Paper Galaxy by Liquid Entertainment
The best iOS games do a couple things well. They pull you into a simple story, they present easy, intuitive gameplay, and they have an aesthetic that’s appealing. Also, they’re re-playable ad infinitem. I hold up such blockbusters as Fieldrunners, Jetpack Joyride, and Flight Control as prime examples.
And now I offer you one more to add to that list: Paper Galaxy.
No, it has nothing to do with Mario. Rather, it’s the simple tale of Luna, the moon, who wandered off and got lost, and then caught a cold. And now, it’s your job to help Luna get back to home (the Earth) through a strange and exciting galaxy.
This game is all about rotational dynamics (as we used to call it in engineering school). Luna travels the galaxy by orbiting planets, comets, and other bodies, and then sneezing away from them. Yes, sneezing. Some planetary bodies will add rotational velocity to Luna, which can then be used to shoot further onwards towards home. But you don’t want to run into a sun (you’ll get burned) or fall into a black hole (you’ll get shot out the other side). Oh, and if you don’t keep moving, the nasty old Crab Nebula will catch up and grab you.
As you travel, you collect star tokens, which can be used to purchase upgrades that will help you travel further. Especially important is the Super Sneeze, which will shoot you along and speed you up for a time. Keeping your stock of Super Sneezes up so you can keep moving is important. So is a good sense of timing, and the ability to focus on rapidly spinning object.
As you increase your upgrades, you’ll find yourself getting closer and closer to home each time. There are also intermediate goals to achieve, which get you more star tokens for more upgrades. And sometimes it’s just fun to spin around for a while, and see where you can go. That’s the sign of a well-balanced arcade game.
If you need any further recommendation, I’ll just say that since I loaded my review copy three days ago, I’ve stolen away over and over again to keep playing. At this point, I’ve made it only about 2/3rds of the way to Earth. Almost there!
Paper Galaxy is a universal game for iOS, available for $1.99 in the iTunes store now (Android version shipping soon – keep an eye on the website).
