Reviewed: October 12, 2010
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Chillingo

Developer
ZeptoLab

Released: October 7, 2010
Genre: Puzzle
Players: 1

10
9
8
7
9.3

Game Info:

Cut the Rope is extremely simple in its premise. You have a piece of candy dangling from a string and a frog-like creature called an On Nom at the bottom (or top) of the screen that wants that candy. Using a knife-like swiping gesture you cut the string and make the candy fall or swing or float into the mouth of the On Nom. Easy you say. Ha ha…not so much, especially as you progress further into the game and the puzzles get far more devious.

Did I mention that there are three gold stars on each level that you will want to somehow make your piece of candy touch, either by falling, swinging, or floating through, all before making the final deposit into the mouth of the On Nom. Things get extremely clever when you start having to slingshot your candy with elastic strings or floating the sugary treat using a bubble, or blow the candy using air pumps to alter its trajectory or avoid candy-crushing spikes.

All of these plus hidden strings, pulleys, and some of the most realistic physics since Angry Birds create endless puzzles and countless solutions. If your solution doesn’t work the first time don’t give up. You might not just have the right momentum on the swinging candy or the proper timing on the cutting of the string. There were some puzzles where I knew I had the answer and it still took me 3-5 tries to make it work.

Multiple stages and numerous levels per stage will keep you busy for hours as you try to solve these fiendishly clever puzzles that grow more complicated the further you progress through the game. In later levels you are even required to make simultaneous dual swipe cuts or execute a series of multiple cuts in perfectly timed succession as candy swings from hub to hub, all the while mixing in gravity and floating bubbles. Feeding the On Nom is usually pretty easy, but collecting those three gold stars along the way becomes the real challenge.

The graphics are simple and delightfully charming with pleasing colors, nice backgrounds, and adorable animations. It’s a surprising presentation for what is rather a simple physics puzzle game. The soundtrack is equally as charming as are the sound effects that accompany the clever animations. Kids and adults are going to love this game, both for its looks and its highly addictive gameplay that begs you to “play just one more level…”

Admittedly, the game is rather short. I finished the entire thing in less than four hours earning all the gold stars, but I was prepared for a marathon session. What I wasn’t prepared for was just how insanely addicting this game would be. Casual gamers will easily get a week or more of gameplay. The only real replay value is earning any missed gold stars, but if you play like me you won’t advance to the next level until you perfect the current one. Crystal leaderboards and achievements track your progress through the game and let you compare scores with other players.

Cut the Rope HD is available on both the iPhone and the iPad, but the larger screen offers a much more accessible interface with the increased playing area making it easier to cut strings and pop bubbles with far greater accuracy. Fun for the entire family, Cut the Rope HD is easily one of the best physics puzzle games I’ve played since Angry Birds. It not only relies on gravity and momentum but also requires thought and timing on the part of the gamer. Don’t miss out on what could be the cutest and most addicting puzzle game on the iPad this year.