy or simplistic. It is actually quite challenging and very clever. It’s a physics based puzzle game by ZeptoLab that combines the addictiveness of Angry Birds with the unbearable cuteness of Ilo Milo.
To start, he player recieves a package at the front door, from someone unknown. The only instructions on the box are “feed with candy” and inside is this little guy, who has a major sweet tooth. All of the levels are variations of boxes, They are different colors, different materials and different difficulties, all with one objective: Get the candy into the mouth of your adorable little new friend.
At first it’s fairly easy. The candy is attached to ropes and the player must figure out how to cut them so that eventually the candy falls directly into the little creature’s mouth hole. It gets pretty complicated pretty early on though and soon the player will find him or herself looking at something like the above screen, in which making use of bubbles that elevate the candy, balloons that change the trajectory of the candy, and various other mechanisms will be essential to completing the levels. There is the added bonus of getting all the gold stars and the appropriate accolades of “great job!” or “excellent!” that follow.
Speaking as a person who is a complete sucker for all things cute, I found the game slightly guilt inducing. When I couldn’t get the candy into the little guy’s mouth he frowned and made the saddest most pathetic little noise I’ve ever heard. His feelings were hurt. I do not love him, clearly. How could I let his lone piece of candy, his only sustenance fall onto spikes and break into a hundred tiny bits? How could I allow it to float right passed his head in a bubble as he happily opened his mouth in anticipation for it only to have his dreams dashed? Obviously, I am a terrible, terrible person. And I felt like one… but in a good way. I found myself frowning along with him and making sympathetic whiny noises to the point where once, on the subway I looked up to find some fellow commuter staring at my quizzically.
Awkward social interactions aside, Cut the Rope is a satisfying, self contained load of smiles on your mobile phone. Add to the appeal its whimsical soundtrack and you’ve got yourself a great little game. It’s available on Android and iPhone, and at only 99 cents it’s certainly worth the small download. Don’t believe I’m being truthful about how cute it is? Check out the video below.
Cut the Rope gets an 8/10 from me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JpdW-D6c14