image: 965 Studios
It’s not often that I am given a chance to review an app based on my favorite appetizer. This was my first thought when I was presented with a download code for Edamame Touch for the iPhone/iPod Touch. In the end, I discovered the title to be a quirky little game that, unlike its hearty inspiration, was a bit low on substance.
The gameplay of Edamame Touch couldn’t be simpler. You tap the bowl to get a pod, press the pod to remove the beans, touch the beans to “eat” them and then flick away the empty husk. What comes out of said pod, however, can sometimes be a little surprising.
Mixed in with your run-of-the-mill soybeans and the occasional mysterious missing bean are a number of notable aberrations. Some beans sport cutesy emoticon faces, while others are skinned in wholly un-legume-like majesty. From the sinister Franken Bean to the oddly enticing Bacon Bean, there are 24 of these themed beans to shock, delight and confuse.
The discovery of each (as well as certain other in-game benchmarks) is tied to a relevant achievement. Sadly, these achievements feel fairly hollow in a game that offers no other real reason to play. Even the reward screen itself – which redundantly states “Achievement achieved” – seems a tad underwhelming. Edamame Touch keeps records of not only your achievements but your total playtime and the number of each discovered specialty bean, but it fails to make the experience compelling. Perhaps if it were tied to the new Game Center application it would feel as though you were at least getting some genuine bragging rights, but on its own Edamame Touch is nothing more than a simple time-waster.
Still, as time-wasters go it’s a pretty cute one with amusing graphics and silly sounds – that at least counts for something. If you’re looking for an easy way to distract your kids or to help a newbie understand the use of a touch interface, Edamame Touch will do nicely. If, however, you’d rather spend your time (and your 99 cents) on a title with a bit more of a pay-off, better options abound on the App Store.
Review materials provided by 965 Studios
