If you're of a certain age then Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy" is one of the most recognizable songs of two generations. We didn't grow up on the Peanut's comic strip, but if there's a holiday, we had a TV cartoon special. And where there's Peanuts, there's the indefatigable Snoopy on his Sopwith Camel dueling with the Red Baron. I know that my first knowledge of the Red Baron comes from Peanuts. I know my first knowledge of WWI comes directly from this.
Namco have produced quality Peanuts titles in the previous 18 months - I actually got out my PSP after a dusty 6-month hiatus for Snoopy vs. the Red Baron! Their upcoming mobile title, Snoopy the Flying Ace, shows the same care and dedication for the comic that endeared me to the PSP title. And to top it off, I had fun playing it.
Oh, noes! Woodstock's nest has fallen; all of those babies he's (is Woodstock a he?) forever needing to feed have lost their home in the tree. It's up to his best friend Snoopy to save the day. And how will he do it? By collecting helium balloons to prop up the nest of course!
If you find mobile titles difficult to play because you've got large hands or the "camel-in-mittens" syndrome, then this is the title for you. You play with one finger.
Prop ready, spin, take-off!
Snoopy enters the air and begins to fall. Your goal? Keep him afloat and following the pattern of balloons. To do this you simply push the directional pad (or the 5) and he will stay afloat. Push it twice and he'll do a loop-de-loop. It's that simple. Ok, nothing is that simple. But, honestly, that's all you have to do to play.
If you reach the ground you'll bounce and lose balloons, but you won't "die". There is no death in this game — only failure to reach a goal and move forward. Upon replay, there is a mini-radar at the top of the screen that helps by showing you the pattern of balloons so you can prepare yourself for dips and rises, loop-de-loops and falls. At 50 levels I wondered if it might be possible to become stuck and not move forward but they've given you the tools necessary to get there — it just may take a little practice.
Additional levels include clouds that make it difficult to climb and storm clouds that hit you with lighting, knocking balloons out of your doghouse. Eventually, Woodstock will join in to help gather those items you've missed but come very close to catching. And of course there will be Rootbeer when you need that extra boost.
Along with the balloons there are also coins to collect. What do you do with these? Why, buy Peanuts comics to read on your mobile of course! Poor Charlie Brown...
The quality of the art and sound on this title is particularly impressive. Great detail has been taken to ensure this is Peanuts. The game is presented in Acts and Scenes. At the beginning of each Act you view a fully realized comic short explaining the status of Woodstock's nest. Then you play through three Scenes until you reach the next Act. In-between acts are the occasional bombing runs on the Peanuts gang.
Lucy, I'm after you and that football of yours!
If it hasn't become obvious I'm of one of those generations that grew up with Peanuts. I have fond memories and I'm excited that I can present them to my children anew. As a gamer, I love the quality of this title, its simple game mechanic that kept me fascinated and the sheer simplicity of the controls. One finger! All games should be so easy (ok, maybe not but this is fantastic.) Namco leverages their original IPs from the dawn of video games very well on mobile. Using this experience, they've taken a beloved icon of my childhood and made a sweet game that promises hours of play... on my phone.
I'm a mother of two boys, ages 7 and 10 and live in the chaos that ensues. I've a permanent disability that keeps me homebound, so books, kids, games and books are my constant companions. Oh, and books, too. *grins*
My children both play games so I often play them first, getting to know exactly how something may effect my sensitive and easily stimulated older child vs. my stoic and imperturbable younger.
I like games for games; for the pure enjoyment of them and believe that no game is wholly bad, though some are real stinkers.
I also have the dexterity of a camel in mittens so find playing FPSs difficult (and I also don't like the gore) and RTSs at times can stump me. I just can't seem to move quickly enough to keep up with them. Some of my favorite games are arcade games and I'll spend 3-5 years on the same 5-6 levels because I just never get any better. But, I have fun.
