Raccoon Blaster
Replacing rag-dolls with raccoons and introducing an innovative teleportation mechanic, Bow & Tie put a novel new spin on the physics-based puzzle game for their App Store debut, Burrow (out now, $0.99).
A true labor of love, Burrow is the creation of a husband and wife team with no previous programming or application development knowledge. Not that you’d know it, because the game boasts a charming hand-drawn art style and oodles of seriously polished and addictive gameplay.
Set across a diverse series of levels, Burrow sees you blasting cute little critters out of trashcan-shaped cannons, tasked with using the littlest number possible to grab the tasty prize – a recycling bin stuffed full of delicious garbage.
A well implemented tap and aim control system will feel familiar to anyone that’s spent time with BackFlip Studios’ acclaimed Ragdoll Blaster series, leaving Bow & Tie open to make further tweaks to the gameplay, which include the introduction of new types of critters with special abilities and the power of teleportation which can be used to reach otherwise inaccessible nooks and crannies of environments.
As you progress through the game, its Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions get increasingly complex and the puzzles more fiendishly devised. Yet, perhaps partly due to the cute woodland theme, I never found Burrow overly frustrating, and felt compelled to persevere through its 50 challenging levels.
While Burrow does retread some familiar physics-based puzzling territory, it has enough fresh ideas and indeed heart to be a worthwhile alternative to the likes of Ragdoll Blaster, Angry Birds, or Saving Private Sheep. Recommended.
iFanzine Verdict: A charming take on Ragdoll Blaster style physics based puzzling, Burrow brings enough originality to the table for us to wholeheartedly recommend it as an essential purchase for fans of the genre.
[xrr rating=3.5/5]