A Bio Break Game for Easter Sunday
Congratulations to JED Games for being the first submission chosen from my call to independent iOS developers! And how appropriate for Easter Sunday to introduce you to Funny Bunny Adventures, an arcade-style game for both iPhone and iPad. This game is what would happen if Pac-Man grew some cute little bunny ears in full HD and teleported into the 21st century. Don’t be fooled by the kid-friendly graphics. The game is not as trivial as it appears.
Like any good game, the basic idea can be stated simply: plant carrots in the empty garden slots and then harvest them. Easy, right? Now add a witch and a dachshund to dodge (that cute little dog is vicious – you’ve been warned), a cow to hide on top of, a rabbit hole to hide in, a teleporter for emergencies, vegetable-swapping mini-games, a cannon with tilt-control for the bonus round, alarm clock power ups, a leprechaun to interfere with your harvest… and that’s just in the free levels!
Rich Detail Shows Better on the iPad
I’d give this game more like seven and a half stars on the iPad but six and a half on the iPhone, on which the screen is small enough that some of the instructions are difficult to read. Fortunately, the game play is relatively easy to pick up on, so even if you can’t quite read everything you’ll still get the hang of it. (Game tip: on the cannon bonus round the rabbit is controlled by tilting the device. It took me a round or two to figure that out.)
The early levels are simple enough, but the play rapidly morphs into genuine arcade action in which achieving the three-star timer on each level is challenging, to say the least. You can collect carrots to level your character in various ways, making the game easier, which is I’m sure how JED games hopes to make its money on the title, but of course you don’t have to spend real money to see any of the free levels.
A Solid Title from an Independent iOS Developer
The game does not let you flip the device, forcing a button-on-the-right-side orientation, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but I forgave them this minor detail because the game does have all the other basics that gamers have come to expect from a professionally-developed title, but which some smaller companies can overlook. You can toggle the sound on and off during play, you can pause the game right there on the screen without having to leave it, you can quit in the middle of a level and either restart it or return to the home screen, and of course there is an option to restore your purchases in case you ever delete the game and later re-install it.
If I could ask JED Games for an update the only change I would request at all is to make the instructions easier to read on my iPhone 4, but overall the graphics and game play are very well done, making this title a fun addition to any gamer’s arsenal of free-download distractions. (Download tip: if you have a retina device, be sure to download the free HD version rather than the regular.) JED Games is an independent iOS developer working out of the Ukraine, with only two apps in the app store so far, so grab a free copy or download the full version of Funny Bunny Adventures and show them your support!
