While last week’s Xbox Live release Shoot 1UP is pretty easy as shoot-em-ups go, the frenetic, bullet-filled gameplay may still have been too much for some gamers. This week we get a much more leisurely paced style of game: a physics puzzler. I speak of Roll in the Hole from Electronic Art’s Chillingo label.
Roll in the Hole stars a panda named PoPo who loves ice cream way too much, just like me. A gorilla named Uggi has selfishly stolen the life-giving desserts, much as I’d do if I saw you had ice cream. Each level holds three ice creams and an exit hole. PoPo must try to collect all three treats and reach the exit in order to win. Simple, right?
Complicating matters a bit is the fact that (unlike yours truly) PoPo is tucked up in a ball and can only move by rolling around. Rather than tilting the phone to move the black and white bear, you’ll use touch screen controls to roll him left and right. The longer you hold your finger against the screen, the faster he rolls. By many accounts it’s a confusing control system, but the official description claims that the controls are ‘a breeze’ and that ‘anyone can have a go.’ After playing for a bit, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Roll in the Hole features a whopping 72 levels of puzzling gameplay. Figuring out the best route that allows PoPo to snag all three ice creams and reach the exit, and then successfully navigating that route should prove quite a challenge. This game comes as a surprise release that wasn’t preceded by its Achievements being discovered, but we can safely bet there will be some Achievements for the optional goal of collecting all the ice creams.
The best news about Roll in the Hole is its price: just 99 cents. If you’ll remember, Chillingo’s last game Little Acorns debuted at $2.99 (three times the price of the iOS version), so it’s good to see the publisher return to a more equitable price for this release. What's more, the game's download link has turned up a bit early. Get it here on the Marketplace.
