Run Roo Run Review

In the annals of portable gaming, 5th Cell has made a name for themselves for their innovative creations like Drawn to Life and Scribblenauts.  As time has gone on, the team at 5th Cell has looked to expand their horizon to the iOS platform.  Their first game made for just for iOS, Run Roo Run captures the creative, simplistic yet extremely satisfying nature of their previous games for other platforms.

In Run Roo Run, you play as a kangaroo by the name of Roo.  Roo is on a trek across Australia from Perth to Sydney in order to her kidnapped joey.  Each level in Run Roo Run is one screen long.  Before you roll your eyes, each level will put your hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills to the test as you try to get Roo to the checkered flag at the opposite end of the screen without hitting any of the obstacles in your way.  In the entire game, there are 420 levels broken up into 20 destinations between Perth and Sydney.  Each destination includes 15 normal levels and 6 extreme levels.  Also each destination adds a new mechanic to the game that changes how Roo traverses each level.

Run Roo Run is an extremely simple game.  There is only one way to control Roo that is by touching the screen to make Roo jump.  The game’s difficulty comes from timing Roo’s jumps in order to make it to the end of the level unscathed.  Run Roo Run’s simplistic one-touch controls make this iOS game approachable anybody no matter their age or skill.   Among Run Roo Run’s strengths is the amount of content you get for the dollar or two you pay for the game.  You get the 420 main levels and on top of that, every week since the games’ release 5th Cell has been adding 10 new levels for those of us that crave more Run Roo Run.  Run Roo Run also has a very charming 2D art style that complements the simplistic gameplay and plot.  The music is good too, but loops far too often that it more grating than memorable.

The extreme levels in Run Roo Run are extreme in every sense of the word as they will take plenty of tries to find the correct way of completing them.  While most of the extreme levels offer a fair challenge that is satisfying upon completion, there are a few where the difficulty spikes to the point that it is more frustrating than satisfying.  Completing these levels relies more on luck rather than actual skill and timing your jumps.  Other than that big problem, there are a couple little annoyances in the game such as the items in the game being mostly useless and having to watch the opening cutscene every time you start the game, but they do not detract much from this already great game.

With charming graphics, simplistic yet intuitive controls, satisfying gameplay and a plethora of great levels, Run Roo Run is one of the best games you can download from the App Store.  While the difficulty spikes might make some turn off their iDevice in frustration, it is a game that gamers hardcore or casual, young or old can pick up and play.  Sadly Run Roo Run is not a universal app, but one dollar for the iPhone version or two dollars for the iPad version (I have it for my iPad) is a steal considering all the content and great gameplay you get with this amazing app.