Gridrunner [Llamasoft][Universal]

[Drucifer]

This is f'n brilliant, a steal for $0.99.

Anyone have an achievement unlock yet?

[Gabrien]

The game is great, but one major hurdle needs to be overcome before you can enjoy it: the controls. To those of us used to true relative touch, the controls here are likely to immediately feel floaty and imprecise. This is because although controls are "relative" in the sense that your ship can be controlled with finger placed anywhere on screen, the movement isn't 1:1.

In fact, what appears to be happening here is that the game is simulating a joystick. The main problem is, that unlike with an actual joystick you get no feedback when you've reached the limit of its circumference. At first, I found this control pretty cumbersome and imprecise. Then, after a little practice a strange thing happened: I began to get better.

At the end of the day, would 1:1 relative touch control work better? Possibly so. It would certainly be more intuitive and come with much less of a learning curve. But perhaps Mr. Minter knows something I don't after only a half hour or so with the game. "Expert" control mode actually exaggerates the magnification of your input quite severely.

Whatever the case may be, after getting used to the controls I'm able to enjoy the game without really thinking about them. And there is lots and lots here to enjoy.

By the way: you pause the game by rotating your device.

Oh, and before I forget: why no Gamecenter leaderboards? I don't want OF, thank you.

[CygnetSeven]

There are GC leaderboards.

[Drucifer]

Originally Posted by Gabrien

The game is great, but one major hurdle needs to be overcome before you can enjoy it: the controls. To those of us used to true relative touch, the controls here are likely to immediately feel floaty and imprecise. This is because although controls are "relative" in the sense that your ship can be controlled with finger placed anywhere on screen, the movement isn't 1:1.

In fact, what appears to be happening here is that the game is simulating a joystick. The main problem is, that unlike with an actual joystick you get no feedback when you've reached the limit of its circumference. At first, I found this control pretty cumbersome and imprecise. Then, after a little practice a strange thing happened: I began to get better.

At the end of the day, would 1:1 relative touch control work better? Possibly so. It would certainly be more intuitive and come with much less of a learning curve. But perhaps Mr. Minter knows something I don't after only a half hour or so with the game. "Expert" control mode actually exaggerates the magnification of your input quite severely.

Whatever the case may be, after getting used to the controls I'm able to enjoy the game without really thinking about them. And there is lots and lots here to enjoy.

By the way: you pause the game by rotating your device.

Oh, and before I forget: why no Gamecenter leaderboards? I don't want OF, thank you.

First, you do not need to rotate to pause. The pause is in the middle upper portion of the screen. Likely to prevent you from tapping it in error.

Try expert controls, I prefer them to the default controls.

Lastly there is GameCenter support with achievements and leaderboards.

[Gabrien]

Originally Posted by CygnetSeven

There are GC leaderboards.

Then how does one access them? There is only the OF icon in the pause menu.

[SharpCarlos]

Originally Posted by Royce

There a menu when you pause with a difficulty toggle but I'm not sure how you pause exactly. You can access casual mode somehow from the main screen. You can access the two retro modes by turn got landscape (one each direction).

Ooh, thanks, I couldn't figure out how to access the retro modes.

As for "casual", it seems like that simply means you're starting from one of your checkpoints (as opposed to "pure", where you're starting from the first level). Weird name for it, though, since starting at level 16 feels far from casual. In fact, it feels mental.

[CygnetSeven]

Originally Posted by Gabrien

Then how does one access them? There is only the OF icon in the pause menu.

Oh, through GC, not sure about in game.

[CygnetSeven]

Originally Posted by Drucifer

First, you do not need to rotate to pause. The pause is in the middle upper portion of the screen. Likely to prevent you from tapping it in error.

Not sure how you figured that out but thanks!

[Gabrien]

Originally Posted by CygnetSeven

Oh, through GC, not sure about in game.

Seems rather strange to not be able to see the leaderboards from inside a game you're currently playing.

[tops2]

Fantastic game once you get used to the controls. (sounds like its a theme with Minter's iOS games). Right now, I can't remember which is the Vic and C64 mode. I think when your playing the more modern mode, if you tap the bottom of the screen, it seems to toggle between pure vs casual mode.

The controls sort of reminds of Mage Gauntlet's pro stick or whatever they called it. It seems to just registers the direction you swipe and how fast you swipe.

Last I checked, I'm #2 on the leaderboards for pure mode...behind Drucifer. =P