Cannon Penguins is a odd little Windows Phone game that has you shooting penguins from a cannon in an effort to capture fish that are randomly swimming across the screen.
The arcade game has three gaming modes to offer a little variety and is available for low memory devices. I'm not sure if Cannon Penguins can stand up to marathon gaming sessions but for short spurts, it's worth a try.
Three Games, One Cannon, Plenty of Penguins
Your main menu with Cannon Penguins offers you three gaming modes, each having ten stages. You will also find options to visit the developer's Facebook page, mute the sounds and, of course, launch into game play.
The three gaming modes include:
- Penguin Army: Armed with thirty penguins you are tasked with blasting them from a cannon to collect fish that are swimming across the screen. Collect multiple fish with one shot and you earn bonus points and penguins. Your goal with Penguin Army is to score as many points as possible when you run out of penguins.
- Fast and Fishy: You have the same game concept as you have with Penguin Army but you have a time element added to game play. You have 90 seconds and an unlimited supply of penguins to rack up the highest score possible. Where combos awarded you bonus penguins and points in the Army mode, here you get bonus points and time added to the clock.
- Environmental Issue: With this gaming mode, the water is polluted with trash. You still need to catch as many fish as possible and should a penguin hits any of the floating trash, you lose a life. Lose all three lives and the game is over. As a bonus feature, as you catch fish a recycle symbol begins to turn green. When the symbol is completely green, tap it to eradicate all the trash to give you a few seconds of unfettered fishing.
Each of the ten stages of each gaming mode seems to mix up the environment a little. The floating ice chunks are occupied with penguins but aren't really obstacles because your shot flies under the ice without issue. There is also a penguin on an inner-tube that floats around the screen. Again, not really an obstacle but rather a distraction.
Overall Impression
Cannon Penguins isn't an overly difficult game to pick up but the game will test your timing, aim and patience. I don't think it could stand up to marathon gaming sessions but isn't a bad time waster of a game.
It does lack a leaderboard and while I like the stages, I wouldn't mind seeing more of a level layout where you have to meet certain performance requirements to advance (score a set number of points, etc.), something to make you work to be able to move from stage to stage.
Overall, I wouldn't consider Cannon Penguins a home run hit but maybe a stand-up double. Cannon Penguins is a free game as well as a universal game that is available for Windows 8. The downside here is that the game doesn't take advantage of the larger screens.
- Cannon Penguins - Windows Phone 8 - 9MB - Free - Store Link
- Cannon Penguins - Windows 8 - 10MB - Free - Store Link
