The developers over at Introversion have made some Uplink game fans very happy with the recent announcement that the classic ’90s hacking game is now available for the iPad. I first discovered Uplink as a free download that allowed me to play a few missions to decide if I liked the game. The truth was that I absolutely loved the game! The full version was one of those low-priced, indie CDs that often fell through the cracks at stores like CompUSA but I managed to hunt a copy down and played the game all the way to the end… and then began hunting down modifications and add-ons that added more missions and more hardware choices.
If you’re not familiar with Uplink, you can read my original review of the PC game version here. As you’ll read, I liked to use the Uplink game to prank friends who were not so tech savvy. The game is all about hacking other computer systems. You take the role of an elite hacker employed by the Uplink Corporation — they provide you with a small loan to purchase some hacking software and a basic Gateway computer system that is remotely accessed to provide you with some basic security in case your antics are back-tracked. Getting caught isn’t good, but often the worst that happens is that your Gateway is destroyed, preventing hacked companies from locating you. You have to start over, but at least you’re not heading to jail, right?
When the game starts, you’re offered low-paying and non-difficult jobs such as hacking into systems to delete or copy single files. As the game progresses (and your skills and reputation increase) you’ll be offered more difficult jobs such as changing academic records, falsifying credentials, and much more. And there’s even a backstory that’s going on that will unfold as your skills increase and more powerful organizations take notice of you.
