Reviewed: April 8, 2010
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Chillingo Ltd
Developer
Strawdog Studios
Released: April 1, 2010
Genre: Arcade
Players: 1
7
8
6
7
7.4
Game Info:
App Store Price: $4.99
Geon has been around for a while in a few variations including an Xbox Live Arcade version we reviewed back in 2007. In its latest edition, Geon HD for the iPad, we may have just stumbled on one of the most addicting dot gobblers since Pac-Man. With a visual influence that screams TRON, Geon HD consists of numerous grid-like playing fields full of dots and you must move your Geon cube around the “maze” collecting the dots and depositing them in the goals.
It’s a race against the clock that will test you analytical mind, your reflexes, and your strategic decision on which Geon power-up to pre-select before each level. Special squares on the grid will activate one of several powers like sucking up dots, increasing your speed, or spawning ghost cubes to harvest dots
The iPad offers up some stunning visuals with neon colors and psychedelic effects, along with some excellent techno music and sci-fi sound effects. Sadly, the game features some quirky controls as well that keep Geon HD from being as fun as it was on the Xbox with an actual stick.
The virtual D-pad is a bit problematic when it comes to switching directions. You can’t simply roll your finger or thumb to a new direction. You actually have to let off one part of the control and re-touch the new direction which shaves off valuable seconds and keeps the game from flowing as naturally as it should. The button to energize your power-up is also in a bit of an awkward location. All of these issues could potentially be patched in a future update.
Of course you can get used to anything over time, and if you put in the effort these control issues will become only minor inconveniences. Soon you’ll be navigating the 24 levels like a pro checking out the time attack mode as well as 8 challenging mini-games. You are ranked with bronze, silver and gold medals, both locally and online if you take part in the Crystal Leaderboards and Achievements. $5 is a bit steep but the game is addictive and highly replayable and competitive, so it's not as bad as some other games in the same price range.
Geon HD is a high-tech 3D variation of Pac-Man with a whole lot of visual flavor and cool audio tracks and effects that will keep you glued to your iPad for hours. Other than the quirky controls, I loved every moment spent with this game.
