I’m an “old salt” of gaming. I’m known to endlessly ramble over legacy consoles and classic games. I don’t necessarily think they were superior to modern games. However, I do feel that there was something in the simplicity of those games that made them endlessly playable. When I play today, I often feel something is missing. I guess I’ve been secretly searching for a return to that classic style of gaming. When I downloaded Minigore for my long train rides after a friend suggested it, I realized my search was over.

Minigoreis a 3-D survival shooter app featuring a small blockhead named John Gore. He runs around a forest-looking background shooting at small, attacking monsters called furries. The monsters range in size from super miniature to extremely large (in comparison to Gore), and all look fairly the same with gaping red mouths and black fur. As Gore kills furries, he gains yellow Xs, and after three of these, he turns into a giant monster. In giant monster mode, he can stomp over furries. Points are gained for every furrie killed and kept in an overall score at the top of the screen.

There are several blasts and specialty guns that can be earned from killing furries, such as dual-wield guns and area bombs. These are helpful as you progress and more furries chase after Gore. A radar system shows from what direction furries are attacking. It can be turned off in the Options menu for more of a challenge. If furries successfully reach Gore, they hurt him, and it is indicated by cuts on his head. Survive the attacks by destroying all monsters to earn levels and kills.

I’m sure the developers have a background story for all this wonderful nonsense. Somewhere there is a biography for Gore and an origin for the monsters. I know how to use the Internet, and I could look up this information, but I don’t want to or need to know any of it. I don’t need to know why Xs make Gore turn ferocious or how he found a machine gun in the forest. In fact, I went to research all of this when writing this review. Then I remembered that there is a dusty 8-bit console sitting next to a towering stack of beloved games that I never learned anything about. I stopped myself and decided to let players decide for themselves if they want those extras or if they would rather just play a ridiculously fun game.

Minigore’s fun factor can be attributed in part to its 3-D graphics. There is a cartoon element to the artistic style. Gore’s giant, square head bounces much like a bobblehead doll. The monsters also have a certain bounce in their steps that make them less than frightening. An explosion of blood that looks more like a wave of red bubbles indicates monster deaths. Even though it is a classic survival shooter, Minigore’s comic approach to the genre makes for lighthearted entertainment. In summary, the graphics are — dare I say — cute.

For serious gamers who aren’t particularly drawn to the idea of a cute game, there are plenty of cutting edge, next-gen elements to the game. Minigore utilizes the popular OpenFeint, an online application that describes itself as a cross between social networking and Xbox Live. Friends can share achievements, and the community can fight for top score. Remember that ancient pinball technology and how the top score would flash on the screen next to someone’s initials? It is just like that, except global and way better. (Don’t worry if you don’t remember pinball.)

The controls are all touch operated. Gore moves and shoots via a typical joystick method implemented through red and blue circles on the screen. The left thumb controls his motion while the right thumb controls his gun. That’s it. There are no extra motions or screen buttons and no boring tutorial sessions. Items that appear on the screen are “picked up” by simply walking over them. Oh, there is also a pause button.

The sounds are one of the most creative elements of the game. The theme song is a nice mix of epic and comic and is an awesome soundtrack for grinding through cartoon monsters. The voice acting is incredibly funny. Gore randomly says things related to the attacking monsters, calls out in pain when attacked, and becomes excited when new items appear. I still get a laugh out of some of the things he says, and I must have heard them all a hundred times by now.

Admittedly, Minigore had some bugs in the very beginning. I remember an annoying button problem that occurred after choosing the Flip Screen option. However, the developers have been extremely quick to address all bugs and issues. New episodes are periodically available for download. They have also added new characters to unlock and new characters to buy. I feel that Minigorehas matured considerably in the short time since its release. If you played it in the beginning and found problems, now is a great time to revisit it.

Minigore has a huge following and is the top-selling app in more than a dozen countries. I believe this popularity is a testament to the fun of the game and the commitment of the developers. It is $1.99 for the full game at the iTunes store, and I absolutely suggest that anyone with a compatible device download this game. The price is spectacular for a game that offers sustained fun. There are many game apps available that I’ve downloaded, but only a handful of them have me returning to play again and again. That’s either the classic simplicity I’ve been searching for, or I’m just a sucker for those cute monsters.