Okay, I'm forcing myself to take a breather to post this
Abstract: I love this app to itty-bitty beary bits! The artwork and charicature is incredibly well done, and fits in with the light-hearted humour at the core of Bear on a Wire's very excellent gameplay. Much fun to be had here for all!
Mini Review:
From the outset it may seem a very straightforward concept-- tightrope-riding on a moped! -- but its 15 levels, of which I've only seen 7 so far, all pose their own individual challenges as they take a form more closely resembling a roller coaster than mere powerlines...until our Bear-friend lands head first into one of them and fries his
bear bottom (had to go there).
The charm of this game is exuded in every detail, from the fantastic artwork and animations that accompany each of the game's 15 tricks (it doesn't sound like much, but the harder ones do get quite difficult to land!) to the sputter of the moped at times to signal to you that you need to be picking up the pace. The backdrops are not overstated but are gorgeous to behold, and thankfully quite different level-to-level! The music that accompanies each level doesn't change, but it is subtle, cheerful and chirpy enough that it never manages to grate.
The gameplay requires use of the accelerometer to balance Bearzo as he performs his stunts in a race against the clock to finish each level. There are coins to pickup along the way, but my less than observant eye couldn't fathom if they have any in-game effect beyond adding to your score at the end of each round. However, the majority of your points will come from your pulling off some very whacky stunts through combinations of the 3 on-screen keys. It'll take some very practiced timing and quick reflexes to chain together the difficult stunts, but they look terrific when you do!
If I had to dig deep to find any fault with Bear on a Wire, it's that sometimes my flips weren't recognised (which require exaggerated tilting of the device). This actually happened quite a few times, so I hope the developers can tighten up recognition of the flip mechanic as I'm sure my score was suffering as a result.
The game is quite challenging, and I can see myself spending quite alot of time trying to learn the levels I'm currently stuck on. The 5 lives offered strike a terrific balance between letting you run wild on your stunts and reigning in your bravado just enough to get Bearzo to his destination. Once you have the levels down-pat, then it's up to you to start on improving your stunt score, which are tracked by an easily accessed high score table.
Having said that, I absolutely cannot wait for an online leaderboard using openfeint or something similar, because this will be an exceptional game for it.
Conclusion:
Definitely worth the purchase at it's $2.99 price point. This game oozes charm, and its simple concept and controls belie a richer, more challenging (but ultimately very fun!) trick mechanic that will be difficult to master but very satisfying nonetheless. Looking forward to future updates!