iAppLover

There are 30 levels in the iPhone game Sneezies, but is this cute widdle bugger of a game deep enough to make you want to see all of them? The name of the game comes from the Sneezies that you need to rescue as the game goes by. It’s a game that requires some comboing and just a little bit of luck. Sneezing dust launches the Sneezies into a chain reaction of Sneezy saving, well, sneezes.

During every level, you are required to rescue a certain number of Sneezies – not all that’ll come onscreen, but a certain number. This number rises as the levels go by, require more luck, timing and skill to get as many Sneezies as you can in a stage. What brings on the anger and the pain is because you only get one shot per level – one sneeze does it and after you bring out the sneezing powder, you get your score.

There’s another mode, Challenge Mode where you get a set number of Sneeze Puffs. Every time you take out over ¾ of the Sneezies in a level, you get bonus puffs. It generally doesn’t end – the target isn’t success, but a high score, which could tickle a competitive person’s spirit. An online leader board, available on many other iPhone games, can make sure if you get really lucky, people know.

The graphics for Sneezies are adorable and distinct though the lack of animation can be jarring, especially with the amount of animation present in other iPhone games. Despite this, the game remains pleasant to look at. What animation is there is well done and very colorful, a welcome break from the dull brown palette often abused in most next generation games.

It fails at something very critical however – making repetitive action addictive. I personally like this game, but I can see that for some it can actually become very draining and well, boring after a few stages.

This does not bode well, especially as there are 30 stages for you to work through. Finishing brings relief and salvation from the game, not a desire for greater content of which there is few. The luck aspect can also take over too much of the game, which can turn off some of the people who’re looking to stretch their mind. If you’re bored however, you can try it out – maybe the cute graphics will be enough for you.

This isn’t for everyone, though if you have some money lying around, a dollar actually, you can give it a download and kill some time – just don’t look for an super-long game that you can play for days on end.

Games on the iPhone are generally known for abuse of the accelerometer, which makes it par for the course and thus, hard to find a game that really pushes it to its limits. Well, Pinch ‘n Pop does the same both for the accelerometer and your hand as well.

The object of the game is to control the ever booming population of a race called the Squirms. This is achieved by pinching and squeezing those of the same color together. There are always more Squirms to pinch and squeeze together, which means there’s always a challenge going. There’s no challenge, so the achievement here is to squeeze as many of them as you can before they take over your screen.

Extra points can come your way by getting the same colored Squirms together in a row, which can obviously be tough given the ever growing population of the little things. Maneuvering them into place could prove tempting to combo freaks around the world though too much maneuvering can lead to a flood of Squirms. There are some power ups running around to help you in the battle.

Controls are very, very easy and similar to browsing the internet. The motions are very simple, but due to the nature of the game it can be very easy to develop cramps and hand pain after a long period of play. Nothing that some experience or a quick break can’t solve. It’s a pleasant game despite the hand pain with bright graphics that are easy on the eyes. Due to the cleanliness of the game’s graphics and attention to detail things remain clear even when it gets all hectic.

If there’s anything to complain about, it’s the fact that it isn’t quite friendly to the color-blind as there’s no option to make it color-blind friendly though as gripes go, that may be a minute concern to many people. Interestingly enough, there’s a lack of music. The sounds more than fill the auditory requirement, for those who are focused on their ears.

It’s an original game, and affordable at $0.99. Depth isn’t the selling point but the repetitive yet oddly enjoyable gameplay could be enough to entice you into buying Pinch ‘n Pop.